Published Thursday, March 5th, 2020
Films written, directed, and produced by WSC students will be featured in the BisonBison, one of the top student film festivals in the country.
Wayne State College’s electronic media program is taking the regional film festival scene by storm. Hot Attic Film School Productions “The Offer” and “Love Sick” have been chosen as two of the 18 films for the BisonBison Film Festival undergraduate film competition to be held April 3-4 in Ponca City, Okla.
“Love Sick” was written by junior Andrew Suiter of Beatrice, Neb., directed by sophomore Mark Albers of Des Moines, Iowa, and produced by former WSC student Kate Lundahl. “The Offer” was directed by sophomore Ally Boyd of Papillion, Neb., and written and produced by junior Shelby Hagerdon of Smithland, Iowa.
“This is considered one of the top student festivals with strong connections to several graduate programs,” said Dr. Mike White, assistant professor of communication at Wayne State. White teaches television and video production, electronic media, and other mass communication courses at Wayne State College. He advises KWSC-TV, the college’s cable television station, serving Wayne and streamed online. He also oversees Hot Attic Film School Productions (KWSC Productions), the student video and short film production studio.
“Wayne State’s Hot Attic Film School Productions are very competitive,” White said. “The process starts with a script competition, from which films are chosen for production at the college. Producers and directors go through a rigorous process to be selected to head the productions. Even crew assignments are highly selective. When we are on set we operate with industry standards, which I have to say drives students crazy but leads to incredible student work.”
Three awards of excellence are presented with a prize of $1,000 at the BisonBison Festival. The competition is limited to projects from students studying at accredited colleges, universities, or technical schools in Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri and Arkansas.
“I am extremely happy to have something that I wrote accepted into the BisonBison Film Festival,” said Suiter, who is in the electronic media degree program. “I am also proud of the hard work of Kate Lundahl, Mark Albers, and the rest of the crew involved for putting my words on screen. I am thankful for this opportunity and I can’t wait to see the other great films from the other accepted writers and directors.”
“It is an incredible honor to be selected into the BisonBison Film Festival,” said Hagerdon, a history major and digital film productions minor. “It’s so validating to see the work being understood and appreciated. I can’t wait to see what happens this April!”
“To know that a project my friends and I have worked on is being recognized is quite honestly mind-blowing,” said Sean Dunn, a crew member from Coleridge, Neb., and an English major and digital film production minor. “What was once just an idea on paper turned into hard work, and it feels so gratifying to see it come to fruition. I’m ecstatic to see where we go from here.”
“I am so excited to share my vision with the world! Thank you so much for this honor and I can’t wait for people to see my film. I can’t wait to see how far we can take this ride!” said Albers, who also is in the electronic media degree program.
"I am so excited to hear that 'The Offer' was chosen as an official selection for the BisonBison Film Festival,” said Boyd, an electronic media major. “I am the director and the cinematographer for this film. Working on it was one of my most enjoyable and valuable experiences at WSC. Everyone involved gave their all to make this film as best as can be. This is a huge accomplishment for me considering it is my first film. I am so glad that my work is being appreciated, understood, and enjoyed.”
The electronic media degree program, digital film production minor, and Hot Attic Film School Productions are part of Wayne State’s dynamic Department of Communications Arts in the School of Arts and Humanities.