The day after he graduates from 麻豆原创 with a bachelor鈥檚 in film, he鈥檒l show his first documentary series 鈥� an 80-minute, four-part feature following a day in the life of four Florida naturalists 鈥� during a private showing to cast, crew and local contributors at the Enzian Theater in Maitland, Florida. Marcucci and his crew are also currently submitting the project to several national film festivals and seeking distribution through TV and education-focused outlets. The showing at the Enzian represents not just a project that consumed more than 18 months of his life, but a realization of the dream that brought him to college in the first place.

The film, Tales of Sunshine: Florida EcoStories, put Marcucci in the director鈥檚 chair for the first time, while answering his need to draw attention to social issues.

鈥淭hese two realms blend together well,鈥� he says.

Marcucci recognized early in life that movies and documentaries had a unique power to illustrate the need for social change. He considered pursuing filmmaking directly after high school, and scholarship opportunities 鈥� including an SG Sustainability Initiatives Scholarship and a 麻豆原创 Part-time Summer Grant 鈥� helped support his interest. Besides the typical pursuits of college life, he began developing industry connections and networking with the biologists, anthropologists and sociologists who shared his interests. Getting his hands dirty as a part-time student worker at the deepened his zeal for environmental studies.

Over the summer of 2020 he approached senior instructor Lisa Peterson about developing an independent study course to complete a film. He had the seed of an idea to film his friend Ian Biazzo, a conservation biology doctoral student, as he performed conservation biology field research.

That little idea quickly blossomed into an incredible volume of work 鈥� even before filming began. Marcucci recruited more students to help with cinematography, sound, music composition, graphics and logistics. Then came preplanning, chased by a full weekend of filming. His team looked to him to lead pre-shoot meetings on safety as well as logistics, like how much water to carry into Central Florida scrubland.

As the project grew in scope and Marcucci realized the value of adding more voices, he was reminded of advice his mentor, Peterson, gave him early in the project.

鈥淪he said, 鈥楾he documentary will tell you what it wants to be,鈥欌�� Marcucci says. 鈥淪o as the episodes went from 10 minutes to 15 to 20, I just let the art explain itself.鈥�

Besides Biazzo鈥檚 conversation biology work, the film follows members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a professional mermaid and a recreational fisherman. A $1,800 grant from the Office of Undergraduate Research played a big part in expanding the series.

For months Marcucci spent every day working on the project to some degree, particularly as he faced the monumental task of editing it into a finished piece. A three-month break for a summer job in Hawaii in 2021 gave him a fresh perspective when he returned for his final semester at 麻豆原创.

Showing the final piece on the big screen and reaching the finish line fills him with a mixture of relief and anxiety. It鈥檚 already been interesting to see which stories early reviewers prefer, he says, so he鈥檚 most looking forward to engaging with the audience.

鈥淢ore than anything I鈥檓 just really excited to show it,鈥� Marcucci says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long process.鈥�

When he was 15, Rhodes says he started writing for a film magazine called Filmfax,聽and he鈥檚 been analyzing movies ever since.

He isn鈥檛 entirely sure of the number of horror movies he has seen over the years 鈥� probably a few thousand 鈥� and he says he needs to invest in a 14th bookcase for his DVD collection (which he stacks two deep to a shelf).

He is an author and/or editor of 20 books on film history and theory, and his most recent book, The Birth of the American Horror Film, was published in 2018.

Rhodes talks through the origin of the genre, a 麻豆原创 film legacy and what to watch this Halloween.

鈥淗orror鈥� didn鈥檛 have its genre coined until 1931, and as a result, Dracula was originally billed as a love story.
No one would have said 鈥渉orror film鈥� before 1931, even though in retrospect, there were movies that would have classified as horror. Instead, people would use adjectives and speak more specifically about a movie, like: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a new ghost film.鈥� Sometimes they would use the terms 鈥渨eird鈥� or 鈥渇antasy鈥� or 鈥渂izarre.鈥� 鈥淯ncanny鈥� was a popular adjective at the time. At the turn of the 20th聽century, 鈥渕ysterious鈥� was a term that was used a lot. 鈥淭rick picture鈥� was often what they were called before 1915 because they were very brief and very reliant on special effects. Almost like a magic show with magic you couldn鈥檛 do on a stage.

What happened in 1931 was the film Dracula was released in February of that year. And they didn鈥檛 have a clear way to label it, and they were scared as to whether audiences would like it or would be too frightened by it. So, they released it around Valentine鈥檚 Day, and they called it 鈥渢he strangest love story the world has ever known.鈥� It was actually audience members across the nation who chose the term 鈥渉orror.鈥� Films played over months back then as they made their way from the biggest cities to the smallest towns. As the weeks went on, the critics and the theaters began picking up on the term that the audiences had bestowed upon not only Dracula but then Frankenstein, which was the initial follow-up. It was not a marketing person in Hollywood or a particular movie poster. It was audiences that decided these other terms didn鈥檛 fit.

