Dafna Lemish
Youssef Osman, M.F.A., ‘10 had his film “Two Thousand and One Nights” premiere at the Cannes film festival this year. This was the world premiere for the film.
For more information about the première, visit this link:
http://www.shortfilmcorner.com/sfcfilm/filmFiche2.Aspx?id=53529564
Kate Balsley, M. F. A. ’09, had her short film “anima mundi” screened at the Cannes film festival this year as well. For more details about the short film visit this link:
http://www.shortfilmcorner.
My name is Lauren Selmon Roberts. Originally I am from Norman, Oklahoma and I am an M.F.A. candidate in Media Arts.
My background is in broadcast news. Now in the Master of Fine Arts program I really love combining the news world with the world of fine art.
My thesis project is a full-length documentary that was shot in Liberia, West Africa. It tells the story of one woman who saved the lives of over 250 kids during Liberia's war.
I initially found the M.F.A. program in a film school book and what drew my eye to it was that the M.F.A. program specifically has a three-year assistantship program for its students.
So when you compare it to similar programs across the country, it's very affordable.
One of the favorite classes that I've taken is a digital documentary class with professor Angela Aguayo.
In that class, it was really incredible because each student in the matter of a semester put their own documentary together and at the end of the semester we had a public screening where we invited the public to come and check out our work.
Because of my background in news, when I came to SIU I really wanted to stay involved with news and some on-camera work. So I got involved with River Region Evening Edition and did some volunteer reporting.
I also was the host for Scholastic Hi-Q, which is a game show that we have on campus here for high school students
Also, I was involved with the Big Muddy Film Festival. Two years, I served on the selection committee to see which films got into the festival.
For my assistantship, I helped out with documentary classes and some news courses.
It was really interesting to be a teacher, it was my first time doing that.
I had a fantastic time mentoring students through the creative sides of their news projects and their documentaries.
A few highlights of publicly showing my work: I showed one of my photo series' at the Mixed Roots Film and Literary Festival in Los Angeles, I presented some of my writing here on campus at the Global Media Research Center Conference, some research that I had done about the coverage that Africa receives here in the West.
In the future, I still want to combine my background in news with my newfound knowledge of fine art.
I'm going to be looking for some news jobs and some jobs that are more focused on long format work ... just sending my application out and seeing what doors open.
If you want to really learn how to think outside the box in experimental ways, alternative ways, ways that you don't think you've ever thought about before, I think this Masters of Fine Arts program will be a good fit for you because the professors here, at least for me taught me how to see things with a new lens, and by having my work critiqued by a diverse group of people day in and day out, it really teaches you to see what you make in a whole new way.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Award-winning and Emmy-nominated cinematographer and director James Chressanthis says he cannot emphasize enough that whatever career a person chooses, “It better be something you absolutely love.”
Chressanthis, who returns to Southern Illinois University Carbondale next week to share his work and creative insights with students, well remembers the moment more than 30 years ago while pursuing his Master of Fine Arts degree from SIUC when that sentiment hit home. Working as a part-time orderly at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, he was transporting a man dying of cancer to treatments and therapy when the man asked Chressanthis one day what he was studying.
Chressanthis said he was “making sculpture, painting and art,” to which the man replied, “I always wanted to do that …”
Chressanthis’ own affection is synonymous with success through a variety of mediums in more than two decades in studio motion pictures, television movies, drama series, and documentaries.
Chressanthis’ visit on campus, Wednesday, Jan. 19, through Friday, Jan. 21, will feature screenings and discussions of two of Chressanthis’ acclaimed films, “No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo and Vilmos,” and “Four Minutes.” There is also a mixed media photography exhibit by Chressanthis and his wife, Robin Becker, and a workshop with students in directing and cinematography courses.
Chressanthis and his wife earned their MFA degrees from the School of Art and Design in 1977. Robin Becker is unable to make this trip as she prepares for their concurrent art exhibition at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, Chressanthis said. The “Beyond the Image” exhibition of the couple’s work is available Jan. 18-28, in the Vergette Gallery. Chressanthis will discuss the exhibit from 3 to 5 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 19.
All of the lectures, screenings and discussions -- with the exception of the student workshop from 1 to 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21 -- are open to the public. The events are free, and supported by the University’s Student Fine Arts Activity Fee. Links
“We’re very pleased to have James Chressanthis returning to campus to share his expertise, his film work, and his photography with our students,” said Gary P. Kolb, dean of the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts. “He is a wonderfully talented individual with significant achievements in his career. The Master Class he will teach for our students will be an excellent opportunity for them to learn from a very accomplished professional.”
