TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — For the second year running, students and recent graduates from The University of Alabama have won best film at the international Campus MovieFest.
A student team including Sean Dave, a telecommunication and film and marketing graduate from Kapolei, Hawaii; Matt Leddo, a telecommunication and film student from Northport; Chris Bellinger, a theater major from Tuscaloosa; Carlos Estrada, a New College graduate, from Northport; Erin Torgerson, a telecommunication and film student from Chesterfield, Missouri; Sophie Rhodes, an international exchange student from Weybridge, United Kingdom; and Kyle Goodin, a telecommunication and film student from Deatsville, put together “Wieder ‘Zam,” the winning short film.
Benjamin Middaugh, an emeritus music professor, was also involved in the production.
“‘Wieder ‘Zam’ explores the experiences of a now-elderly man who served in the infantry during WWII,” Dave said. “His memories and regrets come rushing back as he recalls searching through an abandoned house after an enemy retreat. What he finds inside the aging hideout links both the past and the present.”
Dave, who was team leader and the film’s director, said his own family history served as partial inspiration for the winning story line.
“I had always wanted to create a WWII period piece since the war is essentially what brought my family to America, and, as a result, it played an integral role in my heritage,” he said.
According to its website, Campus MovieFest is the world’s largest student film festival and a premier outlet for the next generation of filmmakers.
Contact
Misty Mathews, UA Media Relations, 205/348-6416, mmathews@ua.edu