MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2026

Welcome Back Winter Warm-Up


Thank you to everyone who came out to our Welcome Back Winter Warm-up. 

At the Warm-Up, students networked with student film organizations such as the Queer Film Association, Black Filmmakers Association, DKA, and Storyline. DC Camera also made a special visit to showcase equipment and share resources. We appreciate everyone’s participation.  

Looking for cast and crew for your next project? Check out the interest sheets in the Jason Cortez Creativity Lab, located in the DeLaski Performing Arts Building, Room PAB 3019. If you are not already on our Cast and Crew Listserv and would like to be added, please email film@gmu.edu. 

Visiting Filmmakers Series

 Please check our VFS website for updates. 
Tuesday, March 24, 2026 | 5 pm | JC Cinema
Screening of An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th 
Join us for a screening of An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th followed by a Q&A discussion with Mahrya MacIntire, hosted by Sam Lebovic.

An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th looks at the current surge in political violence through the story of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. It is a big-picture statement film that retells the highlights of the case in the larger context of extremist sentiments, evolving from the 1980s to the present. The division and polarization of the past have since spread, deepened, and gone mainstream. The film provides perspectives and historical lessons that might inform our efforts to prevent more civil unrest and domestic terrorism. 

This event is free and open to the public. Register here. 
For more information, visit our event page. 

Thursday, March 26, 2026 | 1:30 pm |  AB 1007 
Class Visit - FAVS 255 Film Production
Mahrya MacIntire will visit the FAVS 255 Film Production course to discuss nontraditional production techniques, mental wellness on set, and themes from her film Muscle Memory.

Seats are limited. Register here. 
For more information, visit our event page. 

2026 Mason Film Festival and 20th Anniversary of Film and Video Studies  


May 8-May 9, 2026 
Save the date for the 2026 Mason Film Festival and the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Film and Video Studies program taking place on May 8-May 9, 2026, on George Mason University’s Fairfax campus.  
 
The celebration will feature an online alumni showcase taking place the week before the festival, a roundtable discussion, an alumni brunch, and our annual Mason Film Festival.  
Visit our event website for updates.

FAVS at 20 Virtual Alumni Showcase


Let’s Celebrate 20 Years of Stories, Creativity, and YOU.

The Virtual Alumni Showcase will run from April 27 to May 3, 2026, the week before the 2026 Mason Film Festival on Mason Arts Amplified. We want you and your amazing work to be part of our celebration of two decades of Film at George Mason. 
Submit on FilmFreeway by March 6, 2026.
Please note that all submissions will be carefully reviewed by Film and Video Studies faculty for content. As always, our Film Festival accommodates a family audience. We’ll reach out if we have questions regarding your film’s content.  

If you have any questions, email film@gmu.edu.
Submit on FilmFreeway

CVPA's Opportunity, Understanding,
and Respect Committee
Spring Salon – Virtual Edition
Friday, March 27th | 12-1:50pm
Open to all CVPA faculty and staff

A virtual gathering, hosted by OUR Committee, of CVPA faculty and staff fostering community, academic freedoms, and belonging.

Presenters include: Professor G. Chesler (Film and Video Studies), discussing their documentary, Connection | Isolation, focused on the trans community during COVID-19; Alan Caballero Lazare (School of Art) presenting Decentering the Eurocentric Canon for a New Generation of Design Students, and Carole Rosenstein (School of Art / Arts Management), discussing The National Inventory of Cultural Organizations. 

Theatrical Unions Panel


Monday, March 16 | 2-4 pm  
TheaterSpace (Center for the Arts)
Join the George Mason School of Theater for the Theatrical Unions Panel. This sesion will feature representatives from United Scenic Artists (USA)—the union for Scenic, Lighting, Costume, and Prop Designers—as well as IATSE Local 22, the DMV branch that represents stagehands, lighting board operators, sound board operators, audio engineers, flymen, camera operators, and more. 
The session will cover theatrical unions, how to join, the benefits of joining, etc. There will be a post-discussion Q&A. 

Open to all students. Theater majors, Film and Video Studies Majors, and Event Technical Production minors are encouraged to attend. 

Click here to sign up. 

Unpacking Conflict: Movies

A Brown Bag Lunch Series

March 3, 2026 | 12:00-1:15 pm
JC Meeting Room C or via Zoom Webinar - (Meeting link)
Open to all
Films spark important conversations that extend beyond the screen. A panel featuring Kate Keeney (CVPA), Dr. Solon Simmons (Carter School), and Mark O’Meara (Cinema Arts/University Mall Theatres) will analyze the modern forces shaping film, including representation, ethics, and the cultural influence of storytelling. This session invites students to examine the intersection of art and impact, addressing the ethical responsibilities of contemporary storytellers. 

Local Film Festival: Awesome Con Short
Film Fest


March 13-15, 2026 | Washington, DC
Awesome Con Short Film Fest takes place inside one of the biggest pop culture conventions in the country, Awesome Con in Washington DC. At the film festival, each year, fans gather to watch specially selected short films in the categories of Comedy, Drama, Horror, Action, Science Fiction, Documentaries, and more.  

For more tickets and more information: awesome-con.com/acshortfilmfest/

Faculty Spotlight
Professor Hans Charles is the co-creator and producer of The A Building; a doc podcast collaboration between iHeartPodcasts and Imagine Entertainment. The doc series tells the story of the 1969 student uprising at Morehouse College in Atlanta, during which board of trustee members were taken hostage. The A Building is available on all major platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. 

Read the Deadline article to learn more. 
Listen to the podcast here.
Professor Peter Kimball was interviewed on January 26th by the BBC World Service in relation to his film My Brother is Deaf on the topic of hearing parents of deaf children. The interview will be available for streaming soon.
Professor Tommy Britt contributed a chapter, "Laura's Not the Only One: Twin Peaks and the Critique of Christ Figures," to the new book Theology, Religion, and Twin Peaks. He presented a paper, "Images of Duration in Twenty-First-Century Documentary Filmmaking,” at the 2026 Southern Humanities Conference and another paper, "How Humour Can Displace Perceived Danger in Rap and Heavy Metal,” at the London Arts-Based Research Centre's Function of Humour conference.
Professor Heather McDonald's play, Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, is set for an Australian debut with two scheduled productions, followed by a festival tour. The first production will take place at Theatre Works in St. Kilda, Melbourne and will be directed by theatre and film director Nadia Tass. 

The writing of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity was supported by the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) New Play Commissions and premiered at Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA. The play won The TCG (Theatre Communications Group) Edgerton New Play Award.

Alumni Achievement


Brendan Gottlieb ‘15 worked as Animation Supervisor for the animated short film Forevergreen. The film has been nominated for two awards: an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and an Annie Award for Best Character Animation. Brendan works as an animator at Disney and has been on the animation team for Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Frozen 2, Raya and the Last Dragon, Encanto, Wish, and more. His recent work on Zootopia 2 has also been nominated for an Academy Award.

Film Opportunities and Resources   


Festival Submissions:

Job Opportunity:
  • Video Producer / Editor, Marketing for Change. Apply by March 10, 2026 on Handshake. Job ID#: 10725323

Internship:
  • Digital Video Intern, AVIXA. 2026 Summer Internship. Apply by March 28, 2026 on Handshake. Job ID#: 10791339
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We want to hear from you! If you have news you would like to contribute, please send it to film@gmu.edu. We are looking for regional film events and updates from Film at George Mason alumni. Keep up-to-date on all the current Film at George Mason news at film.gmu.edu.

Film and Video Studies
College of Visual and Performing Arts
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Fairfax, VA 22030
703-993-3287 | film@gmu.edu
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