Walter C. Metz, professor and chair of the Department of Cinema and Photography, recalls meeting Chressanthis with Ronald Graves, the college’s constituency development officer, in August 2009 on the set of the critically acclaimed television drama, “Ghost Whisperer.” Chressanthis was director of photography and also directed some episodes in the series.
Chressanthis was “incredibly nice,” talking with Metz and Graves between shots, and gladly agreeing to visit with students, Metz said. Chressanthis’ expertise and insight will benefit students, Metz said.
Students will learn “what is going on in the industry right now,” and get a glimpse into what it’s like to be on sets that can have more than 100 people, he said. Metz also anticipates Chressanthis will discuss with students various lighting setups and directorial moves.
“It’s that kind of information that if students can get in the classroom then going and being on a set will not be that intimidating,” Metz said.
Chressanthis said he has always been interested in traditional art forms and “the most cutting-edge modern developments.” He had varied interests while at SIUC, noting, “The idea of multi-media and interdisciplinary work which we take for granted today was very new then.” Chressanthis was primarily doing cast bronze sculptures but also created installations and environments with them, what Chressanthis calls “psychological sets.” He was also learning traditional cinematography and editing, while also creating experimental film works and collaborating with dancer-choreographers in performance, he said.
Chressanthis said he had “terrific support” from his sculpture professor Thomas Walsh, and film professors Don Zirpola and Michael Covell. Covell “was really an inspiring filmmaker-teacher pushing us to learn both traditional film craft and test the boundaries of experimental cinema,” Chressanthis said. “It was a perfect training ground for a cinematographer, though I did not realize it at the time.”
Chressanthis’ documentary, “No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo and Vilmos,” which premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, is the story of cinematographers Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond, their escape from Hungary in the wake of the Soviet Union invasion, and their success in the United States. Kovacs and Zsigmond were two of Chressanthis’ teachers at the American Film Institute and made a deep impression on Chressanthis “both artistically and for their tremendous spirit and love of life,” he said.
Lauded in Variety and The New York Times, the documentary includes commentary from a wide range of actors, directors and cinematographers including Sandra Bullock, Peter Bogdanovich, Vittorio Storaro, Peter Fonda, Sharon Stone, and is one of the last film appearances of the late Dennis Hopper, Chressanthis said.
“They came out of revolution, without friend, family or country. They came to America and literally changed world cinema,” said Chressanthis, who apprenticed with Vilmos on “The Witches of Eastwick.”
“I don’t think it’s an accident that I have shot on an Oscar-winning picture and had the success I’ve had in film,” he said. “I felt it was my duty to capture and convey their spirit and the stunning achievements of their lives.”
The documentary has won awards and been screened as an official selection at more than 30 film festivals worldwide. The television version received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cultural Programming. At SIUC, Chressanthis will show his director’s cut.
Chressanthis’ other work includes the Emmy-nominated mini-series “Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows,” “Urban Legend,” and television movies “The Reagans,” “3: The Dale Earnhardt Story,” “The Music Man,” “Eloise at the Plaza,” and the 2001 “Brian’s Song.”
Chressanthis said he’s currently juggling several potential projects, from a large studio action feature to several new television dramas.
Having Chressanthis and Becker exhibit their work and the interaction with students “represents just one way that our alumni can give back to the institution and reconnect with their alma mater,” Kolb said.
“It’s always great to have alumni return and share their passion and knowledge with our students and faculty. It reminds us of what we do right, and we are very proud of them,” he said.
To learn more about Chressanthis’ work, visit http://chressanthis.com/; to learn more about Robin Becker’s work, visit http://www.robinbeckerartist.com/.
Chressanthis’ public schedule at SIUC:
Wednesday, Jan. 19
Thursday, Jan. 20
Permalink: http://news.siuc.edu/news/January11/011311par11006.html
My name is Lauren Selmon Roberts. Originally I am from Norman, Oklahoma and I am an M.F.A. candidate in Media Arts.
My background is in broadcast news. Now in the Master of Fine Arts program I really love combining the news world with the world of fine art.
My thesis project is a full-length documentary that was shot in Liberia, West Africa. It tells the story of one woman who saved the lives of over 250 kids during Liberia's war.
I initially found the M.F.A. program in a film school book and what drew my eye to it was that the M.F.A. program specifically has a three-year assistantship program for its students.
So when you compare it to similar programs across the country, it's very affordable.
One of the favorite classes that I've taken is a digital documentary class with professor Angela Aguayo.
