RSO in the spotlight: Film Society promotes cinema appreciation
Film teeters on the edge of a tech-savvy world, seemingly outdone by competitors like HBO, video-on-demand and Netflix.
CMU's own Film Society is a testament to the creation, appreciation and production of film.
The Film Society is a student organization that practices the appreciation, filming and viewing of movies of a wide variety, including local films, films shot by CMU students and Film Society members, as well as films that have appeared on the silver screen.
The Central Michigan International Film Festival takes place in the spring, and centers on the presentation of international films. In the past, they have run films from France, Mexico and Africa, including films from the United States. According to group president Davis Nixon, the purpose of the CMIFF, and the film society, is to "Educate people through film-whether that be culturally, historically, technically or artistically."
"We pride ourselves in being both an escape from school, and a way for the students to learn without the hassle of deadlines and grades," Nixon said.
The group has been at CMU for thirteen years, and has hosted the CMIFF since the early 2000s.
Already, The Film Society is planning ahead for its future film festivals, including its involvement in the 48-hour film festival with CMU's National Broadcasting Society and The CMIFF they run in February. The 48-Hour Film Festival is a competition that allows students to experience hands-on filmmaking, becoming both an exhilarating, as well as fun, project for any student interested in filmmaking.
"This year, we're trying to get more involved in production," says Deanna Johnson, the group's secretary.
Usually, the group spends their meetings watching films that they are considering including in their festivals. After watching, they discuss the film as a whole, including reasons people might be drawn to the film and reasons the film might be disliked or unpopular.
Last year, the group took a trip to the Chicago International Film Festival, paid for predominantly by CMU's BCA department.
The organization meets Thursdays at 7p.m. at Moore. Room number has not been specified yet. Anyone is welcome to come, especially if they enjoy watching and discussing movies.
The CMIFF will be held February 5-8 and 12-15. All information will be posted to cmiff.com as it comes. This is the first year that the festival will be planned and run by students without faculty assistance.
If interested, the group can be reached at cmufilmsociety@gmail.com.
