|
The David Lynch Graduate School of Cinematic Arts at Maharishi University of Management was a big winner at the Iowa Motion Pictures Association (IMPA) awards in Pella, Iowa.
|
|
by Laura Muzzarelli at Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa, USA, The Review
22 May 2016
A film by Monica Demes, a 2015 graduate of the David Lynch MFA in Film at Maharishi University of Management, took home awards for Best Direction–Long Form, Best Cinematography, and Best Actress at the recent Iowa Motion Picture Association (IMPA) awards held in Pella.
Ms. Demes herself received the director award, Gregor Kresal, a 2015 graduate of the Lynch MFA, received the cinematography award, and undergraduate student Sophia Woodward received the acting award.
This awards ceremony was the Iowa Motion Pictures Association's 25th anniversary of celebrating filmmakers of Iowa. The IMPA "recognizes outstanding and technical achievement in Iowa's moving image production industry."
Titled Lilith's Awakening, Ms. Demes's film is a haunting yet beautiful vampire film, and is the first complete feature-length film produced by a student in the Lynch MFA. Using a service station as a setting, it draws upon the characters of the classic tale Dracula, but uses a female as the character vampire.
More information about Lilith's Awakening can be found online at www.lilithsawakening.com.
In addition, a number of students and alumni won Awards of Achievement in recognition of having been nominated for an award.
Ms. Demes won an Award of Achievement in the category Live Action Entertainment–Long Form.
Undergraduate student Brenton Schwartz earned an Award of Achievement in the Web Series category for his submission titled Kennedy Hill: The Behind the Scenes Web Series.
He acted in and worked on multiple behind-the-scenes videos for the series, which was written, produced, and directed by 2015 graduate Jennifer Kachler. Set in the late 1930s, it tells the story of 17-year-old Grace, who discovers she's adopted.
Current David Lynch MFA student Theresa Carey received an award in the Screenplay–Unproduced category for her script Swine Heart.
And student Golnaz Jamsheed received an award in the Student Production–College category for her short film Avo, which is the same film that won her a full scholarship to the David Lynch MFA that began in February. Her film tells the story of an Iranian-Armenian boy who experiences the concept of death through his grandfather's passing.
Students from the first two years of the program are continuing to finish their films and are submitting them to film festivals, so the faculty expect that more awards will be forthcoming.
The David Lynch master's program originally launched as an MA program, but this year has changed its status to an MFA, given the depth of course work and expansion of the program to three semesters.
----------
About the author:
Laura Muzzarelli was born and raised in Traverse City, Michigan. She first came to Fairfield in August of 2013 as a transfer student to MUM, where she majored in Media & Communications, with an emphasis in Film Studies. She graduated with her Bachelor's degree in December of 2015 and began working for the David Lynch Masters in Film Program in February of 2016.
© Copyright 2016 Maharishi University of Management
|
