Recently, sophomore Gemma Fasciano received news that The Premiere, a short film that she helped create over the summer, had been accepted into the Virginia Film Festival.  This festival is one of the most highly respected  and well-known regional film festivals in the United States.

Fasciano had always taken great interest in the filmmaking process.  Knowing this, family of hers who live in Virginia recommended that she contact Light House Studio, a film studio where she could both learn about and actively participate in art of filmmaking.

“At Light House Studio, professional filmmakers, writers, and festival organizers help kids build up film portfolios before applying for film programs in the future,” said Fasciano.

The Premiere followed the struggles of a young female director at the screening of her first production.

After facing a number of detractors, including longtime rivals and vague movie critics, the director has to come to terms with the criticism she receives, and learns not to allow her emotional state to rest on the opinions of others.

Fasciano was active throughout the two-week process of creating the film.

“I worked mainly on writing the screenplay and working out its kinks during production, because major changes are commonly made to scripts even after filming has begun.  I also supervised the script and worked on post-production editing,” said Fasciano.

Months after working on The Premiere this past summer, Fasciano received exciting news regarding its placement into the Virginia Film Festival.

“Light House emailed me a week or two ago with the news that The Premiere had been accepted into the Virginia Film Festival.  I immediately got back in touch with some of the other crew members, and everyone was very excited,” said Fasciano.

Since September, the film had been making its way through the smaller festival circuit, and was included in a few smaller-scale, youth festivals.

However, being accepted into the Virginia Film Festival marked a great accomplishment for the film, since this festival draws wide range of acclaimed actors, directors, professors, and overall impressionable figures in the film industry.

In sum, Fasciano was positive about her time spent with Light House Studio and it she had a great time during the filmmaking process.

“This was some of the first hands-on experience that I have had with production equipment, which was amazing.  I’ve been interested in filmmaking for years, but it never felt like a legitimate future for me until I was sitting in the audience, watching the screening of the movie that I worked to create,” said Fasciano.

One thing for sure is that if Fasciano continues on this path and actively pursues her passion for filmmaking, her future in the film industry will be a bright one.