NW Valley Times

Grand Canyon University (GCU) students recently attended the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The group of eleven students participated in this prestigious event after winning the College of Arts and Media's fall Film Festival and spring PitchFest, with sponsorship from the Bridges/Larson Foundation.

Lisa Tervo, GCU Film Chair, emphasized to students that their experience at Sundance would be directly related to their level of engagement. Senior Aldric Galicia expressed his excitement about attending the festival: “I didn’t know what Sundance was until last year... The opportunity meant a lot.” Galicia took advantage of networking opportunities with established filmmakers during various workshops.

The weeklong trip provided students with exposure to a wide range of films and insights into managing the competitive film industry. Annaleigh Niedzielski, a 2024 film graduate, noted that impactful films are those that resonate universally: “Filmmaking is an art, and you want art to resonate with everyone in some way.”

The festival included participation in the Windrider Summit, co-founded by Dr. Craig Detweiler, Dean of GCU’s College of Arts and Media. This summit focused on approaching films from a Christian perspective while encouraging collaboration across different beliefs. Tervo highlighted this approach: "They want to show students how to work with professionals from different backgrounds."

Students also explored Park City alongside Dr. Detweiler and Lisa Tervo between festival events. Kennedy Beckius recounted an unexpected networking encounter: “I ran into this lady who asked if she could help me find a medic... it turned out she was a Sundance board member.”

Tervo encouraged students not to miss any chance for conversation during informal moments like waiting in line for coffee: “Chances are when you are waiting in line for coffee, the person in front of you loves movies or is in the industry.”

Overall, attending Sundance offered GCU students valuable experiences in networking and professional growth within the film industry.