Nearly every horror movie theme was covered by 1915.
In researching my book The Birth of the American Horror Film, I looked at hundreds and hundreds of films made before 1915. I think people today don鈥檛 even imagine there were horror films back then. Not only were there hundreds of them, but every single topic you could imagine, from the killer with the knife to the vampire to ghosts to devils to witches to voodoo 鈥� every kind of horror we could think of 鈥� there are films of those types made before 1915. And yet, the horror film has been unbelievably consistent in its popularity from 1895 which was the year the very first horror film was made.

There once was a theatergoer who was 鈥渟cared to death.鈥�
Around 1905, there was a little boy who came out of a screening of some of these early horror films and died. And the doctor, according to press accounts at the time, said he had been literally scared to death. I find that story fascinating 鈥� how powerful these early films were. It鈥檚 impossible for us to think about because cinema has been around for as long as we鈥檝e existed. But the impact of the very first films on the first moviegoers, some of these people had fought in the Civil War 鈥� they wouldn鈥檛 have seen movies ever before and they certainly hadn鈥檛 seen TV. Some people were scared of all films regardless of the image or story because it was overwhelming at the sheer size of the screen. The power the films held then was even greater than a new Halloween film could have over us now.

American horror stories follow two patterns.
As I spent time researching the earliest horror films, I reviewed horror-related poetry, literature, paintings and photographs in America before films were invented. There seems to be an emphasis of two types of horror. One is the Scooby Doo-thing: You see ghosts or you see goblins throughout the film, but then they are unmasked at the end. The supernatural isn鈥檛 really happening as it seemed to be.

The other major thread is the supernatural isn鈥檛 even at play at all. It鈥檚 just Jack-the-Ripper-type murderers, which is what Michael Myers from Halloween is. Freddy Krueger was just another slasher killer but supernatural was added just to make him different from Jason and Michael Myers. There are exceptions, but for every exception, I could list hundreds of films that follow one of these threads.

And yet, despite the repetition, hit films like Get Out find a way to bring new life to the genre.
There have been moments throughout history where all of a sudden, somebody comes up with something quite new. We can mention The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Halloween in the 1970s as an example where somebody comes up with something so new that it becomes imitated quite a bit. We can say the same thing of The Exorcist. I think what鈥檚 interesting is that in recent years, films like Get Out or The Conjuring or Hereditary are attracting more talented and creative writers, directors and famous actors who years ago would have said, 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to be in a horror movie. Even if I need the money, I won鈥檛 do horror.鈥� I think that鈥檚 the great thing of the recent films like Get Out. Not only are they introducing something new, but they鈥檙e also just simply, extraordinarily well-made films by very talented people. The horror genre is reaching a point of greater respect in popular culture and academia.

The Blair Witch Project, which was written, filmed, directed and produced by five 麻豆原创 graduates, impacts the genre even two decades after its release.
The impact of Blair Witch is two-fold, although they intersect. One would be its marketing. It was marketed as footage really found, and a lot of people believed that marketing tagline. It was this incredible viral marketing campaign at a very early time of the internet 鈥� one of the most important campaigns in cinema history for any kind of film. Dovetailing with that is a term I don鈥檛 really love, but what we would call its 鈥渕ockumentary鈥� style. There had been some horror-style mockumentaries in the years before Blair Witch, but none of them really had any impact on audiences or Hollywood in any real way. Because of the enormity of Blair Witch鈥檚 success, it inspired other filmmakers to make horror films that have the found-footage look. A lot of them don鈥檛 get seen because they鈥檙e so low budget, but there have been major release found-footage horror films like Cloverfield and Paranormal Activity, and all of those films come out of Blair Witch鈥檚 success.

Producers have tried some pretty clever gimmicks to scare audiences in theaters.
I loved doing the research on the marketing on audiences. Some common gimmicks in the 1930s and 1940s would be to hire people or plant staff in the theater to scream intentionally to cause other people to scream. Or they would have a nurse, or someone dressed as a nurse or doctor, in the lobby in case you needed medical assistance. Sometimes an ambulance was parked outside the theater. Psycho was the first film where you were not permitted to arrive late, so the theater would be perfectly quiet. Another favorite gimmick of mine 鈥� there was a producer named William Castle who worked on the film called The Tingler with Vincent Price in 1959. He would wire a small number of theater seats with some small volts of electricity. At a given moment in the film that was supposed to be scary, they鈥檇 buzz you. And three or four in the crowd might be literally shocked, and that was supposed to cause the contagion of fright. There鈥檚 some great stories like these throughout film history.

The next chapter of film is likely headed toward virtual reality.
I think there will be great possibilities in general from an increasing emphasis on virtual reality and augmented reality. I think there will be an immersive process, and I think it will have a lot of appeal for horror films. For example, things that creep out of the periphery of one鈥檚 eye that even with a curved screen is not ever going to happen like it could with VR. I think that鈥檚 the next place where some interesting, new things and new effects could happen.

