An annual launching pad for student filmmakers as they begin their careers in the film, television and entertainment industries, the Notre Dame Student Film Festival screens films that were made by undergraduate students during the past year as class projects in the Department of Film, Television and Theatre. As in recent years, after each screening audience members will be invited to vote for their favorite film via text message. The Audience Choice Award will be presented to the student director(s) of the winning film after the final screening.����

“We’re excited to welcome the public back to the Notre Dame Student Film Festival,” says festival founder and FTT faculty member Ted Mandell. “It’s always been a showcase of wonderful student filmmaking, but it’s also been traditionally a community event as well. Last year was difficult in so many ways, but it will be fun to rekindle that January student film fest atmosphere we’ve been accustomed to for the past 33 years.”

The festival has featured the first films of future award-winning filmmakers such as Peter Richardson (2011 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Award winner, “How To Die in Oregon”) and John Hibey (2012 Sundance Film Jury Award Winner for Short Filmmaking, “Fishing Without Nets”), as well as numerous others. It has served as the springboard for successful careers in every aspect of the industry, where ND Student Film Festival alumni have worked on everything from “Saturday Night Live” to “La La Land.”��Many films from past festivals have also been selected for national and international film festivals.

The films featured in the 2022 Notre Dame Student Film Festival:

“Cash Box” (Chase Cummings, Ryan Lanser, John Adkins)
Put in a thing. Then cha-ching.��

“Garden of Eddy” (Grant DelVecchio, Yiyi Niu, Litchfield Ajavon)
There’s one lone house in the center of Eddy Street Commons … and its owner is perfectly happy to stay there.��

“Living the Nightmare"��(Kiki Carney, Briana Avila)
A struggling 20-something finds himself in immersion therapy.��

“C����ܲ�” (Ivan Skvaril, Ted Nagy)
A former professional surfer and vanlife influencer goes off the grid.

“Hang Man” (John Adkins)
Audition jitters lead to a connection.��

“Anyone Could Win” (Scott Kiley, Colin Campbell)
A cutthroat cook-off.

“Saving Sister Cindy” (Joel Mandell, Sam Eppich)
TikTok turns a slut-shaming street preacher into a college campus rock star.��

���𱹱������” (Ella Mylod)
How lonely would you say you are?��

“C�������Dz���” (Justin George, Sam Eppich)
Don’t open that Amazon Prime package.��

“The Ismailzais” (Peter Nichols, Nate Robards)
A family of Afghan refugees starts a new life in Austin, Texas.��

“Box Head” (Charles Ivancic, Nate Robards)
No matter what face you put on it, the daily grind is 24x18.��

“F�Dz���” (Creighton Dolezal, Joseph Fabiano)
A basketball court sits on top of a pizza joint in Woodstock, Illinois. The owner of both was one step away from making the 1996 U.S. Olympic basketball team.��

“Puppy Love” (Lizzie Todd, Peter Nichols)
Art imitates life at a college party.

Screenings, which run approximately 100 minutes, will be offered at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 21 (Friday) and Jan. 22 (Saturday), and at 7 p.m. Jan. 23 (Sunday). The Audience Choice Award will be presented after the Sunday screening. Some films contain mature content. Face masks are required at all times for all guests.

Tickets for the Notre Dame Student Film Festival are $7 for the general public; $6 for faculty, staff and seniors (65+); and $4 for students. Tickets may be purchased online at , by phone at 574-631-2800 or in person at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center ticket office.

Originally published by Stacey Stewart at on Jan. 6.

The University of Notre Dame's Department of Film, Television and Theatre��mourns the death of its friend and colleague, professional specialist Karen Heisler. Heisler died Sunday (Sept. 19).

Beloved by generations of students, Heisler was a cherished member of the FTT family for more than 25 years. Heisler's Sports and TV class was legendary, as was her dogged insistence on proper grammar and proofreading. As the department internship coordinator, she shepherded countless students through their first experiences in the professional world. When she retired in 2019, FTT renamed the Television 91��Ƶ Award, given to a graduating senior for outstanding work in television studies, .

There will be a local visitation from 6 to 8 p.m.��Monday��(Sept.��27)��at ��Church�� in Granger, as well as a memorial Mass at 11 a.m. Tuesday��(Sept. 28), with visitation starting at 10 a.m.

Originally published by Stacey Stewart at on Sept. 20.

The University of Notre Dame’s Department of Film, Television��and Theatre (FTT) announces the 32nd Annual Notre Dame Student Film Festival: Quarantined, to be streamed on FTT’s YouTube channel at 7��p.m. May 2 (Sunday). In-person screenings in the Browning Cinema will be restricted to a limited number of Notre Dame students, faculty��and staff and will take place April 29-May 2.

