The Southern Reel Student Film Showcase is in its third year, and Assistant Professor of Film, Matthew Herbertz, decided to move the festival to a live streaming experience just like many of the other festivals across the country are doing.

The Southern Reel Student Film Showcase is for Florida Southern College students only, and it screens some of the best film work from all students whether or not they study film. The films are extremely diverse, from animation, experimental, narrative, documentary, found footage films, and films that were made completely using screen recording.
 
The past two years, The Southern Reel Student Film Showcase has hosted more than 100 guests at the Polk Museum of Art.
 
Watch the full event here.
 
“When we had to cancel in-person classes, students were deep in preproduction for narrative films. This caused us to brainstorm and have the students get creative on what content they could make for class, but also for the showcase, to show Lakeland and the world what our brand-new program has to offer.”
 
We are finishing the FIRST year of the BFA film major, and the growth I’ve seen since I’ve arrived is astonishing. When I arrived, film was just a concentration within the Communication department. I wrote the entire curriculum and built the Film Major in two years to its inaugural year. I’m so proud of the students and in debt to those who laid the groundwork when it was just a concentration.” – Assistant Professor of Film, Matthew Herbertz
 
Enjoy the livestream version of the 2020 Southern Reel Student Film Showcase, here.
 
Award-winning cinematographer Judy Phu attended the showcase to judge the films. Her work has screened at Sundance, Tribeca, TIFF, and on HBO. She will award:
 
1. Best Overall | OLD MAN PLANET
 
2. Best Editing | IN THE 50’S
 
3. Best Cinematography | DISRUPTORS
 
4. Honorable Mention (Judges Choice) | PHOSPHORESCENCE 
 
5. “Spirit of the Showcase” presented by Professor Matthew Herbertz | JUNIOR ANGELO GRAJO
 
An award that exemplifies the spirit of what it means to be a filmmaker at Florida Southern: Passionate, Positive, Loving, Kind, Hardworking, Collaborative, Supportive, and a drive to be the very best.
 
To learn more about the Florida Southern Film Program, visit www.flsouthern.edu.