This February, Princeton’s student filmmakers once again made the trek up to the James Stewart Film Theater. Rather than attending their familiar fall classes, they sat alongside their friends and family to watch their creations from last semester up on the silver screen.
These viewings were spread over three days, each highlighting a variety of genres. Under the guidance of Visual Arts faculty Christopher Harris, Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, Tim Szetela, Nicolás Pereda, and Moon Molson, students produced film projects ranging from alternative fiction to documentaries.
Feb. 11 brought us works from VIS 214: Filmmaking — 16mm Analog Film Production and VIS 260: Making the Vampire Film. Feb. 16 showcased the creativity of the Class of 2029 with films from FRS 138: Representation in Documentary Filmmaking. Last but certainly not least, the Feb. 18th screening included shorts from VIS 220: Animation I, VIS 243: Alternative Fiction Short Form, and VIS 265: Narrative Filmmaking I.
A film by Benjamin Martin ’28.
Mia Mazzeo / The Daily Princetonian
“Dialectic” by Benjamin Martin ’28 was one of the most unique films of the night, bringing together philosophy and video games. Despite the nostalgic visuals of “Dialectic,” this animated short was remarkably topical. An homage to classic Game Boy graphics, the pixelated comedy takes its viewers through rounds of philosophy trivia. We watch a player — the main character — try to answer the age-old questions of Descartes and the Socratics, attempting to decipher the debates of the various contrarian philosophers.
“Dialectic” eventually takes a satirical turn, forcing the player to believe only one philosophy and destroy all others by bombing the parts of the world where they originate. With its constant wit and astonishing animation, this short had the whole audience laughing throughout its three-minute runtime. By contrasting questions about the nature of our existence with mankind’s clear inability to coexist, “Dialectic” does an incredible job at balancing hilarious bickering with darker truths.
A film by Peyton McLaughlin ’28.
Mia Mazzeo / The Daily Princetonian
The festival took a gloomier turn with “Percept,” by Peyton McLaughlin ’28, a unique take on a ghost story. At six minutes and five seconds, the film clocks in as a longer feature in the screening, but remains captivating throughout. Each moment of this short beautifully illustrates the tragic tale of Gigi, a ghost desperately trying to catch a student’s attention. When Gigi hears the song “Last Christmas” through the student’s headphones, she is transported back to the holiday season, the time of her passing.
After many failed attempts, Gigi finally contacts the student through the supernatural connection of the song. The film memorably juxtaposes the warm lights of Princeton’s iconic Palmer Square Christmas tree with a haunted courtyard. Through these visuals, McLaughlin expertly underscores the weight behind Gigi’s struggle to reach out and make a connection. Although perplexing at first, “Percept” lets viewers slowly sink into its emotional depths, revelling in Gigi’s enduring desperation and eventual hope.
On a brighter note, “Jeff by Roya” by Roya Reese ’26 immediately lifted the spirits of the entire audience.
Reese is a contributing writer for The Prospect.
Centered on Princeton’s own Professor of English Jeff Nunokawa, this film does an exceptional job at capturing the iconic English professor’s unique humor and sincerity. Scenes in Nunokawa’s office — which would be better dubbed a library, given the overwhelming number of books bursting from every shelf — embody the professor’s eclectic personality.
The standout shot of this short lingers on Nunokawa’s lengthy monologue addressed to his students as the semester closes, emphasizing not only his quick wit, but his genuine compassion for his students and scholarship. Despite being only six minutes long, “Jeff by Roya” conveys all one needs to know about the one-of-a-kind Professor Nunokawa.
With each of the 22 films at the screening, the sheer amount of hours every student put into their detailed final pieces is clear. Whether you’re an aspiring director or simply a creative looking to try something new, Princeton’s Visual Arts program certainly offers plenty of classes to try your hand at movie-making. I thought this batch of short films superiorly spotlighted our student body’s impeccable talent and overflowing creativity. I believe I speak for everyone in the audience when I say I can’t wait to see what these talented young filmmakers achieve next.
Mia Mazzeo is a contributing writer for The Prospect and is a member of the Class of 2029. She can be reached at mm4755[at]princeton.edu.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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