Here are seven film/series recommendations to cue up in your living room for this physically distanced Halloween.
Lovecraft Country (2020), The Haunting of Hill House (2018) and The Haunting of Bly聽 Manor (2020) make excellent binge viewing for the Halloween season. The Invisible Man (2020) definitely deserves attention. There鈥檚 a great horror film on Amazon Prime that鈥檚 low budget called Interior (2014). It won some awards in festivals, and the director is 麻豆原创 Film’s very own Lecturer Zachary Beckler 鈥�11 鈥�14MFA. Those of us old enough to remember The Shining (1980) will enjoy seeing Doctor Sleep (2019). And if you really want to climb into the crypt, there is a tremendous restoration of the horror film聽The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari聽(1920), which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

And for those wanting to celebrate Halloween for days on end, the “Shudder Channel,” available through Amazon Prime, will provide enough viewing to keep you going.

That鈥檚 the premise of graduate student Jason Gregory鈥檚 TV pilot Waking Up White. Gregory鈥檚 story follows a black family that wakes up one day to find they are now white. They then have 30 days to decide if they would rather return to their cultural roots or stick with the skin that they are in now.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a show based on cultural identity and what is at risk of being lost. We deal a lot with gentrification [in the show] and the issue of gentrification also deals with the loss of cultural identity,鈥� Gregory says.

Gregory started developing the idea in 2016 as his thesis film for the Master of Fine Arts in emerging media program. Several professors suggested he turn the idea into a TV show instead and after three days of dedicated work he delivered the script for the pilot.

When the time came to start filming, Gregory put out a crew call and was surprised that so many people were interested in being a part of the project. Ultimately, 40 麻豆原创 students offered their time and assistance to take the story from a script to filming a full production in Eatonville, a historic black community, within a week.

鈥淚 was really humbled and honored by the amount of people that came out,鈥� Gregory says. 鈥淎 lot of people said we couldn鈥檛 film a pilot in seven days, but we got it done.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 a show based on cultural identity and what is at risk of being lost.鈥� 鈥� Jason Gregory, 麻豆原创 student

The first screening for the pilot will air during the 30th annual Zora! Festival on Jan. 28 at the Eatonville Town Hall (307 East Kennedy Blvd.) Three showings will be 11 a.m. to noon; 12:45 to 1:45 p.m.; and 2:15 to 3:15 p.m.

This year鈥檚 festival is the 30^thanniversary of the multi-day, multi-disciplinary event held to celebrate the life and work of author and former Eatonville resident Zora Neale Hurston. It will be held Jan. 26 to Feb. 3 and include public talks, museum exhibitions, theatrical productions and more.

Here, Gregory shares more about Waking Up White:

How did you come up with the idea for Waking Up White?
I was watching TV one night and an African-American woman was on TV and she was responding to a news reporter鈥檚 question about an African-American who had just recently been shot and killed, and she said: 鈥淭his wouldn鈥檛 have happened if we were white.鈥� And I just started thinking about that and realized there鈥檚 a lot of power in that word 鈥淚f.鈥� From there I just started creating the outline for this story.

The project is filmed entirely in Eatonville. Why did you choose this location?
There are a couple great things about Eatonville. They are their own municipality. They have their own mayor, police force, they鈥檙e pretty much self-governed. And we were looking for a town to partner with. We loved the rich history and culture that they have. For the show, we actually created our own fictitious town called Wellsville, so we borrowed from some of Eatonville鈥檚 history. We named our town Wellsville because of Dr. [William Monroe] Wells, who was one of the first African-American doctors in Parramore (another historic African-American community.) And then we took the 鈥渧ille鈥� from Eatonville.

What was the most challenging part of creating this project?
Just trying to make sure that everyone had the time because everyone worked for free, from the crew to the cast. We just had to really work around people鈥檚 schedules to make sure we could get it done, and we did. A lot of people said that we couldn鈥檛 shoot a pilot in seven days and we got it done.

What are some of your biggest influences?
One of my biggest influences is Spike Lee鈥檚 Do the Right Thing. I eat, sleep and breathe that film, so there are a lot of influences from Spike Lee [in the show.] I joke around and tell people when I was a kid everyone would say, 鈥淚 want to be like Mike,鈥� because of the Gatorade commercials with Michael Jordan. I would say, 鈥淚 want to be like Spike.鈥�

I have also been majorly influenced by Reginald Hudlin, who directed Boomerangand Marshall, [as well as] Ava DuVernay and Martin Scorsese.

Do you have any tips for other students who are attempting similar projects?
Find a mentor very quickly. A mentor that has been through what you鈥檙e attempting to go through so they can show you not only the successes, but also the failures. Become a student not only of film, but also project management and planning so you can plan accordingly. I planned so much that I even studied weather patterns over the past years on the dates we were filming just to be prepared. I made sure that if we needed to, we could shift from an exterior scene to an interior scene in case it started raining.

