Lux Mea Film Festival: It all comes down to storytelling

Grove City College’s Lux Mea Film Festival returns to campus at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 12 in the historic Crawford Hall Auditorium.

The festival, now in its fifth year, features original short films made by Grove City College students that highlight redemptive storytelling and spiritual truths.

Produced by Professor of Communications and Visual Arts Gregory Bandy’s Special Events and Promotions class, the festival provides an opportunity for students to learn by doing, both in “putting on a show” and making cinematic art.

At its core, Lux Mea has always been about telling stories that shine a light on the human experience and guide viewers toward truth. “From the very beginning, storytelling has been about darkness versus light,” Bandy said in reference to the festival’s name – also Grove City College’s motto – which translates from the Latin to “My light.”

“My primary goal with the festival is to help develop better storytellers. Let’s just say, it’s been a textured journey at times, but incredibly valuable,” he said. “We are thrilled to be celebrating our fifth film festival this year. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the quality of the narratives and production values just continue to go up each year. But it’s an imperfect process. Students learn from success and mistakes.”

Special Events and Promotions students create a “red carpet” experience for attendees, including a gala reception following the screening in the atrium of the Staley Hall of Arts and Letters on campus. Décor, additional photo opportunities, and a VIP floor provide a perfect setting to connect with the filmmakers and celebrate the creativity and passion behind the festival.

In addition to the campus community, Bandy said the Grove City community has been incredibly supportive. Attendance has grown from about 350 in the festival’s first year to last year’s record crowd of 900. Organizers are hoping to draw 1,000 to this year’s edition.

Bandy, who organized his first student film festival 20 years ago, said this year’s submissions are some of the best he has ever seen.

“We have had some real filmmaking rock stars at GCC,” he said. “I contend that filmmaking is one of the most quintessential liberal arts educational experiences. Writing, music, theater, technology, budgeting, problem-solving, time and people management – it’s all part of filmmaking.”

This year’s local Lux Mea Film Festival sponsors include Confluence Financial Partners, Wendell August Forge, Howe Company, Bonner Realty, McNickle and Bonner, LLP, and Bookends Bookstore.

For more about the Lux Mea Film Festival, visit luxmeafilmfestival.com. Tickets are $5 in advance, $7 at the festival. For tickets, visit Eventbrite.

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