USM 2019 Film Fest

USM film students who have been working all year are getting the chance to show off their best work.

Students gathered at Hardy Hall on the Gulf Park Campus for an annual film festival. At the end of the show, an award ceremony was held to honor categories like ‘best director,’ ‘best sound,’ and ‘best editing.’

Students and spectators alike say events like this are important to the film industry. Film student Kevin Kartier said, “Especially in a market like down here where there isn’t as big of a film community, it means everything. It’s networking, it’s getting inspiration, it’s meeting new people to collaborate with, it’s showing off your work to maybe people who didn’t know you could do work in that arena.”

Mississippi Division of Tourism Project Manager Bill Webb said, “People are finding this state. People are wanting to make films here and a lot of the problems they have is they don’t have sufficient trained crew members and USM’s film program has put out many, many great young film makers.”

The next film festival will be in the spring of 2020.