On Tuesdays and Thursdays from Feb. 4 to March 13, SMU’s World Languages and Literatures department celebrated 10 years of its International Film Festival.
Ten years ago, the inaugural festival took place outdoors on the Mary Hary, Payton and Shuttles lawn. The festival displayed films in Arabic, Chinese, French, Italian and Spanish, focusing on immigrant experiences and celebrating cultures in film.
“The inaugural festival was very much about bringing together students from across campus to experience world cinema and gain an appreciation of diverse life experiences and perspectives,” Director of World Languages Teaching and Technology Center Aria Cabot said.
As part of the festival’s 10-year anniversary, Jeremy Spracklen and Scott Martin of SMU’s G William Jones Film and Video Collection hosted a public tour of the international film vault. On Tuesday, March 11, visitors were opened to a world of film and television archives, including the Gene Autry in Film Collection, the Tyler Black Film Collection, local news station reels and selections for the Dallas Theater Center.
In addition to its rich history and priceless archival collection, SMU’s Film and Media Arts Department boasts a rolodex of alumni-made films. SMU alumna Natasha Fissiak showcased her film “A Horsey Name,” a screen adaptation of the 1889 Russian classic “A Dreary Story” by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov.
“I remember that story from childhood and there was not a film about it,” Fissiak said. “We wrote a script based on the story, but added a few details and characters for the screen adaptation.”
In 1999, Fissiak received a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from SMU. After graduation, she worked at Deloitte and Touche as a senior consultant. In 2007, Fissiak changed paths and worked as an artistic director and producer at Grand Studio One.
Fissiak’s passion for film drove her to receive a master’s degree in film directing, playwriting and screenwriting. She now makes films full-time. “A Horsey Name” producer Rob Reese attended Tuesday’s screening, shedding light on Fissiak’s work ethic.
“Natasha is very detail oriented, she wants it exact,” Reese said. “I don’t blame her, because the films she makes are amazing.”
While pursuing her master’s at Lenfilm in St. Petersburg, Russia, Fissiak had access to costumes and props over a hundred years old that fit the 19th century aesthetic needed for “A Horsey Names.” The film was shot at a historic Russian mansion which is now a museum.
Fissiak was one of two talented Russian representatives at the film festival as filmmaker Michael Lockshin also attended. His debut feature film “Silver Skates” was the first Russian-language Netflix Originals film. The film also won Best Picture at the Golden Eagle Awards and Producers Guild Awards in 2020.
The international film festival has reached across the globe, gaining attention from foreign film stars in many genres. Past guests include Emmy-award winning director Daresha Kyi, Italian-Ghanaian filmmaker Fred Kuwornu, Bridgerton actress and filmmaker Daphne Di Cinto and documentary filmmaker Summer Minerva.
“Since its start, the festival has grown in length, size, and scope,” Dr. Cabot said. “It has stayed true to this central purpose of bringing people together and fostering a sense of community among speakers of many different languages.”
