15 recent VCU graduates to have films screened at Richmond International Film Festival

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Fifteen recent Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) graduates will see their short films, which were created in a media production class, screened at the Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) in late September.

The 15 recent graduates will see their senior capstone projects screened on Wednesday, Sept. 24, at the RIFF as part of a new program, (CAP)SULE, created by Robert Milazzo, an assistant professor in the Richard T. Robertson School of Communication, and Heather Waters, the festival’s founder and artistic director, according to a Sept. 10 release from the university.

The university said students spent their final semester collaborating on a collection of short documentary films as part of a media production class taught by Milazzo. The films collectively explore the theme: "Made by Humans."

“Being able to finally show off something that we all put a lot of hard work into means a lot,” said graduate Luke Reeder, who in May earned his degree in mass communications with a concentration in media production. “It’s really nice we were able to get recognized, and … to share that stage with every one of our classmates is going to be a really great feeling, for sure.”

Per the university, "Made by Humans" sees students working together to bring nine projects to life, with students taking on multiple roles simultaneously.

The projects cover a range of ideas, including the realities of horse racing, the bond between a rescued dog and its owners, as well as developing a music career and social-emotional learning in post-COVID education, VCU officials said.

“This experience was truly like a team,” said graduate Gabriel Aref, who served as project producer, director and camera operator during the spring semester. “Everyone had one goal: ‘We’re going to get this done.”

Sydney Quashie reportedly came to the class with "her own vision" and served as a camera operator and editor for several projects, as well as produced her own horse racing film. She said what came out of the experience was better than she anticipated.

“It was fun because I had my thing and I thought it was going to go this way, but [project editor Grace Emerson] had her ideas, and it just made it blossom into something even better,” said Quashie, who also graduated in May with her media production degree.

VCU said the films were screened by a judges panel and received a final score, with the university saying the experience "could be daunting." Students said it was a "welcoming learning experience."

“I feel like we were all a little nervous about how the feedback would be because the judges are real professional people who have been doing this for years,” Quashie said. “But the feedback was super nice. It was constructive criticism at times, but it was super positive, and I think made us all really confident and happy with what we made.”

According to the release, more than 175 new films are being screened at RIFF. (CAP)SULE begins at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 24 at the Byrd Theatre and includes screenings and a Q&A with the student filmmakers.

For more information, click here.