In that class, it was really incredible because each student in the matter of a semester put their own documentary together and at the end of the semester we had a public screening where we invited the public to come and check out our work.
Because of my background in news, when I came to SIU I really wanted to stay involved with news and some on-camera work. So I got involved with River Region Evening Edition and did some volunteer reporting.
I also was the host for Scholastic Hi-Q, which is a game show that we have on campus here for high school students
Also, I was involved with the Big Muddy Film Festival. Two years, I served on the selection committee to see which films got into the festival.
For my assistantship, I helped out with documentary classes and some news courses.
It was really interesting to be a teacher, it was my first time doing that.
I had a fantastic time mentoring students through the creative sides of their news projects and their documentaries.
A few highlights of publicly showing my work: I showed one of my photo series' at the Mixed Roots Film and Literary Festival in Los Angeles, I presented some of my writing here on campus at the Global Media Research Center Conference, some research that I had done about the coverage that Africa receives here in the West.
In the future, I still want to combine my background in news with my newfound knowledge of fine art.
I'm going to be looking for some news jobs and some jobs that are more focused on long format work ... just sending my application out and seeing what doors open.
If you want to really learn how to think outside the box in experimental ways, alternative ways, ways that you don't think you've ever thought about before, I think this Masters of Fine Arts program will be a good fit for you because the professors here, at least for me taught me how to see things with a new lens, and by having my work critiqued by a diverse group of people day in and day out, it really teaches you to see what you make in a whole new way.
The interdisciplinary Master of Fine Arts degree provides substantial advanced study for a small number of talented individuals. The program emphasizes the artistic and intellectual development of the student and creation of quality artistic works in photography, film, video, sound and new media. Interdisciplinary media arts exploration is encouraged though students may opt to focus and refine their skills within one medium as well. Students learn to contextualize their work within appropriate contemporary thought and practice. Avaialble course work in studio production, criticism, theory, history and combined media studies emphasizes the interwoven character of traditional and contemporary approaches and technologies in the 21st century.
http://www.gradschool.siuc.edu/application.html
Contact the MCMA Graduate Studies office manager at: 618-453-3785 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The minimum 60 credit degree requires a common core, electives and 6 credit Final Creative Thesis.
Core:
Electives: (26 Credits)
Powerful changes in media and communication are sweeping the globe. From isolated villages to urban centers, humanity is enveloped in a web of images and information delivered by a variety of new media. The College of Mass Communication and Media Arts at Southern Illinois University is a diverse community of scholars and media makers aiming to influence the way people work, play, create and communicate together in this constantly evolving media landscape.
Our flexible, challenging, college-wide degree program emphasizes a global, cross-disciplinary approach, training critically aware, technically savy, professionals, artists and scholars for advanced careers in media.
PhD Mass Communication & Media Arts
MFA Interdisciplinary Media Arts: Cinema, Photography, Sonic Arts, New Media
MS Professional Media and Media Management Studies:
Media Management of Civil Society Organizations I Social Media Theory & Practice I Communication for Social Change I Alternative Media: Power & Resistance I Applied Research Methods
Contact the MCMA Graduate Studies office manager at: 618-453-3785 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Film Fridays at the Varsity -- Argentine-born filmmaker Lucrecia Martel's 2008 film, "The Headless Woman," is among the films featured this fall by Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Department of Cinema and Photography. "Film Fridays at the Varsity" will give the community a chance to see recent films by women directors and avant-garde works. The free film series, which starts Sept. 10, is also sponsored by the Varsity Center for the Arts and Film Alternatives, a registered student organization at SIUC. The films will be shown at the Varsity Center for the Arts, 418 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale.
CARBONDALE, IL -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale is launching a new film series, in conjunction with the Varsity Center for the Arts.
"Film Fridays at the Varsity" series begins next month and will focus on two themes -- recent works by women directors and avant-garde works. The film series will give the community a chance to see the types of films that do not make their way to movie theaters in Southern Illinois, said Susan Felleman, an associate professor of Cinema Studies and Women's Studies. Many of the films in the women directors' series had limited openings, such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. The avant-garde works, including many classics, are rarely screened at all.
Organizers are planning 11 screenings during the 2010-2011 academic year, including five screenings during the fall semester.
The Varsity Center for the Arts, 418 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, is hosting the screenings. SIUC's Department of Cinema and Photography and Film Alternatives, a registered student organization, also sponsor the screenings.
The screenings begin Friday, Sept. 10, with "The Beaches of Agns." Admission is free, and open to the public. The screenings are at 4 p.m., with an introduction by curators, followed by casual open discussion after the films.