An annual launching pad for student filmmakers as they begin their careers in the film, television��and entertainment industries, the Notre Dame Student Film Festival screens films that were made by undergraduate students during the past year as class projects in the Department of Film, Television��and Theatre.��

Halfway through the spring semester in 2020, Notre Dame sent its students home due to the pandemic, and classes were taught online. Without access to FTT equipment, students made films with their phones as cameras and��their families as actors. In the fall, though back at Notre Dame, they were restricted to filming while physically distanced within the confines of campus. Numerous times, crew and cast members were quarantined for weeks.

“The 32nd Annual Notre Dame Student Film Festival: Quarantined is a collection of films made during this unprecedented time,” said festival founder and FTT faculty member Ted Mandell. “It’s a time capsule of the campus atmosphere and a testament to our students’ creativity, resilience��and perseverance.”

As in recent years, after each screening audience members will be invited to vote for their favorite film via text message. Both online and in-person audiences will have the opportunity to vote for the Audience Choice Award, which will be presented to the student director(s) of the winning film after the final screening.����

The festival has featured the first films of future award-winning filmmakers. It has served as the springboard for successful careers in every aspect of the industry, where ND Student Film Festival alumni have worked on everything from “Saturday Night Live” to “La La Land.”��

The films featured in the 2021 Notre Dame Student Film Festival:

Our Year (4:27)
Ana Wolfermann
On New Year’s Eve 2019, life was feeling great.

Singing Through The Masks (10:59)
Mariella Stephens
With live theater shut down, senior Ronnie Mansour stages her original musical in a most peculiar way.

Busted (7:27)
Grace Beutter
There’s got to be a morning after.

Gatekeeper (5:43)
Joel Mandell, Laila Ibrahim
They never witnessed a football season like 2020, but they’ve witnessed just about everything else.

Carved (3:56)
Briana Avila
A very heady Halloween.

Scott - no relation (17:51)
Scott Kiley
It’s hard to be funny during a pandemic.

Home (4:56)
Ivan Skvaril, Bella Martinez, William Ventura-Chavez, Parker Jochum, Peter Dore
Sent home for the semester, five students capture quarantine life in 60 seconds.

Kurt (5:31)
Nate Robards
Lather, rinse, repeat, lather, rinse, repeat, lather, rinse.

Full Peal (5:24)
Parker Jochum, Abby Stokes
The bells of the Basilica are usually heard, not seen … until now.

Scissors (2:49)
Bella Martinez
The dark side of scrapbooking.

The Dating Class (11:31)
Lizzie Todd, JD Carney
At Notre Dame, you can go on a date … and get extra credit for it.

21. across (9:17)
Kilian Vidourek
A man goes through his daily routine. Things get bizarre.

Self Entertainment (4:44)
Brendan Gage
Quarantined at home, with your phone as a camera.

Alone Together (8:00)
Michael Enright, Grace Akin
In fall 2020, students returned to campus … as an isolated community.

Chow Time / Study Buddy (6:37)
Hugh Flynn, Kelsey Allen
"Animatics" are a guide for creating an eventual finished animated film. Along with scriptwriting, the animatic is the first step in planning/visualizing the story before the actual production begins, which can take years.

Supply and Demand (2:12)
Parker Jochum
A short about a shortage.

Screenings will be held at 7:30 p.m. on April 29 (Thursday), April 30 (Friday) and May 1 (Saturday), and at 7 p.m. May 2 (Sunday). The Audience Choice Award will be presented after the Sunday��screening.

Attendance is limited to Notre Dame students, faculty��and staff; a maximum of 72 tickets will be available for each screening. Tickets (free) may be reserved at one hour prior to the screening. The running time is approximately 120 minutes, and some films contain mature content.

The livestream at 7 p.m. May 2 may be viewed on .

Originally published by Stacey Stewart at on April 20.

An annual launching pad for student filmmakers as they begin their careers in the film, television��and entertainment industries, the Notre Dame Student Film Festival screens films that were made by undergraduate students during the past year as class projects in the Department of Film, Television��and Theatre. ��

“It’s amazing to look back at 30 years of Notre Dame student filmmakers and see where they are now,” says festival founder and FTT faculty member . “Netflix, Lionsgate, Dreamworks, Disney, HBO, NBC Universal, the list goes on and on.�� Writers, directors, producers, editors��and network executives, our alumni are truly some of the most creative professionals in the industry.”

