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| MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2025
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Winter Warm Up and Production Fair
Thank you to everyone who came out to our Winter Warm-Up and Production Fair. For those of you who are searching for cast and crew for your films, be sure to look at the interest sheets in the Jason Cortez Creativity Lab in the DeLaski Performing Arts Building, PAB 3019.
At the Warm-Up, the following organizations shared helpful resources and opportunities that are available to students: University Career Services, Mason Libraries, OSCAR, GEO, The MIX, Star Lab, Student Media, Storyline, Black Filmmakers Association, and DKA. We appreciate your participation.
If you would like to apply for funding for projects, please reach out to OSCAR. You can learn more about the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program here.
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Film Academic Scholarship
The academic scholarship application for the 2025-2026 school year is still open! We will be giving away 5 $1500-$3000 scholarships for next year. Film and Video Studies wants eager, talented students to have the opportunity to hone their craft. Upcoming sophomores, juniors, seniors, and incoming transfers are welcome to apply.
The application is short and takes less than 30 minutes.
Criteria can be found here.
Deadline: March 1, 2025
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FAVS 450: Internship Information Session
Monday, March 3 at 6:30pm
Virtual: Join via zoom
Register to receive the Zoom link
Interested in knowing more about the required FAVS 450: Internship course? Need tips and recommendations for applying to internships? Want to hear from students about their internship experiences?
You are invited to join our virtual FAVS 450 Information Session, with Professor Rebekah Wingert-Jabi and Academic Advisor Maddie Portnoy. This event is recommended for Juniors and Seniors who have not yet completed FAVS 450.
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Visiting Filmmakers Series
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Photo Credit: Kajwan Alavi
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G. Chesler with Connection | Isolation: Recap
On February 17, Director/Producer and Film and Video Studies Professor G. Chesler presented their feature film Connection | Isolation in the Johnson Center Cinema. After the screening, our host, Sunny Sellers, and participants Dan Kingsley and Cole Wolf joined Chesler on stage for an impactful discussion, welcoming questions from the audience.
Thank you to all who came out!
For more information, please visit our event site.
Upcoming VFS Events
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James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket
A Screening with Director Karen Thorsen
Presented by The Cheuse Center and Visiting Filmmakers Series
Tuesday, March 4, 2025 | 7:00-9:30pm
Johnson Center Cinema
For more info and to RSVP, visit the event page.
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A Masterclass with Andy ReaserHosted by Professor Peter Kimball
Tuesday, April 1, 2025 | 1:30-3:30pm
Monson Grand Tier III
Andy Reaser, a writer-producer with over two decades of experience in television, working on shows such as Charmed, Pretty Little Liars, and seven seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, will hold a masterclass discussing his experience in the film industry, screenwriting, and more.
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Storyline Screenwriting Contest
Storyline is now accepting screenplay submissions! Open to current FAVS students or students who have taken at least 1 FAVS course.
Deadline: March 19, 2025
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2025 Mason Film Festival
Save the date! The 2025 Mason Film Festival will take place in the Johnson Center Cinema
Tuesday, April 29, Wednesday, April 30 and Saturday, May 3. More information coming soon.
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Virginia Film Festival
Filmmakers from around the world are invited to submit new narrative and documentary features, short films, and independent and international projects across all genres to the 2025 Virginia Film Festival, which will run October 22-26, 2025.
Early Bird Deadline: May 6, 2025
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Registration Reminder
Summer registration begins on March 18 and Fall registration begins in early April. Below are some of the courses that we will be offering this summer. All courses are online async.
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FAVS 225 Introduction to World Cinema
Session A | Online Async
Professor Cynthia Fuchs
This course explores examples of many kinds of films from around the world, including documentary, fiction, and experimental. Students will learn to analyze film language and structures, with attention to cinema's many contexts, including economic institutions, historical events, political and social issues that shape and are shaped by movies.
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FAVS 260 Video Editing for Film
Session A | Online Async
Professor Maura Ugarte
In this course, students practice creative storytelling through video editing. They learn by doing, working with a range of editing software, watching and discussing movies, and engaging in hands-on individual and group projects.
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FAVS 280 Writing For the Moving Image
Session C | Online Async
Professor Amanda Kraus
This course is an introduction to writing for the moving image through lecture, discussion, and critiques of exercises and written works. By the end of the semester, each student will have produced a variety of analyses and/or blueprints for creative moving image projects including short fiction, commercial advertisement, scripted television, collaborative fiction, short non-fiction reality programming, and other forms.
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Film Opportunities and Resources
Festival Submissions:
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Fellowship Opportunity:
This innovative film fellowship program raises awareness about Alabama’s incredible natural resources and important environmental issues that impact all of us. Southern Exposure brings together emerging filmmakers from across the country to create authentic, engaging short documentary films about Alabama’s environment — and the people who cherish it — from the mountains to the coast. The program is hosted by Alabama Rivers Alliance each summer.
Application Deadline: March 15, 2025
The fellowship dates are June 16 – July 25, 2025.
Click here to see the application guidelines and more about the fellowship.
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Did you miss our last newsletter?
Check out the archives here.
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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 Mason alumni. Keep up-to-date on all the current Film at Mason news at film.gmu.edu.
Film and Video Studies
College of Visual and Performing Arts
4400 University Dr. MSN 5D8
Fairfax, VA 22030
703-993-3287 | film@gmu.edu
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