On October 15th, the CofC Film Club and many film minors trekked over to Music Hall to see critically-acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee. They really enjoyed hearing one of their favorite filmmakers speak about his work, his inspiration behind them, and his current project with actor Denzel Washington.
Come out this Wednesday, October 9th, for COFC’s Film Club’s screening of Welcome to the Sticks (2008) and the Film Studies open house. Find out more about the Film Studies program, meet the professors, and learn about upcoming course offerings. We will be in Maybank 100 at 7:00pm. We hope to see you there!
81st Venice Film Festival, 2024
Professor of Italian Film Giovanna De Luca is just back from the Venice Film Festival, where she rubbed elbows with movie stars, filmmakers, and survived the frenzy of the hectic festival schedule. Pedro Almodóvar took home the Golden Lion with his drama The Room Next Door, while Nicole Kidman left with the Best Actress award for Babygirl, director Halina Reijn.
Read Dr. De Luca’s account of the festival experience and her festival favs:
The festival has a great atmosphere, with many international stars, filmmakers, and industry professionals. It was the usual perfectly organized chaos that only the first international film festival could create.
A short list of my favorite films:
*“The Order” by Justin Kurzel, based on Gary Gerhardt’s book, The Silent Brotherhood, about an American white supremacist group in the eighties. It was well written with an exceptional performance by Jude Law.
* Vermiglio by Maura Delpero is about the consequences of the Second World War in a small town on the Italian mountainside that was not directly involved in the war but could not escape its consequences. Delpero reveals how the small-town inhabitants’ social and religious attitudes win over the young generation’s natural, sentimental behavior. She does it with a slow pace and great cinematography that emphasizes the beauty of the rural landscape of Vermiglio.
*Maldoror by Fabrice Du Welz is inspired by a judicial scandal about a child abuser/serial killer and a young policeman trying to solve the case but is defeated by the power games of political/ police/ criminal games in Belgium at the time. The actor Anthony Bajon, through powerful expressionistic movements, reflects the strength, uncontaminated idealism, and passion of the youth, the intelligent and young policeman is slowly destroyed by the power system.
– Dr. Giovanna De Luca
This Wednesday, Sept 4, at 4 p.m., the Dept. of Political Science will screen an important documentary that follows Gustavo Petro and the presidential race in Colombia in 2022. Director Sean Mattison & co-producer Tom Laffafy (a former CofC LACS/POLI major) will be here for Q&A! See flyer for more info!
Join us Thursday, August 22 for a special double feature event at the Terrace Theater! To celebrate the great and late Roger Corman, Dr. Glenn will introduce and screen Little Shop of Horrors (1960) and Piranha (1978). Hope to see you there!
Get your tickets in advance and save time! https://www.terracetheater.com/special-events/
Wed June 5 at 7 p.m., Prof. Michael Lee of College of Charleston will introduce and screen Martin McDonagh’s hit film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017). Come for the film, stay for conversation! This is a FREE community event hosted by CofC’s Civility Initiative!
By Anna Deason ’24, Former Film Club Officer
On the evening of April 6th, the College of Charleston Education Center Atrium looked unrecognizable. As if by magic, the lobby had been transformed Cinderella-style from a utilitarian study spot into a cozy, professional-looking event space. A fully- stocked catering table atop black table-cloth here, a step and repeat photo op there (complete with stage lights, red carpet, and a student photographer), and tasteful white, gold, and black decor throughout the room completed the venue look. Anyone who walked through the front doors that night would know right away they were in the right place for the College of Charleston Student Film Festival.
The CofC Student Film Festival is hosted each year by the Film Club and celebrates the creative filmmaking pursuits by students from CofC and Trident Technical College. “The Student Film Festival is the flagship event of the year for the Film Studies Program,” said CofC Film Studies Director Colleen Glenn. “Just as the student film club has become an important arm of the Film Studies minor, the student film festival has become our yearly celebration of cinema and student filmmakers at the College of Charleston.”
In recent years, the CofC Film Club has partnered with Queen Street Playhouse in downtown Charleston to host the festival, but this year, the festival was held in the Septima Clark Auditorium on CofC’s campus. The 2024 film line-up was comprised of eight different short films submitted by students across a variety of academic departments, from Biology Majors to Studio Art Majors.
