Rowan films impress in Philly festival

The Greater Philadelphia Student Film Festival has always been a great outlet for students in the area to showcase their hard work. Student filmmakers from around our region submit their films to be judged, recognized and awarded.

This year’s festival will show selected films from 11 colleges and universities out of over 100 submissions. GPSFF awards a film in each of their five categories: Drama, Comedy, Experimental, Animation and Documentary. This year, a couple of Rowan’s own filmmakers are being recognized in the festival.

“Breaking Through the Static: The Seth Boory Story” was produced in Diana Nicolae’s TV production II class. This short documentary follows a 15-year-old boy named Seth Boory, who suffers from Fragile X Syndrome, a hereditary disorder that causes mental retardation.

Senior radio/TV/film majors Robert Crowthers (producer), Dana Frack (director) and Casey Keating (editor) followed Boory and his progression for weeks, making his story into their own.

“I have worked with Seth at a summer camp for special needs for the last four summers and I have watched him grow and progress,” Crowthers said. “I knew I needed to tell his story so that others can see that just because you have a disability doesn’t mean you can’t achieve goals.”

The crew worked together to create an effective story to capture the inspiration of Seth’s story.

“The film really makes me count my blessings and appreciate who I am and what I have in my life, which I hope others will feel when they see this film,” Crowthers said.

Another Rowan-made short documentary following dog trainers will also be showcased in the festival.

“Unleashed,” also made in Nicolae’s TV production II class, focuses on people who participate in dog shows and surround themselves with that lifestyle. Senior radio/TV/film majors Melissa Nini (producer), Allison Leonard (director) and Edward Bauman (editor) worked together on the film, also getting help from junior radio/TV/film major Ryan Dapper as a camera operator.

“I used to be very involved in dog shows and met a lot of crazy people and I thought it would make a very entertaining documentary,” Nini said.

Both documentaries were submitted to GPSFF and were picked as finalists in the documentary category. The festival will be held Friday, April 2 at the Levitt Auditorium at the University of the Arts.

The event starts at 7 p.m. and will include refreshments, entertainment and giveaways. Tickets are on sale at gpsff.com for $7, or $10 at the door.