(bright uptempo music) - Spy Hop's PitchNic showcases original short films by Utah's next generation of storytellers.

And joining us to talk about this one night only event and the powerful themes behind the student works are Jon Nelson and Munashe Tanjani.

Hi, welcome both.

- Hi.

- So lovely to have you.

- Hi.

- It's lovely to be here.

- So, Jon, let's start with you.

So tell us all what what we have in store this year.

- So right now, we have four films, two fiction, two nonfiction films, that the students have been working on all year from since last November, basically.

And, yeah, and all their hard work kinda premieres in November 6th at 7:00 PM.

Munashe, do you wanna tell them a little bit more about the films?

- Yeah, of course.

We've all been working really hard on these.

The first two nonfiction films, they're called "Bicycles," directed by Marilyn Heaner.

It's about two girls who go on a road trip and have to confront their relationship as best friends as they go into like a new phase of life.

The other nonfiction is called "Happy Thoughts."

- [Jon] It's not non-fiction.

- Ooh.

The other fiction.

(Jon chuckling) This is why, they're two similar guys.

Fiction, which is a narrative storytelling, they both wrote the script as well.

Thomas Pepper directed "Happy Thoughts."

It's about a Vietnamese-American family who experiences a suicide, and the brother has to work through that while he has a debate competition, talking about the effects of suicide.

And then the non-fiction, which is non-narrative, I was a part of one of them called "Whinnie."

It's about masking autism and trying to find community while discovering the true parts of yourself within the autistic experience.

And- - [Jon] "Unfortunate Son."

- "Unfortunate Son" is about Hispanic male youth who are choosing to enlist in the military, and just kind of their experiences making that choice and their family's experience with that choice.

- Wow, you've got, I mean, you explore so many great topics, and it's wonderful what you're all doing, so thank you so much for being here and telling us about it.

Thank you.

- Of course.

- And if you like to know more about what's coming up at this year's PitchNic, it will be November 6th at 7:00 PM at the Jeanne Wagner Theatre at Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.

Go to spyhop.org/event.

Spyhop.org/event.

(bright uptempo music) I'm Mary Dickson.

Thanks for watching "Contact."

(bright uptempo music continues) - Local events, arts, culture.

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Hi, I'm Mary Dickson.

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