The festival has featured the first films of future award winners such as Peter Richardson (2011 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Award winner, "How To Die in Oregon") and John Hibey (2012 Sundance Film Jury Award Winner for Short Filmmaking, "Fishing Without Nets"), as well as numerous others. Many films from past festivals have also been selected for national and international film festivals, including:

"Breaking the Cycle" -��2018 New York City Short Film Festival��(Best Documentary Short),��2018 USA Film Festival��(First Place Non-Fiction Short Film),��2018 Ivy Film Festival��(Best U.S. Undergraduate Documentary)
"Peace at the Pipeline"��- 2017 San Pedro International Film Festival, 2017 Riverside International Film Festival
"patrolling sandy hook"��- 2016 USA Film Festival (Winner, Special Jury Award), 2016 DocuWest International Film Festival (Winner, Women Who Doc Award)
"Spark of Madness"��- 2016 Naperville Independent Film Festival (Best Student Film Nominee)
"Eat. Ride. Sleep."��- 2015 Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Midwest Emmy Award Nominee
"Curry & Erin"��- 2015 Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival (Special Jury Prize, Collegiate Documentary)
"The Suicide Disease"��- 2014 Sunset International Film Festival (Winner, Best Short Documentary)
"The Last Free Place"��- 2014 Anchorage International Film Festival
"Project Hopeful"��- 2012 Re:Image Film Festival (Winner, Best Picture, Collegiate Category)
"King of the Park"��- 2012 CineYouth Film Fest (Winner, Best Comedy, Senior Division)
"The Elect"��- 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival, 2012 Dallas International Film Festival
"Picking Up America"��- 2011 Ivy Film Festival (Winner, Social Change Award)

Among the films featured in the 2019 Notre Dame Student Film Festival:

"Shelter Me" -��Zach Lawson.��The only hope for a million stray cats and dogs in Texas may be one woman … and her camera.

��

"Emma." -��Saskia Hennecke, Grace Tourville.��Making the transition to college might be a challenge, but transitioning in college is definitely daunting.

��

"Glacialis" -��Zach Huffer, Joey Warner.��A scientist searches for the solution to save her town frozen in time.

��

"Mama Yen" -��Jiale Hu.��Thousands of miles from home, international students find a mother figure in a dining hall worker from Vietnam.

��

"Supernova" -��Jarissa Sabal, Brian Raab.��An Uber-screwball comedy.

����

"Thou Shall Not Steal" -��Naj Harrabi, Hap Burke.��Some home security systems are better than others.

��

"Impression" -��Alex Mansour, Kenny Xu.��A symphony of brush strokes paints the tale of a boy lost in the canvas.

��

"Drift" -��Beatty Smith, Grace Tourville.��Stranded on a country road? Welcome to the farmhouse over yonder.

��

"Mesmer" - John McDonough, David Troyer.��A hypnotic journey into a memory lost.

"Arielle" - Gretchen Hopkirk, Kelli Smith.��It's a tall task on election day at the Office of Voter Registration.

"Off Track, On Track" - Jarissa Sabal, Brian Raab.��A retired thoroughbred horse in the Bluegrass state still has a life to live.

Tickets:��Tickets for the Notre Dame Student Film Festival are $7 for the general public; $6 for faculty, staff, and seniors (65+); and $4 for students. , by phone at 574-631-2800��or in person at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center ticket office (M-F, noon-6��p.m.).

��

Screenings:��
Friday, Jan. 25,��7��p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 26,��3��p.m., 7��p.m.
Sunday, Jan.��27, 3��p.m.,��7��p.m. (Audience Choice Award will be presented after the 7��p.m. screening on Jan.��27.)

��

Running time:��Approximately 120 min. Some films may contain mature content.

��

Parking:��Free parking is available daily after 5��p.m. in the Stayer Center parking lot, just north of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.��An accessible lot for disabled patrons is available immediately adjacent to the center; a valid hang tag or license plate is required.��There is a 10-minute parking zone on the north drive of the center for ticket pick-up; during inclement weather you are welcome to drop off guests in this area and proceed to parking. Non-campus parking (free for the first two hours) is also available at Eddy Street Commons, just south of the center.��

��

Originally published by Stacey Stewart at on Jan.��7, 2019.

Kicking off the season will be ND Theatre NOW! (Sept. 28–Oct. 8), a slot in the mainstage season which annually features a production realized entirely by student artists.��This year, FTT presents Eugène Ionesco’s absurdist classic "Rhinoceros," directed by FTT senior Abbey Schnell. A rhinoceros suddenly appears in the streets. Then another. One by one, townspeople succumb to an epidemic that transforms them into rhinos, until only one resists. Inspired by the rise of European fascism in the 1940s, Ionesco’s exploration of conformity and resistance remains uncomfortably relevant in 2017.

