The Columbia University Film Faculty Series, the brainchild of a film studies major, will kick off for the first time Saturday afternoon with the endorsement of the Columbia College Student Council.
Alex Greer, CC ’08, devised a project that would inform the Columbia community about the achievements of real-world filmmakers who also teach at the university. He saw an opportunity to open up a dialogue between these artists and Columbia students, and started a series consisting of periodic film screenings accompanied by question-and-answer sessions.
His project was eventually absorbed by CCSC’s I Am Light Blue campaign. “People say that Columbia doesn’t have pride,” CCSC President Michelle Diamond, CC ’08, said. “But it’s just that there aren’t events to show it.”
Greer recalled being “ridiculously surprised and impressed” as he explored the vast credentials of professors in the film department. “It’s heartening,” he said, “to see that your professors ‘can do’ despite the old adage.”
The first installment of what Greer hopes will be a successful and continuing series of screenings will feature professor Ira Deutchman, an executive producer at Emerging Pictures with a long list of credentials. Each series will celebrate a different faculty member’s film, and on Saturday, viewers will see All I Wanna Do, a work that Deutchman produced.
“Major universities don’t acknowledge their people in the arts enough,” Deutchman said, “which is why something like this is such a wonderful experience.”
Greer seconded that, adding that his project seeks to expose the student body to “the incredibly diverse spectrum of filmmakers in the faculty.”
An event like the Film Faculty Series, Greer said, stays true to the I Am Light Blue campaign’s aim to increase school spirit. “The series will show that Columbia has things to be proud of,” Greer explained. “I think that celebrating the work of our professors is a great way to raise awareness and bring the community together.”
Greer reports that many professors have already expressed interest in the project and are eager for an opportunity to show and discuss their work with students. He added, however, that the project has encountered some difficulties due to space constraints.
Greer said that the series is a unique experience for students and faculty. “You don’t get many opportunities to sit down and watch a film with someone who actually worked on it,” he said.