Film Students Attend Heartland International Film Festival

The Heartland International Film Festival is an Academy Award-qualifying festival held annually in Indianapolis, Indiana. During its 32-year history, Heartland has introduced 10 Oscar- winning short films and screened hundreds of films created to inspire conversation, ignite imagination and demonstrate the triumph of the human spirit. This year, from Oct. 17–20, Cedarville University students will attend the festival for the first time. 

Professor Sean O’Connor, assistant professor of broadcasting, digital media and journalism (BDMJ), will take students to experience the environment, to learn to review movies and to watch some films that have rarely if ever been screened before.  

“I want students to be able to take what they’ve done in the classroom into the world,” said O’Connor. “Hopefully this is an opportunity for them to see what it takes to get their work shown at a film festival, because it is a highly competitive process. I want them to be inspired.” 

This year, five students who are majoring in BDMJ will attend the festival, including senior Jaden Alexander (Westford, Massachusetts), sophomores Balen Allain (Dayton, Ohio), Drew England (Jackson, Michigan) and Issac Steward (Abilene, Texas) and freshman Makenzie Robinson (Barberton, Ohio). 

As a part of O’Connor’s specially designed independent study course, students will have the opportunity to learn various aspects of the film industry, such as writing reviews and forming independent critiques. 

“Attending this festival will give me a wider perspective on how smaller filmmakers approach storytelling and production so that I can tell better stories of my own down the line,” said Steward. “I'm very excited to see what I can learn at this festival and how I can grow as a creator. Also, I'm going to be watching movies for five days straight, so that's pretty awesome.” 

During the festival, students will see seven movies and write about each one using the skills they have learned in the classroom. They will also have a chance to network with local filmmakers and students attending from other universities.  

“I'm looking forward to experiencing the world of film to see what this industry is like on the small scale, away from Hollywood’s influence and industry,” said Allain.  

This trip will allow students to be among the first audiences to watch and review potentially award-winning films, giving them a chance to practice skills necessary for a future career in film.  

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is a Baptist university with undergraduate programs in arts, sciences, and professional programs, and graduate programs. With an enrollment of 6,384 students in 175 areas of study, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio and is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including its Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting, Digital Media and Journalism, and high graduation and retention rates. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.