��

Later in the fall, FTT revisits one of the theater’s most enduring comedies, Oscar Wilde’s "The Importance of Being Earnest" (Nov. 8-12). In Wilde’s “trivial comedy for serious people,” both ladies and gentlemen concoct elaborate fictions in order to evade the burdensome conventions of polite society — and hilarity ensues. FTT welcomes class of 1998 alumnus Mark Seamon as guest director.

��

The spring semester kicks off with Karen Zacarías’s good-natured comedy "Native Gardens" (Feb. 22–March 4), directed by FTT Director of Theatre Kevin Dreyer. When Pablo and Tania buy a house in an historic Washington, D.C., neighborhood, they’re welcomed warmly by next-door neighbors Frank and Virginia. But soon the couples are embroiled in a dispute over their backyard property line that threatens to uproot Frank’s meticulously cultivated garden and forces both sides to confront deeply ingrained notions of race, class and privilege.

��

The season will culminate in April with the Tony Award-winning musical "Spring Awakening" (April 18-22). Based on the 1891 play by German playwright Frank Wedekind, the musical features book and lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik. It won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, in 2007.��Pulsing with adolescent angst and repressed sexuality, this R-rated production will be directed by Matt Hawkins, who joins the FTT faculty this fall. A musical theater specialist and professional fight choreographer, Hawkins will lead the department’s efforts to develop a new focus in musical theater.

��

“Programming our season is always a challenge,” says Dreyer, “because we’re striving to meet the artistic and academic needs of our students while representing a diversity of voices and creating an exciting season for our audiences. This year we were able to program several plays originally proposed by our students. We’re very pleased to offer them this season.”

��

FTT’s 2017-18 theater season schedule

��

ND Theatre NOW: ��"Rhinoceros"
By Eugène Ionesco. Translated by Derek Prouse.

Sept. 28–Oct. 8 in the Philbin Studio Theatre

No one believes they’ll turn into a rhinoceros … until they do.

��

"The Importance of Being Earnest"

By Oscar Wilde

Nov. 8-12 in the Patricia George Decio Theatre

��

A trivial comedy for serious people.

��

"Native Gardens"

By Karen Zacarías

Feb. 22–March 4, 2018, in the Philbin Studio Theatre

��

Good fences make good neighbors … or do they?��A good-natured comedy about a backyard border wall.

��

"Spring Awakening"

Book and lyrics by Steven Sater, music by Duncan Sheik
Based on the play by Frank Wedekind

April 18-22, 2018, in the Patricia George Decio Theatre

��

A musical explosion of adolescent angst and repressed sexuality. (Mature audiences)

��

TICKETS:��

"Rhinoceros," "The Importance of Being Earnest"��and "Native Gardens": Student $7, Faculty/Staff/Senior (65+) $12, General $15.��

"Spring Awakening": Student $9, Faculty/Staff/Senior (65+) $15, General $20.��
��

Additional discounts available for groups of 10 or more.��Buy a subscription ($22 student;��$33 faculty/staff/senior; $44 general) and save 25 to 35 percent.��Subscription packages include one ticket to all four shows and have added benefits.��Tickets may be purchased online at , by phone at 574-631-2800, or in person at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center ticket office. Ticket office hours are Monday­-Friday, noon-6 p.m.

��

PARKING: Free parking is available daily after 5 p.m. in the Stayer Center parking lot, just north of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.��Patrons may now receive free event parking at the Eddy Street Commons Parking Garage by bringing your event tickets and parking ticket to the DPAC Ticket Office to receive a prepaid parking voucher. An accessible lot for disabled patrons is available immediately adjacent to the center; a valid hangtag or license plate is required.��There is a 10-minute parking zone on the north drive of the center for ticket pickup; during inclement weather you are welcome to drop off guests in this area and proceed to parking.
��

Note:��The Notre Dame campus experiences increased traffic during home football game weekends. If you are planning to attend a performance during these weekends, we suggest allowing an extra 30 minutes to arrive and find parking.

��

Notre Dame’s Department of Film, Television, and Theatre seeks to inspire intellectual inquiry and nurture creativity. We offer both a scholarly and a creative context for the general liberal arts student at Notre Dame as well as those students seeking intensive preparation for advanced study in these fields.��The hands-on nature of our curriculum, coupled with a very high degree of student-faculty interaction, provides students with a singular educational opportunity at a university known for its teaching excellence. The FTT performance season is a direct outgrowth of the department’s academic program and an integral component of our students’ artistic development.

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Follow FTT on Twitter @NDFTT.�� Find us on Facebook at .

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Originally published by Stacey Stewart at on August 28, 2017.