What are you most proud of within this project?
My proudest moment was working with a team dedicated to making quality projects, who are also motivated in advancing the Central Florida film market. We have great crews and actors here and I was honored to have them working on Waking Up White. It was a true community project. From the crew and actors to 麻豆原创 and Eatonville. I鈥檓 extremely proud of what we accomplished.

What does it mean to you that the public is going to finally see this?
It means a lot. I think everyone wants to leave some type of mark on society. We have a society that is built on the word 鈥渋f.鈥� 滨蹿听I were this, maybe I would have that. We really wanted to see if the grass is really greener on the other side and are there really opportunities out there that we are excluded from. And I鈥檓 hoping that this project will create an opportunity for dialogue so that we can get to a point to where we can identify more of what we have in common than just our differences.

麻豆原创鈥檚 animation programs were ranked No. 4 among the Top 40 Public Animation Schools and Colleges in the nation by the Animation Career Review.

The films produced by this year鈥檚 senior character animation students are more than art for art鈥檚 sake. Both 鈥淯kelayla鈥� and 鈥淣ight Light鈥� are decidedly message-driven. And after two years spent creating the films, students in 麻豆原创鈥檚 character animation聽program are working to ensure their films reach new audiences beyond premiere night on Monday, April 23, at the Center for Emerging Media in downtown Orlando. The showings are free and open to the public.

Meet Layla of 鈥淯kelayla鈥�

鈥淯kelayla鈥� tells the story of Layla, a young girl living with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), a motor speech disorder that makes it difficult for children to send oral messages from their brain to their mouth. Children with CAS will often know what they want to say but are unable to verbally communicate it.

鈥淚t was really important that Layla portray herself the way that somebody with [childhood apraxia of speech] would,鈥� Thomas says.

Layla鈥檚 frustration with the inability to express herself leaves her isolated, but she eventually learns to express herself through the power of music and friendship. The film鈥檚 title is a mash-up of the main character鈥檚 name and the ukulele, the instrument Layla uses as a medium to communicate.

鈥淚 wanted to bring light to this situation that many kids go through and give them representation in media where there really hasn鈥檛 been any,鈥� says senior Character Animation major Haleigh Mooney, who pitched the story for 鈥淯kelayla鈥� and acts as student director on the film.

To make sure they got the details right, the 鈥淯kelayla鈥� team partnered with the nonprofit organization Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America to ensure that CAS was depicted authentically.

For the film鈥檚 production manager Tabitha Thomas, 鈥淯kelayla鈥� was especially personal. The senior鈥檚 younger brother has CAS, which provided her with insight into the disorder.

鈥淚t really spoke to me,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 would call my mom, and she would tell me stories about my brother when he was younger and how he would act at that age,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淲e did a lot of research. It was really important that Layla portray herself the way that somebody with CAS would.鈥�

Meet Fin of 鈥淣ight Light鈥�

The film 鈥淣ight Light鈥� follows a baby sea turtle named Fin on his journey from nesting beach to the ocean.

The film touches on the threat of light pollution to hatchlings, who are drawn to the brightest nearby light.

The film touches on the threat of light pollution to hatchlings, who are drawn to the brightest nearby light. Artificial light from sources like street lamps can distract baby sea turtles away from the reflection of natural moonlight off the ocean鈥檚 surface, exposing them to moving vehicles and other threats. On his journey, Fin is joined by Abueluna, a maternal spirit, and Lumin, a friendly light bulb. Abueluna supplies wisdom and guidance by following the moon as a natural light source, while Lumin represents humankind鈥檚 curiosity and ignorance about nature.

The 鈥淣ight Light鈥� team consulted with sea turtle expert and 麻豆原创 associate professor of biology Kate Mansfield, as well as the 麻豆原创 Marine Turtle Research Group, to ensure accuracy in even the smallest details, such as nailing the texture of Fin鈥檚 shell. Students from the program also visited nesting sites in Melbourne Beach with the research group to see the sea mammals up close. The film鈥檚 creators were careful not to dissuade people from interacting with nature, but rather inform the audience on how to do so safely.

鈥淲e鈥檙e saying that there is a correct way to have a relationship with nature. People need to know that because it affects the turtles,鈥� says senior Character Animation major and co-art director Jonathan de la Uz. 鈥淚t鈥檚 better if we can teach people the right way to be with nature instead of separating people from it completely.鈥�

The teams hope the short animated films live on beyond the premiere. The 鈥淯kelayla鈥� team hopes to provide DVDs of the film to speech clinics for children, while the 鈥淣ight Light鈥� creators are in talks with the Brevard Zoo and the Barrier Island Sanctuary to start educational showings for visitors. And for about a year after the聽premiere, the films will be submitted to short film festivals. Both teams have opened ongoing fundraising pages to help pay for admission to the festivals.

