BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Five original short films — featuring writing, film making and acting by Illinois Wesleyan University students — will be presented during the fifth annual Phenom Film Festival on Monday, April 28.
The showcase will begin at 7 p.m. Monday at Jerome Mirza Theatre in McPherson Hall, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to join this free screening on behalf of the School of Theatre Arts.
Associate Professor of Theatre Arts Tom Quinn, who guides students through the filmmaking process, described the festival as a collaborative project between three IWU courses in screenwriting, acting and videography. Quinn supports students through the screenwriting and acting, while Adjunct Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts Rick Lunn leads the filming and technical aspects of movie making. This year, alumni and staff were also involved in the project.
“The creation process is like a big fat laboratory where students are learning by doing,” said Quinn. “It used to be that you needed a huge production engine because you were using film. Now, video is everywhere — you can make a movie on your iPhone. But there is still an art form to cinematography and editing, and those are the things we teach.”
Quinn, who is an actor himself, recalls a past film festival where twice Oscar-nominated alumnus Richard Jenkins '69 sat next to him in the audience. As each film debuted, the names of the student creators flashed on the screen to roars and applause from their peers in the audience.
“Richard leaned over to me and said something to the effect of, ‘They’re just like we were,’” recalls Quinn. “It’s great to see the thrill and community that this event creates for the students.”
He added that the event would not be possible without the collaboration and support
from all faculty in the School of Theatre Arts and Film Studies program.
The original short films to be presented at the Phenom Film Festival are as follows:
Admiration - Screenplay by Victor Appavu '27: Katherine, Rowan and Sadie have been friends since grade school. But their bond is threatened by the unforeseen complexities of teenage, romantic entanglements.
Saturn’s Approach – Screenplay by Kailei Hinton '25: Two loving sisters on the verge of geographic separation suddenly suffer a personal tragedy and must now help each other navigate their new reality.
Treasure – Screenplay by Evan Carlson '24: Estranged from their angry father — and each other — for years, a brother and sister reconcile and then struggle to knit their broken family back together. But along the way a tragic accident derails their hopes, until a guiding voice from beyond the grave brings new hope of reconciliation.
Unremarkable – Screenplay by Darraugh Griffin '23: Lia’s parents have left for the weekend, and so, of course, her high school friends descend upon her house for an unscheduled party. Lia does her best to roll with it but unbeknownst to all involved, this party has attracted the attention of an unremarkable guest with a deadly plan.
Two Birds With One Stone – Screenplay by Tessa Kruczek '25: When Dylan accidentally kills his friend Stella, his remaining friends Zach and Bailey must struggle through their horror and try to help Dylan clean up the situation — and avoid disaster.