On Campus News

A Point Park University student film is a finalist for the 2012 Student Academy Awards by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

"Requited,"' by seniors Mark Christian, cinematographer and writer, and Madeline Puzzo, director and production designer, is one of only nine films named as finalists in the narrative category. In all, more than 560 films from students in 105 United States colleges and universities have been part of the competition.

�This visually stunning, moving picture is a result of an intense collaborative process,� says Nelson Chipman, chair of Point Park's cinema and digital arts department.

"Requited" is an authentic Western. Using a crew of 20, including Point Park students, and cast of more than a dozen, Christian and Puzzo shot the 12-minute film this winter in Gammons Gulch in Benson, Ariz., and Old Bedford Village in Bedford, Pa. The characters are based on those in a film Puzzo and Christian completed in 2011, "The Kid."

"Requited" is the senior thesis film for both students. Christian, from McLean, Va., will graduate with a concentration in cinematography. Puzzo, from Tuscon, Ariz., will graduate with a concentration in directing.

Chipman says having Point Park University represented in the Student Academy Awards is an honor that reflects the program�s dynamic growth and students� intensity and drive.

�In many ways it reflects the ability of Point Park students to become skilled and well crafted in their concentrations. By the time they are seniors here, students have worked on more than two dozen movies each.�

Prior to being represented in the Student Academy Awards competition, "Requited" was selected for Point Park�s 2012 showcase screening. In late May, cinema and digital arts students with films in the showcase will travel to Los Angeles to introduce their works to industry professionals.

The Student Academy Awards are June 9 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will name the top three films in each category prior to the event.





Resources:

www.pointpark.edu