More About 麻豆原创鈥檚 Animation Programs

The animation programs at 麻豆原创 continue to gain national recognition. Along with experimental animation, the character animation program was ranked No. 4 among the Top 40 Public Animation Schools and Colleges in the nation and No. 3 among of Top 10 Animation Schools and Colleges in the South by the Animation Career Review this year.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e not here to suffer consequences for trying something new and not succeeding,鈥� Mooney says.鈥淵ou鈥檙e here to find out what you鈥檙e good at.鈥�

The two-year specialization accepts only 30 students each year and prepares and trains them for careers in the animation and visual effects industry as animators, modelers, texture artists, and more. Graduates have gone on to careers with film and visual effects giants like Disney, Universal, Framestore and Blizzard Entertainment.

鈥淲e have students at all the major studios, and also working in gaming and special effects,鈥� says Lecturer Jo Anne Adams, who has worked with the character animation program since 2008 and served as the faculty director for this year鈥檚 student films. 鈥淏ecause of their success, employers are noticing us and then students are more attracted [to the program].鈥�

As a result of its exclusivity, the program is intensive, with students devoting anywhere from 40 to 80 hours per week on their films.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like a full-time job. The farther into the semester you get, the more you鈥檒l see people coming in earlier and staying here later and later,鈥� Thomas says.

And even though the hours can seem daunting, faculty members foster an environment that allows room for failure without fear of punishment.

鈥淭he faculty here really help you try to learn,鈥� says Mooney. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not here to suffer consequences for trying something new and not succeeding. You鈥檙e here to find out what you鈥檙e good at.鈥�

Reserve free tickets to the 麻豆原创 School of Visual Arts & Design鈥檚 Character Animation Premiere.聽

鈥淵ou never know what someone will remember,鈥� she says in a quiet and distinct German accent. She just returned to the 麻豆原创 campus from a month-long celebration of her filmmaking career in Europe from Munich and Berlin, Germany, to Vienna, Austria. While some of her films received awards, recognition for her whole body of work had been long overdue, as can be deduced from a casual conversation with the聽麻豆原创 film professor.

Listen to Stoeckl. The woman who recently celebrated her 80th birthday has much to share, but only if you ask. And if you consume what she is saying with all of your senses, as if experiencing one of her films, you are transported into her shoes literally walking through fire as a child and then blazing new paths for women.

Birth and Death in World War II-era Germany

You cannot ignore the birthplace and birth year on Stoeckl’s bio: Ulm, Germany, 1938. Mention World War II and Ula remembers details. Like Dec. 17, 1944.

鈥淢y family was bombed out that day, completely. I remember so vividly, how we came out of the basement and ran through the burning city, me with my mother and my one remaining sibling.鈥�

The following March they were bombed again.

鈥淚 can clearly see an American soldier holding my sister in his arms, saying, 鈥楧on鈥檛 die, little girl. Please, don鈥檛 die.鈥� And I still feel how it felt, to lose your sense of belonging in just seconds 鈥� your home, your community, your family. I was the only child of four to survive the disease and explosions. I鈥檓 still working through it to this day.鈥�

鈥淚 was the only child of four to survive the disease and explosions. I鈥檓 still working through it to this day.鈥�

In the years after the war, everyone who was impacted did whatever it took to forget. No one talked about it. Stoeckl’s parents tried to replace the disturbing mental pictures with pleasant movie images. 鈥淲e went to the theater all the time because it was cheap and warm and you could escape. That鈥檚 when I fell in love with film,鈥� she says.

Finding a Future in Filmmaking

At first, she wanted to be an actress. But then something clicked about the idea of actually developing the stories. She could write and direct films to show the types of emotions that are impossible to tell. This would become her creative outlet for the sentiments she鈥檇 experienced as a 6-year-old in war-imploded Germany.

But Stoeckl’s path into film would lead her into another huge challenge that would provide additional inspiration for her award-winning work and reveal her quiet intensity.

Those mental images that her mother and father lovingly hoped to snuff out after the war would never go away, and they would actually embolden Stoeckl 鈥� then and now. 鈥淭hose memories made me determined to change things 鈥� anything 鈥� for the better, however I could,鈥� she says. As she considers this, she says, 鈥淢aybe I鈥檓 tougher than I realized.鈥�

It took a balance of toughness and patience when she became the first woman to be accepted into Germany鈥檚 Institute for Filmmaking in 1962. And it took more of the same as she created 23 films from concept to closing credits.

鈥淭he old-school filmmakers did not want young people in their world, especially women. I knew that, and it only made me work harder. The truth is, it鈥檚 still an uphill challenge for women in the film world. We have been told it doesn鈥檛 matter if a film is made by a man or woman, but that鈥檚 false.鈥�

40 Years of Films on the Silver Screen

This explains why, when crowds sold out the venues in Germany to see a retrospective of Stoeckl’s聽work in February, they were watching a few films that no one had ever seen. With no support for distribution or financing, these films had been buried 40 years or more.

