Halmos Partners with Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival

This fall, students, alumni and faculty from the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts in the Halmos College of Arts Sciences partnered with the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF). Digital Media Production students debuted a film, and a Communication faculty member reported on FLIFF for OutClique Magazine, a local publication featuring LGBTQA+ arts, entertainment and travel.

On Saturday, Nov. 5, Digital Media Production students in the B.A. in Communication program screened their film “The Halls of Power” at the Savor Cinema at FLIFF. Students Graciel Quezada and Bianca Vucetich and alumna Janay Joseph co-directed the documentary that follows the story of Elijah Manley, an activist, and one of the youngest candidates to ever run for the Florida State Legislature.

 “It’s a tremendous accomplishment for Janay, Bianca, and Graciel,” said Assistant Professor of Communication Alex Bordino, Ph.D. “The success of their film demonstrates that you don’t need the resources of a big film school to produce work that the industry professionally recognizes, just interesting stories, collaboration, passion and a willingness to put forth the extra work.”

This is the first collaboration for Joseph, Quezada and Vucetich, who produced a shorter version of the film last fall in Bordino’s COMM 3700: Documentary Filmmaking class that was screened at the Undergraduate Student Symposium Film Festival in March and at the Second Annual Communication Video Showcase in April.

In addition to Digital Media Production students premiering “The Halls of Power” during the event, Associate Professor of Communication Megan Fitzgerald, Ph.D., reported on FLIFF for OutClique Magazine. Click here to view her feature story.

Learn more about the B.A. in Communication program here.

Posted 11/20/23