This year, Film Studies Professors Colleen Glenn and John Bruns were proud to award the top three short film winners, as decided by judges Tim Fennell, Giovanna De Luca, and Jeffrey Youn. Third place was awarded to the short film A Town With Love in the Middle by Kate Pearson, second place to Backstage by CofC seniors Max Meyers and
Keller Hollingsworth, and first place to Mickey vs. the Passage of Time by CofC senior Bristol Barnes. Mickey also racked up an audience choice award, and Trident Tech student Ron Grant’s film Procrastination received Honorable Mention.
Film Club president Caroline Drinnon is in the unique position of not only getting to host this year’s festival, but also playing the lead role in the Film Club-produced short film, Mickey vs. the Passage of Time. Caroline told me, “As a creator, the festival
provides ample opportunities for learning and celebration of student success. The process of making the short film is clearly a strenuous task in itself with coordinating a team, writing a script, and finding the time to film it with whatever equipment you might have on hand.”
The festival, Caroline said, allows students to connect and form community not just as creators, but as audience members, as well. Plus, she said, “it’s a fun occasion to dress up and enjoy the art scene in Charleston without breaking the bank.” Certainly a tantalizing offer for any college student!
To close off the evening, Professors Glenn and Bruns commemorated all fourteen Film Studies graduating seniors onstage. For those graduating seniors, the Student Film Festival serves as their final send-off from the program prior to their graduation ceremonies. Dr. Glenn remarked, “The festival gives students an opportunity to submit and screen their work, and also gives our program a chance to honor and recognize our film studies students—those who simply love cinema and those who make movies, alike.”
With the Student Film Festival now going on its twentieth year, it’s difficult to ignore the question of legacy. For some, the film fest truly is the culmination of their time in Film Studies or in Film Club here at the College.
Caroline agrees, as she and other Film Studies Minors get to take all the concepts they’ve studied over the past few years and apply them, whether in the creation of a film or in the viewing experience of one.
Caroline reflected, “I think when it comes to the film festival, and to the club in general, it’s always the people and their creations that are the most memorable. The community that is built from being able to create something collaboratively and share it with friends, family, and peers is really unmatched.”
Both the Film Club and its festival have survived nearly two decades now; through changes in modern technology, four different College Presidents, and even a global pandemic, it seems as if the CofC Film Studies Program will always be ready to face whatever comes next. So, here’s to the future of the College of Charleston Student Film Festival.
Hello Film Lovers!
College of Charleston’s Film Club wanted to announce our annual film festival. We need more entries! If there is any short film you have made submit it, it could be from a class, creative project, etc.! If there is a short film a peer has made, tell them about the film
festival! We would really like to see what College of Charleston’s film students have created and think this is a wonderful opportunity to showcase them. If you have any questions feel free to use any of our resources linked below.
Deadline: March 29th, 2024
College of Charleston’s Film Club Email: collegeofcharlestonfilmclub@gmail.com
College of Charleston’s Film Club Link Tree: https://tr.ee/eFiYpqmFMM
Here’s a preliminary list of courses offered Fall 2025 that will count toward FMST credit. Click highlighted text for course description (if available). Check back frequently for updates and additions.
| ENGL 212.01 The Cinema: History & Criticism* Glenn TR 1:40-2:55 |
ENGL 212.02 The Cinema: History & Criticism* Bruns TR 10:50-12:05 |
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| ENGL 212.03 The Cinema: History & Criticism* Bruns TR 12:15-1:30 |
ENGL 351 Studies in American Cinema* Bruns TR 1:40-2:55 |
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| ENGL 390 Film & Documentary Production*** Fennell T 4-6:45pm |
LTIT 370-01
Studies in Italian Cinema** |
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JWST 300-01
Jews & Comedy** |
GRST 472-01 German Cinema**Taught in German Nenno |
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THTR 350 Screenwriting*** Smallwood TR 10:50-12:05 |
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* meets the requirement for Cluster 1 of the FMST minor
** meets the requirement for Cluster 2 of the FMST minor
*** meets the requirement for Cluster 3 of the FMST minor
Il Cinema Ritrovato On Tour is a new festival coming to Charleston! With roots in Bologna, Italy, this festival is dedicated to the history of cinema, screening classics, retrospectives and showcasing the latest restored films from labs and archives around the world. On March 20th and 21st, Il Cinema Ritrovato On Tour is screening four restored films: Sambizanga (1972), Assunta Spina (1915), The Last Emperor (1987), and Wings of Desire (1987)! With a valid CofC ID, tickets are free! Be sure to check out this incredible experience, coming to the Queen Street Playhouse in March!