Before the Film & Media Studies Dept. packs its bags and moves to a new building, students and faculty will say goodbye to Ellison Hall with a film screening.

Titled “Ellison, I Love You,” the compilation of student-made short films will be shown on the building’s lawn on Saturday, June 6. The department is soaking up its last few weeks in Ellison Hall before transitioning into the recently constructed Carsey-Wolf Center for Film, Television, and New Media after 35 years in its current location. The screening will take place in the courtyard between Ellison Hall and Buchanan Hall at 8 p.m.

Event organizer Steven Morris, a fourth-year film & media studies major, said “Ellison, I Love You” is modeled after the film “Paris, je t’aime”, and will feature short vignettes located in and around Ellison Hall.

Morris said Ellison Hall has been a meaningful place for the department and will be greatly missed by both faculty and students.

“The film department is such a close knit community and there has been so much history in that hallway,” Morris said. “It’s important to commemorate those memories and allow for other students to know what Ellison has meant to us.”

Morris said he expects about 15 short film-submissions for the event, which will then be edited into a single feature film.

“Next year we’re going to be in that brand new building and it felt like an appropriate way to say goodbye,” Morris said. “It just felt like a fun way to define this chapter of the film and[[&]] media studies major here at UCSB.”

Ryan Turner, a second-year film & media studies major, said he submitted his film “Awkward Courage” – winner of the Audience Award at the I.V. Digital Video Festival last month – to be screened at next Saturday’s event.

“I tried to capture the spirit of Ellison discussions in this awkward romantic comedy, as well as memories of editing and late nights in Ellison,” Turner said. “It is really about entertaining emotions for the character and Ellison at same time.”

Joe Palladino, academic advisor for the Film & Media Studies Dept., said the short length requirement for the student submissions allows filmmakers to freely express their artwork without the worries attached to a larger scale production.

“One of the nice things about this event is, because it is focused into short films, it frees you up to just create without worrying about too much baggage,” Palladino said. “People think things have to be perfect, but there is some magic that comes with having to do something quickly.”

Part of the Education and Social Sciences Building project, the new center will provide many more resources available to film & media students including a sound stage, additional theater space and a new editing room, Palladino said.

“A lot of the strength of this department is built out of a strong community,” Palladino said. “For us, this is a whole new chapter. With every chapter you close something and there are some new discoveries. We are hoping to move and find new things, yet still bring still the essence of what we are.”

Print