UNI hosts advanced screening of ‘Film Lounge’

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SOFIA LEGASPI, Campus Life Editor | [email protected]

Two members of the UNI community were recognized in an episode of “The Film Lounge,” an Iowa Public Television (IPTV) series that showcases work by Iowan artists and filmmakers.

The first episode of season three premiered on Sunday, Feb. 3 and featured “The Spaceman” by UNI senior digital media production major Tarrell Christie and “Proving Ground” by UNI art professor and art department head Jeffery Byrd.

Digital media students, faculty and supporters of the arts gathered at Lang Hall on Friday night, Feb. 1 at 6:30 p.m. for a red carpet social event with refreshments, followed by an advanced screening of the first two episodes of the new season. The watch party was hosted by the UNI Film Appreciation Club, the Department of Communication Studies and Cedar River Productions.

Christie’s “The Spaceman” follows a young African-American astronaut’s journey into a wormhole. Byrd’s “Proving Ground” portrays a Surrealist dream through performance art.

The screening featured eight other films varying in length, genre and subject matter. They ranged from a documentary about a local ballet company to a music video outlining the development of a relationship.

“Every new round of ‘The Film Lounge’ submissions renders new discoveries and surprises,” said the show’s executive producer Chuck Czech in a press release. “This season really demonstrates how film has found its way into different aspects of our lives.”

“The Film Lounge” is produced in partnership with Produce Iowa and the Iowa Arts Council under the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.

Iowa filmmakers interested in submitting their work for consideration may obtain more information at thefilmlounge.org. Submissions for season four are open from Feb. 1 to June 1, 2019.