[SLOW DREAMY GUITAR SONG PLAYS] (Lauren) Hello and welcome to State of the Artz, a series dedicated to showcasing different art and cultural events happening here in Tucson and Southern Arizona.

I'm your host, Lauren Roth, and we're joining you from the Marshall Building on the U of A campus, where journalism and film students come to learn about all things in broadcast and film production.

At the end of every spring semester, everything that the senior film students have learned, created, and worked on culminates in the I Dream in Widescreen event.

This is where the students show their senior thesis films, all of which are written, directed, filmed, and edited by the students.

Their hard work is rewarded with seeing their projects on the big screen with a packed audience of their peers, family, friends, and judges who award filmmakers with cash prizes, free editing software subscriptions, and so much more.

I'm happy to be joined now by UA film professor and filmmaker, Lisanne Skyler and senior film student Preston Kersting to talk more about I Dream and Widescreen.

Thank you so much for speaking with me today.

(Preston) Thanks for joining us.

(Lauren) So I'd love to know a little bit more about I Dream in Widescreen.

How does it come about and give us a bit of an overview, especially from a professor and student perspective?

(Lisanne) So I Dream in Widescreen is the culminating screening event at the School of Theater, Film and Television at the University of Arizona.

And it's a tradition we've had now going on 19 years.

Every year we unveil the thesis films.

This year we have 13 thesis films of every genre imaginable, including some genres I think the students have invented.

Because it's been such a long tradition now in Tucson, at one point a local journalist dubbed it the Oscars of Tucson.

And that phrase kind of resonated with us because there was so much going on with this event behind the scenes.

(Lauren) So obviously this is a long process.

You said it's a culminating event.

How is it culminating for you Preston as a senior?

(Preston) I feel like as a student, I Dream in Widescreen is just like that pinnacle event that everybody's looking forward to from their freshman year.

Like as soon as you tour the school and on the first day of class, you like hear about this from a professor and you know in four years, like, that's gonna be me on stage.

And it's so nice being at the finish line now.

(Lauren) Share with us a little bit about your own script.

When did you start writing it?

So what's the timeline for you?

(Preston) All of our professors are definitely getting us to think of the future and always what comes next.

So we actually started the writing process and like pitching our junior year.

And a lot of us had time to work on our projects throughout the entire summer.

So that the first day of senior year, we were walking into class with a script in hand ready to get feedback from everyone.

My film is about some entry level recent graduates that are working in a marketing agency that is replacing them with AI.

(Lauren) And Lisanne, as a professor, obviously you have a specific role, but I'd love for you to share a bit about what that is when this is a student-focused event, of course.

(Lisanne) As the faculty, supervising the students in this process, that's a very multifaceted role.

First and foremost, my job is to represent the audience and make sure that whatever the students are trying to communicate, it's coming through, and so always keep that perspective.

But it's a very immersive and very collaborative experience, because by this point in their trajectory here, they've had all kinds of craft classes, they've made a few films, they've made documentary, they've made fiction, and so they're filmmakers.

We're treating them like professionals, and as a faculty, you have a lot of different roles.

You're post-production supervisor, you're executive producer, you're a shoulder to cry on if you need to, and you're really just trying to be right by their side helping them make the best film they can.

(Lauren) You mentioned that this could be considered the Oscars of Tucson.

(Lisanne) Well, a reporter said that and I agreed, but yeah.

(Lauren) Sure, but I'd love for you to speak of it to the place that I Dream in Widescreen has in our Tucson community.

(Lisanne) In our program we've always valued, you know, it's important to screen your work, you learn by watching an audience, but the more we develop the event we realize that it's very important for our community to see the work that's being created here.

Preston mentioned seeing this event as a freshman, but we have students that have been coming since they were little kids.

Coming as high school students just to see this event.

These opportunities to come together as a community and celebrate the arts and how they bring us together in conversation are just so critical.

And the films this year really are conversation starters.

(Lauren) For those of us who might be very new to I Dream in Widescreen as an event, can you speak to sort of who all is involved?

Obviously these are student-led films, but who else participates?

(Preston) The students definitely are the ones taking the charge on this.

We are the ones that are responsible for assembling our crews, getting the equipment.

Like, it's the entire package.

I think that's what makes this college so special because, like, you can get out of it whatever you put in.

The involvement of students ranges from, like, whatever their interests are.

I am the director, the writer, the editor, and the sound designer on my film, but I also had the opportunity to act in one of my classmates' films as well.

So I will be also on the screen at some point, too.

So it's really fun, like, definitely getting to wear all those different hats.

(Lisanne) One thing we really value in our program is collaboration.

And so as faculty, we try to help make those connections happen.

Our senior directors also work with producers on the producing program.

And then you have all the actors from the theater program, but not only just the actors, but the costume designers.

And so that's something we really just try to extend because it's an opportunity for everyone to practice their craft.

(Lauren) So obviously, I Dream in Widescreen will happen on May 4th at the Fox Theater.

Is that the end?

Everybody graduates and moves on?

(Lisanne) Well, I think it's the beginning.

It's a tremendous turning point for the students, and it's also the beginning of the public life of these films.

So most of that, many of them are going to go on to top festivals.

We've had a lot of festival success of late, so that's really exciting to see that they start here.

And so for our local audiences, it's really a chance to see these films early.

But also, I think it underscores, you talked about community before, and that just, again, it's something we value so strongly.

Our alums across theater and film, a lot of people come together for this event to celebrate the graduating class.

(Lauren) Well, congratulations.

Thank you so much for speaking with me, Lisanne and Preston.

We all look forward to going to see I Dream in Widescreen and getting a sneak peek at your film in particular.

(Preston) Thank you.

(Lauren) You can celebrate local cinema with popcorn, refreshments, and the beauty of the Fox Theater at the 19th edition of I Dream in Widescreen on May 4th.

Tickets are available online.

Thanks so much for joining me today on State of the Artz.

I'm Lauren Roth, and we will see you again next time.