Lights, Camera, Sundance
WUD Film Committee students catch their last showing together at The Sundance Film Festival, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.” Photo courtesy of Hari Jost.
Fundance. That is what many students from the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Film Committee were calling their trip to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah this January.
Every year, a select group of students from the WUD Film Committee are invited to travel to Park City to encourage the next step in leadership and bring films back to campus for their programing throughout the year. This years group was a mix of associate directors and three new WUD Film members.
Hari Jost, Director of WUD Film, is a senior double majoring in Communication Arts and French. She described the experience as inspiring for different reasons. Her first year attending opened her eyes to the world surrounding film that was not limited to filmmaking and influenced her to switch her major from biology.
This January was her last trip to Sundance and she said it was inspiring to watch all of the other WUD Film members be excited, involved and bring so many ideas back to campus.
“It was awesome to see people step up and get excited about film and WUD,” Hari said. “Many of the films that we have seen have the possibility of being shown at WUD’s Mini Indie Film Festival in the fall.”
Hari’s favorite memory from this year’s trip was how WUD Film Committee new member and Freshman, James La Pierre, networked his way into grabbing a soda with the Director of James White, a film they saw on their trip and made his own business cards for the trip.
“It is fun to be absorbed in the entire process,” Hari said. “Also to be there with fellow students who are equally as passionate.”
Wisconsin Union Director, Mark Guthier, and WUD Film Committee member, James La Pierre.
Mark Guthier, Director of the Wisconsin Union, has had the opportunity to attend the Sundance Film Festival with WUD for the past four years.
“Our Union Trustee and benefactor of the trip, Sheryl Facktor, sets it up as a team building and learning experience for the students,” Mark said. “They take turns going in pairs to get that day’s worth of tickets for the group at 5:30 a.m.”
Hari explained how each student saw 15-19 films across the course of the trip and students were able to see five films a day as the first showing was at 8:30 a.m. and the last at 11 p.m.
Through this trip, students are able to get the real life experience in the film industry. For some it is insight for a potential career and others it is more about being able to come back to campus and think creatively for designing a film experience for UW-Madison students, Mark said.
“I am always inspired by the students themselves,” Mark said. “They take this seriously and work to cover as many films as possible, even if it means sitting in theaters alone for some showings.”
Students on the trip also had the chance to talk to producers, filmmakers and fellow film-goers which made the experience more memorable. They go with the mindset that it is a great opportunity given to them because they are supposed to bring something special back to campus.
“Not every college student can say they have had an experience like this and have been flown to Sundance Film Festival,” Hari said.
“This has been a really successful example of alumni still finding ways to impact the current student experience in a positive way,” Mark said. “Learning and experience is enhanced all because alumni feel strongly about giving back.”
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