鈥淚t was very special to see them for the first time in a public theater, and to see the reaction to them,鈥� Stoeckl says. 鈥淚 thought about what my father told me when I was young: 鈥楧o not let people tell you what a girl can or cannot do.鈥� That鈥檚 why I love teaching.鈥�

Stoeckl still has plenty of goals. For one, she has 200 hours of raw film waiting to be edited into another feature or documentary, and she wants to teach for as long as possible. 鈥淚 strive to understand how young people see the world, so I can enable them to show their emotions and issues in the films they will make.鈥�

In typical Stoeckl humility, she says nothing about the reverse 鈥� wanting young people to understand how she sees the world, or why. But if you ask, and if you really listen, you will hear a first-hand perspective with all the power of a great film.

More than a story, it鈥檚 an experience.

The films, created by students in directing classes or as capstone projects, will be shown at 7 p.m. in Room 132 of the Visual Arts Building.

The lineup is:

Doors for the free program open at 6:30 p.m. and free parking will be available in Garage F.

In a separate film event, opening today in the 麻豆原创 Art Gallery is 鈥淔rom the Margins: A Retrospective of Experimental Cinema at 麻豆原创,鈥� a collection of films, video art and installation art by current and previous students and faculty. Presentations are from Jocelyn Brearly, Nick Briz, Christina Santa Cruz, Lisa Danker, Yson Dickerson, Asa Gentry,聽Mark Gerstein, Victoria Gordon, Christopher Harris, Ebony Hobbs, Lori Ingle, Lisa Mills, Jiku Mwangi, Jon Perez, Ashleigh Sarbone, Kate Shults, Daniel Watkins, Alejandro Watson and Olivia Wilson.

The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

A closing reception for the exhibition will be 5-7 p.m. Nov. 3, immediately before the student Fall Showcase.

Films to be presented are capstone projects, experimental cinema, video art, and non-narrative works.

Each year the film program in the School of Visual Arts & Design produces more than 100 student films, and this end-of-year exhibition showcases them before they compete in film festivals.

Here鈥檚 the schedule:

May 5 鈥� Directing I Screener, 7 p.m., Visual Arts Building Auditorium.

May 6 鈥� Directing III Screener, 7 p.m., Visual Arts Building Auditorium.

May 7 鈥� Capstone Screener, 7 p.m., Visual Arts Building Auditorium.

May 7 (6 p.m.) and May 8 (1 p.m.) 鈥� Experimental Cinema, video art and non-narrative film exhibition, 麻豆原创 Art Gallery and Visual Arts Building Auditorium.

May 8 鈥� Faculty Film Exhibition, 2 p.m., 麻豆原创 Art Gallery and Visual Arts Building Auditorium.聽

For a complete schedule of films and directors, click .

Rohdie, who was 75, taught at 麻豆原创 since 2003 and was widely published in academic film journals and books. He previously was chair of film studies at The Queens University of Belfast and professor of film studies at Hong Kong Baptist University. He also held academic posts at universities in England, Ghana, Italy and the United States, and was an original member of the Cinema Studies Program at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.

Rohdie died after a prolonged illness, said Byron Clercx, director of the School of Visual Arts & Design.

鈥淲e were fortunate to have a colleague of his caliber among us to share his insights and expertise with us and our students,鈥� Clercx said.

Steve Schlow, a fellow film instructor in SVAD, said many people on campus were affected by the personality and wisdom 鈥渙f this special person who brought so much scholarship and intellectual rigor to film at 麻豆原创.鈥�

The service will be 7 p.m. in Room 145.

More than 1,000 麻豆原创 students and faculty members will participate in the festival of performing and visual arts that will showcase studio art, music, theatre, dance, gaming, animation, photography and film. This is the first time all the 麻豆原创 artistic endeavors can be experienced in one place, and all activities are free and open to the public.

The week also will provide invited high school music and theater students unique access to workshops led by 麻豆原创 faculty members and an opportunity to showcase their talents during select performances at a state-of-the-art venue.

鈥淲e鈥檙e presenting the depth and breadth of 麻豆原创鈥檚 arts units to Orlando, taking them off campus and presenting them in one of the best spaces in the southeast,鈥� said Jeff Moore, director of the 麻豆原创 School of Performing Arts and artistic director of the festival. 鈥淎lso, this shows how arts integration across all disciplines happens at 麻豆原创. This creative environment is necessary to develop community outreach.鈥�

Events are still being added to the 麻豆原创 Celebrates the Arts schedule, but some of the highlights will feature:

* 聽Icarus at the Edge of Time. The 麻豆原创 Symphony Orchestra will perform the music of composer Phillip Glass with an accompanying movie by Al & Al, based on a children鈥檚 book by Columbia University physicist Brian Greene about a boy traveling in outer space who challenges the power of a black hole. Friday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m.

Kate Mulgrew, who portrayed Capt. Katharyn Janeway in the Star Trek: Voyager TV series, will provide live narration for the fable.