"The thought is to enhance the film culture at the University and in the region," said Felleman, who will curate the "Recent Films Directed by Women" portion of the series. There is limited access in the region for independent films, and the centrally located Varsity Center for the Arts is a wonderful facility to showcase the films, she said.
The three features that Felleman will present this fall are "The Beaches of Agnes," directed by Agnes Varda; "The Headless Woman," directed by Lucrecia Martel; and "The Order of Myths," directed by Margaret Brown.
In addition, two second-year graduate students in the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts' Master of Fine Arts program will curate a series of avant-garde and experimental films. The films to be seen this fall focus on using materiality and place within films, said Deron Williams, who will curate those screenings with Derek Smith, another MFA student.
Each of those two screening events will feature several films that range in length from a few minutes to 35 to 40 minutes, Williams said. The works are from post-World War II to the present, he said. Among the film and video artists whose work will be seen are: Owen Land, Anthony McCall, Paul Sharits, Bill Viola, Marie Menken, Carolee Schneeman, and Ernie Gehr.
Additional information on the films and the schedule will be on the Cinema & Photography department website, http://cp.siu.edu/.
Highlighting the works of female filmmakers and the opportunities available to women is important, said Felleman. The college hosted its first "Girls Make Movies" weeklong residential camp in July, offering hands-on experience with filmmaking to high school aged girls.
Felleman notes the cinema and photography department is very strong in terms of women faculty and would like to recruit more female students.
"This is part of my ongoing effort to showcase the possibilities for women filmmakers," she said. "The six films that will be shown in the recent films directed by women series are all feature films and include a range of documentaries and fiction films. The one thing that unites them is that they are very, very strong films by women."
The fall "Film Fridays at the Varsity" schedule is:
Contact Felleman at 618/453-1485 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.
Source: http://news.siuc.edu/news/August10/082410par10116.html
Chicago native Martin Brief joins two other St. Louis artists, Sarah Frost and Cameron Fuller, in this year's Great Rivers Biennial, a main gallery show at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis. The exhibition will continue until August 8, 2010.
Brief's suite of twenty-eight new drawings, collectively titled Amazon God, appear at first glance to be seismographic in nature, the recording of tectonic shifts. In fact, they meticulously inventory the results of a search for "God" on Amazon.com. Brief records the thousands of book titles his search unearthed on scroll-like sheets of paper with a Rapidograph pen.
Martin Brief is presently an assistant professor at Saint Louis University and has shown in exhibitions around the world including New York, Paris, Zurich, Washington, D.C. and Chicago.
Great Rivers Biennial 2010 was sponsored by the Gateway Foundation.
Please find more information on the Great Rivers Biennial at: http://www.contemporarystl.org/current.php
Assistant Professor David R. Burns' creative research on memory and post-memory "Digital Media, Memories and Representation: Rebirth," was presented at International Society of Electronic Arts (ISEA) 2009 conference in Belfast, Ireland.  Burns' also screened his animation work, "Visit-US" at the International One Minute Film & Video Festival in Aarau Switzerland.
Dr. John Downing conducted a video interview via the Deep Dish TV network on the multiple terms used to define alternative media, shot at the July OurMedia conference near Medellin, Colombia.  The interview is online at the Deep Dish site, Waves of Change.   Downing also conducted an interview concerning his alternative media research by Patricia Wittenberg Cavalli, of the Federal University of Pernambuco, in the Brazilian Communication Studies journal FAMECOS.
Assistant Professor Sarah Lewison was nominated for the Louis Comfort Tiffany Award, a bi-annual award for artists whose work shows promise but who have not yet achieved widespread critical or commercial recognition.   Lewison collaborated with the Midwest collective Compass Group on "Region from Below: Power Plants," an installation at the Smart Museum in Chicago until January 17, as part the international exhibition "Heartland".
Associate Professor Jake Podber's book "The Electronic Front Porch" was awarded 3rd prize from the Appalachian Book of the Year Awards.
Graduate Student Achievements
MFA student Josh Gumiela presented a paper "Net Gain/Net Loss: the Googlization of Net Art in the Era of Neoliberalism" at the International Society of Electronic Arts 2009 conference in Belfast, Ireland.
MFA student Estefanía Martínez was selected to be a student volunteer at SIGGRAPH 2009 this year in New Orleans.
Individual degree handbooks may be downloaded above. These inlcude curricular requirements as well as policies and procedures for current MCMA Graduate Students.
The SIUC Graduate Catalog also contains univeristy policies and procedures which affect all SIUC graduate students, as well as a listing of courses.
SIU Foundation