Two UA filmmakers will have the opportunity to screen their short movie to an international audience in France.
Brian Borowiec, a media arts junior and Donovan Morgan, a junior studying mechanical engineering and physics, found out their film, “Set Me On Fire” was going to be presented along with other short films in a showcase at the Cannes Film Festival two weeks ago after winning a film competition presented by Campus MovieFest at the UA last fall. The Cannes Film Festival is an international film festival held in Cannes, France, and presents works from filmmakers all over the world. The festival will take place from May 16-27.
“We are excited to go,” Borowiec said. “It’s a great opportunity, neither of us have ever traveled overseas and I think it would think it would be an amazing adventure.”
Borowiec and Morgan’s movie is one of 30 short films selected by Campus MovieFest that will play in the Cannes Short Film Corner during the festival. Their film is about a man, played by Morgan, who practically sacrifices himself to save a woman who is being assaulted. The film was selected as best picture by a panel of judges in a MovieFest competition, which took place in the Gallagher Theater in the Student Union Memorial Center last September. All films submitted to the contest were shot and edited by UA students in a matter of five days and did not exceed more than five minutes in length.
“We wanted to demonstrate what we were capable of and really took the opportunity that Campus MovieFest gave us to show what we can do,” Morgan said.
In addition to being selected for the festival, Borowiec and Morgan will also travel to Los Angeles this summer, where their movie will compete nationally with other winning short films from Campus MovieFest. Because of the added expense of traveling to these places and funding their projects independently, they have begun a campaign to raise money.
“When we got the invitation to go to the Cannes Film Festival, we were shocked,” Borowiec said. “The only thing is, obviously it costs a lot of money to go to France and that is something we just don’t have as students.”
Both Borowiec and Morgan estimate it will take around $8,000 for them to be able to travel, attend the events and some of the programs offered at the festival. In an effort to begin fundraising, the two, along with their production company Sunblind Films, have created a page on the funding platform website Kickstarter under the title “Help Sunblind Go To Cannes.” Through Kickstarter, people can pledge money to donate to their travels and find news on their progress.
“It’s not only just about our trip to Cannes, but it’s going to basically be about the beginning of this dream we have of starting our own film production kind of team,” Borowiec said. “It’s one of those things that I hope to encompass all of the great people from the UA media arts department. It’s not just about us, I want it to be a group effort.”
The two will also create a documentary about their experience, which will include their attempts to go to France and actually attending the festival. Borowiec said he hopes going to Cannes will open doors for him in the film industry that will allow him to continue to make movies after he graduates.
“I am looking forward and excited for the future when it comes to this stuff,” Borowiec said. “This is what we love to do, we love making films.”