The Icarus presentation is part of a National Science Foundation project that seeks to broaden the participation of students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) research activities, and each year 麻豆原创 organizes some STEM activities in an artistic way. This event will be an interdisciplinary arts-and-sciences collaboration involving the School of Performing Arts and the College of Sciences.聽鈥淚t is an excellent example of the integration of science, literature, and the performing and visual arts,鈥� said Debra Reinhart, 麻豆原创 assistant vice president for Research and Commercialization.

* 聽Several musical collaborations are planned with 麻豆原创 partners. The Flying Horse Big Band will perform a cabaret with the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, themed 鈥淪hakespeare in Love鈥� (Saturday, April 11, at 8 p.m.); 麻豆原创 Choirs will provide the vocals for the Orlando Repertory Theatre鈥檚 production of Civil War Voices, which uses diaries and letters to tell the true stories of people who lived through the war (several matinee productions throughout the week); and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra will hold a rehearsal for Tosca with an instructional class for voice students following.

* 聽Theatre 麻豆原创 performances will include scenes from Nine, Hair, class projects, alumni cameos, and scenes from students who have been nominated for Kennedy Center Irene Ryan Acting awards. The Theatre 麻豆原创 Dance showcase will feature a selection of dance pieces choreographed and performed by 麻豆原创 students and faculty members.

* 聽Music concerts will include performances from the Collide Percussion Music Festival, 麻豆原创 Symphonic Band, 麻豆原创 choruses, and the chamber and wind ensembles.

* 聽Students in the School of Visual Arts and Design will have works from digital media, film, animations, games and studio arts showcased on every floor at the Dr. Phillips Center. SVAD faculty will present lectures on the arts and will be available for portfolio reviews from high school students. A Game Jam will be held so patrons can watch games being developed during a 24-hour period.

* The Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy also will demonstrate the interactive development process of video-game design. Final products and artwork will be on display showcasing the works of students and professionals.

* Performances will be scheduled for select high school musicians. There also will be clinics and workshops for the participating musicians. Schools that would like to participate can contact Kelly Miller, coordinator of music education, at Kelly.Miller@ucf.edu.

Organizers of the festival hope to expand its length and scope in coming years.

鈥淲e are using this opportunity to share the products and performances of our university students and faculty. We want the world to know that 麻豆原创 invests in the arts, and this festival makes that statement,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淭his celebration is a showcase for 麻豆原创 to share the return on that investment with the city and the entire Central Florida region. We are looking forward to this inaugural event and sharing 麻豆原创鈥檚 arts activities,聽both on and off campus,聽with everyone聽for years to come.鈥�

Visit 聽for more information and updated scheduling. All events are free, but tickets are required for many of the programs. Tickets will be available on the website聽later this month.

鈥淭he Blair Witch Project,鈥� by Haxan Films, celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, after grossing more than $248 million worldwide and receiving critical acclaim, which included winning the Award of the Youth for Foreign Film at the Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Orange Award at the Florida Film Critics Circle Awards.

The highly successful indie horror film was the creation of five 麻豆原创 alumni: Michael Monello, 鈥�92; Robin Cowie, 鈥�93; Daniel Myrick, 鈥�93; Eduardo Sanchez, 鈥�94; and Gregg Hale, 鈥�95.

We caught up with Hale, one of the movie鈥檚 producers, in Portland, Ore., where he currently lives with his wife, Adrian (Steinbach), 鈥�00, and their two kids, Amelia, 8, and Decker, 6.

Hale and Sanchez still own Haxan Films and continue to make indie movies, as well as television shows, games and comic books, and also do some creative consulting. Most recently, the pair produced a show for ABC called 鈥淭he Quest,鈥� a fantasy-based reality competition, which began airing at the end of July and wrapped up in September. In addition, their Bigfoot horror film, 鈥淓xist,鈥� comes聽out聽Oct. 24.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a cycle of developing and then producing,鈥� Hale explains. 鈥淲hen we do the indie thing, we have to sell them. So, we鈥檙e trying to transition more into television, which is steadier. There鈥檚 more money in it now than there is in indie films, and we don鈥檛 have that cycle of taking a long time to create something, then make something, then sell something. We can get in and do it and not worry about the sales aspect.鈥�

Hale and fellow 鈥淏lair Witch鈥� producer and 麻豆原创 alumnus, Monello, also are the the founders of Campfire, a marketing agency that shapes perceptions and enhances brand preference through social storytelling, digital content and physical experiences 鈥斅爅ust like the promotional campaign they did for 鈥淏lair Witch,鈥� which had many people believing the movie was real. Hale remains with the company as an advisor, while Monello serves as its full-time chief creative officer.

