Juliet Morales, a junior and environmental policy major, believes everyone wants 15 minutes of fame.
“Even if you don’t desire to be an actor or in the film industry, it’d still be a cool experience,” said Morales, who is trying to start a film club on campus. She has collected over 70 signatures from students in support of the club’s creation.
Morales was apprehensive about the reception a film club would receive before she conveyed her ideas to fellow students. Despite USF St. Petersburg’s location in the heart of a growing cultural arts community, she felt that the institution did not offer many art-oriented programs of study.
“The large response helped me realize there are people who would join and appreciate the arts,” she said. “I think the club will demonstrate how our school is promoting artistic expression, making it a greater part of student life.”
Professor Keith Cavedo, who teaches film and literature courses at USF Sarasota-Manatee, is the advisor to USFSM’s Film Society and feels students becoming knowledgeable and actively participating in the art form promotes a greater understanding of culture.
He described Hollywood as a “dream factory” producing the fantasies of ordinary people, and though it is difficult to determine what films are more significant than others, Cavedo said classics like “Casablanca” offer a different experience for audiences each time they are viewed.
“There is something in them that transcends time,” Cavedo said.
Morales hopes the new film club will collaborate with other campus groups to create promotional videos benefitting the interests of incoming and current students, as well as the clubs themselves.
As an example, Morales suggested the use of student-made films for club recruitment instead of flyers. The videos could then be posted on the university website, or projected on television screens across campus.
Developing roots in neighboring communities is a priority for members of the Sarasota-Manatee’s Film Society, and Morales has the same in mind for a USFSP film club. In addition to strengthening on-campus ties, the film club would host an annual film festival presenting the work of its members to the university and the public.
Morales sees the event as an opportunity to connect with local performance venues like the American Stage and FreeFall theatres. The Sarasota-Manatee Film Society’s volunteer efforts during the Sarasota Film Festival allowed students to lead a discussion after the showing of one film, and the organization’s network continues to expand.
“We have a voice,” Cavedo said. “The symbiotic relationship is working very well.”
St. Petersburg was ranked the No. 1 arts destination in 2012 for mid-sized U.S. cities by American Style Magazine for the third year in a row. Although the film club has not been officially established, Morales is ready to incorporate USFSP into the downtown arts scene.
“The club will give students a chance to express themselves in new ways. Whether there are five members or 80,” she said.
For more information on the film club, please contact Morales via email at juliet2@mail.usf.edu.
