By Courtney McEunn
Student Life Editor
At 7:30 p.m. on Apr. 17, Cameron University students competed in the Spring 2023 movie night competition at the Vaska Theater.
April 17 has had the second biggest turn out of attendees, following behind the showing of films from the Corporate Video Production class showings last fall.
Movie night had four student submissions by Austin Childers, Hannah Owens, Kalen. Haynes and Jimm Sosa. Before the showing of each film, the Vaska showed two movie trailers: “Lips Like Fire,” and Dr. Jenkin’s current project, “Static in the Ether.”
The judges of this event were CU Associate Professor David Bublitz and Instructor and Director of Forensics, Katie Stringer. After the showing of the short films, they decided the winners.
In first place: Austin Childers with “The Writers Room.” Childer’s film follows a group of writers sitting around a conference table, trying to come up with an idea for their next screenplay. We see scenes from each member’s ideas as they try to come up with a good idea.
In second place with an award in best use of editing: Jimm Sosa with “How Bout that Weather: The Final Forecast.”
Sosa’s film works as a finale of his previous short film series, “How Bout that Weather.” The lead goes through different emotional events and gets stuck in the inner workings of his mind, as he tries to come up with a project idea.
In third place with an award in best story line: Kalen Haynes with “The Mob Movie.”
Hayne’s film follows a mob family scandal, where the daughter of a mob boss tries to steal her family’s money and takes over the business. Her brother finds out, killing her new husband, which sends her into a rage and killing the boss and putting herself in charge.
In fourth place with an award in best first-time movie: Hannah Owens with “Hell Hath no Fury.”
Owens’s short film is about a woman who discovers her significant other is lying and cheating on her with his coworker. In her hysteria, she decides to cook him dinner and poisons his wine. She enacts her revenge and kills him for his infidelity.
Dr. Jenkins, a professor in the Communications, English and Foreign Language Department, started movie night to give students the opportunity to showcase their own, independent films in a theater setting and to participate in some friendly competition. While it began as just that, Jenkins began to incorporate as much student involvement as possible with each movie night.
Jenkins began taking some of his classes and other students and involving them in PR campaigns for movie nights.
“I plan to provide an opportunity for Comm majors with an emphasis in Public Relations to design, implement and evaluate a PR campaign for the movie night being scheduled for next November,” Jenkins said. “Instead of showing student movies, our goal will be to screen a major motion picture and conduct a Q&A with the director or someone associated with the movie.”
One of the most memorable parts of movie night for both Jenkins and the student participants is the opportunity to watch them in a real movie theater surrounded by an interested audience.
“I love experiencing the audience’s reaction to what is being shown on the screen,” Jenkins said. “There is nothing like experiencing the work you created with an audience. In one sense, it is a risk and in another, it is extremely gratifying.”
For more information about upcoming movie nights, email Dr. Matt Jenkins mattj@cameron.edu.