鈥淚 like the work that we did for Campfire,鈥� Hale says. 鈥淲e did a lot of cool stuff, like the first season of 鈥楾rue Blood鈥� and the first season of 鈥楪ame of Thrones,鈥� and we did some cool movies and a lot of video games. It鈥檚 good work, but I don鈥檛 get passionate about that. I鈥檝e still managed to stay somewhat passionate about TV and film. So, I just opted to do the thing that gets me going.鈥�

In 2013, Hale and Sanchez directed a point-of-view zombie segment called 鈥淎 Ride in the Park鈥� for the horror sequel 鈥淰/H/S 2.鈥�

鈥淏eing a filmmaker is the only thing I ever really wanted to do,鈥� Hale says. 鈥淚鈥檝e known since I was 11 that that鈥檚 what I wanted to do, when I saw 鈥楽tar Wars鈥� (A New Hope). I was young enough to be totally amazed by the movie in that kid way, but old enough to realize somebody made it 鈥斅爐here was a camera, and people behind a camera, and somebody decided what the set was going to look like and what Darth Vader looked like. When Darth Vader walks through the door at the very beginning of the movie, it blew my mind 鈥斅爐he visuals, the music, everything. That鈥檚 the moment I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker.鈥�

As a child, Hale used a Super 8 camera to make short films, stop-motion animation and zombie movies. And, in true young, male filmmaker fashion, he also blew up toy soldiers with fireworks and filmed it.

Before Hale was in the spotlight for 鈥淏lair Witch,鈥� he worked as a set dresser for Disney鈥檚 鈥淭he All New Mickey Mouse Club鈥� and on the swing gang in the art department for the HBO miniseries 鈥淔rom the Earth to the Moon,鈥� both of which were produced in Orlando.

Hale grew up in Kentucky and was on his way to California to pursue his film education at UCLA or USC (鈥渂ecause those are the big, famous film schools鈥�), when he got a call from a childhood friend who was working on 鈥淪uperboy鈥� in Orlando. That was right before Universal Studios Orlando opened and right after Steven Spielberg told the world via 鈥淭he Today Show鈥� that Central Florida would be Hollywood East. So, Hale, like all of the other film students who weren鈥檛 already working in L.A., decided to head south.

Before starting college, Hale served in the U.S. Army to earn money for school. He鈥檇 already been working in the industry when he started taking film classes at Valencia College, where he learned聽the technical skills necessary for filmmaking. When he got to 麻豆原创, he says he enjoyed the opportunity to make his own films in a structured environment, with access to resources and instructors.

His advice to current 麻豆原创 film students? 鈥淭here鈥檚 talent and intelligence and all of the other attributes that are part of being a successful filmmaker, but you need perseverance,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a hard business. If you allow yourself to get discouraged, you鈥檙e not going to make it as a filmmaker. There have been a lot of ups and downs for me and Ed. Since 鈥楤lair Witch,鈥� we haven鈥檛 had that level of success we started out with, and that can be a downer at times. Things don鈥檛 always go the way you want them to go, but you have to stick with it. It鈥檚 a blessing and a curse.鈥�

LET’S GET REEL Q&A

Q. Favorite 麻豆原创 memory?

A. Going to class. I enjoy learning. The classes I enjoyed the most were film theory and film history. They were non-production classes, where you鈥檙e just learning for learning鈥檚 sake.

Q. If money was no object and you could make any movie, what story would you choose to depict?

A. We have a couple of properties that we鈥檝e been developing that are 鈥減ie in the sky.鈥� So, I鈥檇 like to make a big fantasy thing that my kids could go see. The TV show that was just on ABC [“The Quest”], my kids could watch, which I was super psyched about. It鈥檚 the first thing I鈥檝e done that my kids could actually see.

Q. Most memorable work experience so far?

A. I feel super lucky to be doing what I鈥檓 doing, and to be able to have done it as long as I鈥檝e done it. When 鈥淏lair Witch鈥� got into Cannes, we all went, and got to go to some big parties 鈥斅爐hese crazy, over-the-top parties. We鈥檙e standing on this beach with drinks, dressed in jeans and T-shirts, and there were guys with Rottweilers on chains guarding the edges of the party. We鈥檙e just standing there like, 鈥淲hat in the hell are we doing here?鈥� That was all such a whirlwind.

Q. Last movie you watched?

A. 鈥淜elly & Cal鈥�

Q. All-time favorite movie?

A. 鈥淔ellowship of the Ring鈥�

Q. If someone made a movie about you, what would the title be?

A. 鈥淥ne Lucky Dude鈥�

Q. What TV show are you embarrassed to admit watching?

A. 鈥淣aked and Afraid鈥�

Q. What鈥檚 the hardest thing you鈥檝e ever done?

A. Staying in the film business when I wanted to get out of it

Q. What subject do you wish you鈥檇 paid more attention to in school?

A. Typing

Q. Favorite place to visit?

A. It鈥檚 a tie between Japan and New Zealand. New Zealand is one of the most spectacular visual places I鈥檝e ever been with maybe the nicest people on the planet. And, Japan is just a very foreign culture that I鈥檓 really drawn to. I really like the way the Japanese people do everything.

Q. Something you learned in the past week?

A. Salmon stay at sea three to four years before returning to spawn. I just went and watched the salmon run yesterday.

Q. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

A. Historian