Red Carpet Night for SUU Filmmakers

The Department of Filmmaking, Art, and Design at Southern Utah University invites the community to celebrate the Second Annual BFA Thesis Film Screening on April 22, 2026, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the SUU Auditorium Theatre. This free event highlights the culminating work of the program’s graduating seniors and offers an evening of film, fashion, and celebration. Black tie or formal attire is encouraged.

The evening begins with a red-carpet experience from 5-6:00 p.m., where attendees can enjoy photo opportunities and step into the excitement of a film premiere. The thesis film screenings will follow from 6-7:30 p.m., showcasing six original works developed over an intensive, year-long production process. An awards ceremony will take place from 7:30-8:00 p.m., recognizing excellence in performance, directing, cinematography, and more. The night will conclude with an afterparty from 8-9:00 p.m., featuring food, music, and additional photo opportunities.

This year’s showcase represents the second graduating cohort of SUU’s Filmmaking program, featuring films that explore themes of desire, regret, and release. Each project reflects the collaborative and demanding nature of filmmaking, from early script development and pre-production planning to filming and post-production refinement.

The films to be screened include Bloom, directed by Orlando Grayson; Fall of a Songbird, written and directed by Jack Matthews; 15 Minutes of Fame, written and directed by Carter Tai Walker; The Last Stand, written and directed by Claire Jensen; The Paralian, written and directed by Brady Stromberg; and Stardust, written and directed by Anne Hacker.

A distinguished grand jury panel—Corbin Allred, Jan Broberg, Ben Hurst, and Joey Zhao—will present awards including Outstanding Performance by an Actor and Actress in Leading Roles, Outstanding Cinematography, Outstanding Original Screenplay, Outstanding Directing, the Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding Thesis Film, and the Audience Choice Award.

Trailers for the films have been featured as part of Volonté: 2026 Senior BFA Exhibition at Southern Utah Museum of Art, offering a preview of the compelling stories audiences will experience during the screening.

“For all of us, this night represents the culmination of over a year of work,” said graduating senior Orlando Grayson. “It’s a great feeling to see everyone’s projects come full circle. Not everyone realizes how long it takes—months of writing and fundraising, half a year in pre-production, weeks of filming, and then another six months of post-production. It’s very exciting to see everyone’s work come together.”

This year’s BFA Thesis Film Screening will be a night to remember! Please come and celebrate the work of the future of Filmmaking. To learn more about the Filmmaking program at Southern Utah University, please visit go.suu.edu/suufilmmaking. 

 

About the College of Performing and Visual Arts

The College of Performing and Visual Arts (CPVA) at Southern Utah University comprises 41 academic programs including liberal arts (BA/BS) and professional (BFA, BM, BMEd) degrees in art, design, dance, filmmaking, music, and theatre. It includes graduate programs in the fields of arts administration (MFA, MA), music education (MME), and music technology (MM). More than 60 full-time faculty and staff are engaged in teaching and mentoring over 900 majors in the College. CPVA presents over 100 performances, lectures, presentations, and exhibitions each year which are complemented by the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA) and Shakespeare Studies at SUU, and is affiliated with the Tony award-winning Utah Shakespeare Festival (USF). Southern Utah University is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD), National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), and the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) making SUU the first public university in the state of Utah to be accredited by all four associations. For more information about the College of Performing and Visual Arts, visit www.suu.edu/pva.

Tags: Filmmaking Filmmaking Art and Design Graduation Community College of Performing and Visual Arts

Contact Information

Kol Gibson
435-865-8667
kolgibson@suu.edu