Student Films to be Showcased on AETN

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., Apr. 7 – Each year, the Arkansas Educational Television Network offers a non-competitive arena for student films and videos to encourage work by students at Arkansas colleges. Four works by students at the University of Arkansas will be aired in the “AETN Third Annual Student Video Showcase” on Thursday, April 14, at 8 p.m. Entries chosen for airing are “Southside to the South,” “Thunder Valley Wars,” “Sphere of Influence” and “SPOOKED!”

“Southside to the South” is the story of a young man getting a second chance. After being kicked out of two high schools in Chicago, Kendall Rapier moved to Fayetteville to live with his aunt, Cynthia Nance, a law professor at U of A. This is his story, recounted by family and friends, as he adapts to his new environment and struggles to make good on his second chance and actually graduate from high school.
Students responsible for “Southside to the South” were Kendrick Disch, videographer, editor and producer, and Elliott D. Nance, producer and writer.

“ Thunder Valley Wars” follows the legal, political and personal battles surrounding attempts by the city of Fayetteville to restrict the activities at Thunder Valley Speedway, a local stock car racing facility. The conflict involves not only the legalities of controlling activities outside the city limits, but also pits the affluent against moderate income citizens and the track owner against the alderwoman who moved in across the street from the track.

Students who created “Thunder Valley Wars” were Marc Cromdell, producer; James Alford, videographer and editor; and Ben Austin Willis, editor.

“ Sphere of Influence” tells the story of sculptor Hank Kaminsky’s creation of the Peace Prayer Fountain, which sits in front of the Fayetteville Town Center. By illuminating the separate elements of the bronze-sculpting process, the documentary explores the interrelatedness of artistic expression, technical prowess, intuition and rational problem solving in the 18-month creation of a large bronze sphere. The process reflects the larger issues and commitments needed for peace to succeed in all areas of human engagement, and the examples set by Kaminsky and his staff offer a recipe for the patience, cooperative tenacity and collective faith required to achieve peace in a troubled time.

Stace Treat served as producer, videographer and editor for “Sphere of Influence.”

“SPOOKED!” explores strange, floating orbs of light that began appearing near Hornet, Okla., before electricity and motorcars arrived in the eastern edge of the Ozarks. UA documentary film students captured the lively Hornet Spooklights on camera and investigated their origin.

“ SPOOKED!” was a project of Whitney Ray, cinematographer, co-director, writer and producer; Willard Brian Petty, producer, co-director and writer; and Rojeana L‚Angela Cooksey, writer and producer.
UA faculty advisors for the student films are Dale Carpenter and Larry Foley of the Lemke Department of Journalism in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

The Arkansas Educational Television Network provides lifelong learning opportunities, improves and enhances Arkansans’ lives and celebrates the unique culture of Arkansas through its programming. AETN’s 10 transmitters and numerous cable system connections give it statewide reach.