Lights, Camera, Ransom Everglades! Film Fest returns to RE

In Screenwriting, Dr. Rhyner guided students through the creative and technical demands of writing for the screen. This course has been part of the RE curriculum for close to a decade and has produced many alumni in the film industry including Noah Meltzer '16 and Victoria Mejia '20. As part of the course, students analyzed the genre of screenwriting, studying the structure, pacing, and dialogue of professional scripts. They then planned their own feature film ideas, preparing pitch decks, character sketch and plot outlines, and screenplay excerpts before pivoting to collaborative short film projects. Over the course of the fall and spring semesters, eight groups of students pitched, wrote, directed, filmed, and edited original short films in small production teams, gaining hands-on experience with the full lifecycle of cinematic storytelling.

Meanwhile, in Estudio de Cine, Dr. Lehr and Dr. Marques invited students to immerse themselves in the world of Spanish-language film. Through analysis of works from Spain and Latin America, students examined how cinema reflects cultural and historical contexts. Inspired by these studies, students created their own original short films, exploring a variety of genres, while incorporating their language skills.

These ambitious creative efforts culminated in Ransom Everglades’ second inaugural RE Film Festival on April 29 in the Posner Lecture Hall. Films from both classes were screened for a community audience, and a panel of judges (faculty members Julia Clarke, Jorge Guzman, Alfredo Palacio, Thor Andreassen '17, Jenny Carson '03 and Christina Iglesias) selected How Are They? by Lexi Barna '25, Jaerla Sajous '25, Egyptia Green '25 and Mackensie Wolfson '25 as Best Screenwriting Film.

See full results from this celebration of student storytelling, creativity and collaboration below.

“These courses give students a chance to merge problem solving and creativity, to tell stories that reflect their voices, their ideas, and their sense of the world," Rhyner said. "It’s thrilling to watch them bring their visions to life.”

Film Fest Winners

• Best Screenwriting Film: How Are They? by Lexi Barna '25, Jaerla Sajous '25, Egyptia Green '25, Mackensie Wolfson '25
• Second place: The Audition by Griffin Nelson-Montet '25, Mikey Day '25, Paloma Lopes '25, Tager Lehr '25
• Third Place: Deep Dive by Eric Whited '25, Finn Falk '25
• Best Estudios de Cine Film: Entre años y ollas by Lucia Corrochano '26, J.J. Jacir '27, Daniela Garcia '26
• Second place: Carrito veloz by Mateo Bernal '27, Mateo Sauceda '26, Olivia Michelsen '26
• Third place: Soy yo by Sirja Jõeveer '25, Joanna Jimenez–Cabanillas '25, Ava McAliley '26
• Screenwriting Finalist for exceptional original script and cinematography: Going Up by Gavin Heller '25, Ethan Thomas '25, Connor Gumbs '25, Reid Rosenberg '25
• Estudios de Cine Finalist (film trailer): El cazador by Ale Andrade '25, Camila Bercum '27, Miranda Silva '26