In the burgeoning film hub that is Charlottesville, there are a number of outlets for members of the community to be exposed to the world of film. Especially in the wake of the Virginia Film Festival, which recently premiered more than 100 films to sold-out crowds over five days, there is truly no shortage of art being produced and appreciated by the local community. However, the driving force behind the student film scene in Charlottesville is the Filmmakers Society.
The Filmmakers Society, or FMS, is the University’s only filmmaking-based Contracted Independent Organization. The CIO provides students a creative voice to be shared on Grounds and beyond — its members care deeply about the importance of understanding, making and sharing film, not only as a form of media or entertainment, but as uniquely beautiful pieces of art.
The club hosts discussions with prominent figures in the film industry, coordinates classic movie screenings around Grounds and, most importantly, hopes to elevate the platform of independent student filmmakers at the University. The club meets weekly on the fourth floor of Newcomb Hall to work on their projects, hone their filmmaking skills and gain a greater appreciation of film and the film industry in a group setting. The projects are collaborative efforts, involving the input, review, and often direct production support of the club’s leaders as well as from peers within the organization.
Tasked with the immense responsibility of being the only filmmaking-oriented CIO on Grounds, FMS has undergone a myriad of changes in recent years. Currently led by John Barnes and Henry Pallatroni, club co-presidents and fourth-year College students, the organization has experienced a resurgence of support and enthusiasm as of late.
Barnes, now in his fourth year of involvement with FMS, said that he and the other club leaders took it upon themselves to revitalize and reinvent the club for a newer, wider body of students after noticing lower attendance numbers at club events and recognizing the need for such an organization on Grounds. The club gained a second wind with the goal of giving more practical experience to film students through its leaders dedicating more time and energy to meeting consistently and scheduling regular programming.
“It's been really rewarding just this year already, to see how many more people are attending, and how many more people are willing to step up and really make a lot of great events happen,” Barnes said.
A recent development that the club has introduced is their noteworthy speaker series. At meetings throughout the year, industry professionals speak to the group, discussing their role in the entertainment world, giving students a glimpse into the life of a few prospective careers. With speakers ranging from high-ranking officials at IMAX to programming heads at HBO, FMS has drawn in talented professionals from the film and entertainment industry to impart their wisdom onto the club.
This undertaking has largely been a direct product of Barnes and Pallatroni’s desire to revamp the club and provide more professional guidance to its members. Having experience working in the industry and drawing upon their own personal and professional connections, the club leaders seek to convey how truly vast and expansive jobs in and around film can be. Barnes himself has worked in a variety of different positions in and around film, including post-production work, film and television development and brand representation for industry-leading companies.
“There's so many different roles that you don't know about, from online, social media and especially in school, that you don't know you can pursue,” Barnes said. “Obviously, our main focus is filmmaking, but you can still be a filmmaker and work more of a traditional corporate film job, if that's something you're interested in.”
While those less familiar with the film industry may only think of directors, producers, writers and actors as part of a film crew, FMS has introduced its members to the wide world of jobs in the industry at all stages of production. From marketing to post-production officials, content curators to brand ambassadors, the film industry provides a myriad of opportunities for passionate, creative individuals — such as the members of FMS.
By combining firsthand industry expertise with a comprehensive view of the flexibility and opportunity that the film industry provides, FMS blends the best aspects of the professional and creative organizations on Grounds to create a truly unique CIO.
The speaker series is just one of the many initiatives the organization has promoted as a part of its recent resurgence. The club also works to teach students filmmaking techniques in a practical sense, applying the skills they learn in club meetings to create more advanced, stronger pieces of art.
For example, by utilizing the tools found in the Robertson Media Center and the Digital Media Lab located in Clemons Library, FMS takes full advantage of the wealth of resources and opportunities for up-and-coming creatives to make and develop their projects. From camera equipment to video editing software, the University provides a centralized location for FMS members to apply the techniques they learned in the club to their own films.
The club is not solely made up of students interested in pursuing film, either academically or professionally, however. In fact, it is quite the opposite according to third-year Engineering student Ansh Pathapadu who intends to double major in computer science and studio art with a concentration in film.
“FMS is not just for filmmakers necessarily,” Pathapadu said. “Even though that's what it's called, it's just for people who are interested in any aspect of film, so that they can hop on a project and do the role that they want to do.”
By drawing students from all disciplines, every school on Grounds and any particular interest or level of experience, FMS offers an interdisciplinary club experience that makes for a diversely creative body of members.
One of the most exciting projects that FMS is taking on this year is the group’s effort to bring back the Student Film Festival on Grounds, an event previously focused on showcasing the films made by students at the University. For the first time since 2017, the organization is seeking to revive this initiative in order to elevate the creative perspectives and works of passionate students of the craft.
The Student Film Festival committee, headed by Pathapadu, is currently working as a division of the overall club. The committee leaders are focused on securing funding and programming for the event, with a tentative premiere in the spring of 2025. Reviving such an event is no small feat, but the club is well-organized and dedicated to bringing this dream back to life.
This spring’s festival is primed to be an event that transcends the University. Pathapadu hopes to incorporate films made by student filmmakers from around the country into the festival and is looking to host the event at one of Charlottesville’s significant movie theater locations to provide filmmakers a wider platform upon which to share their art and creative voice with the world.
“It's a very ambitious thing,” Pathapadu said. “We don't know how many [films] we're gonna get. But my mindset when I'm leading these types of passion projects is, I would rather shoot super high and then fall rather than settling for less.”
The passionate blend of creativity, entrepreneurship and professional development makes FMS a truly singular CIO on Grounds. Combining the logistical, business side of film with the creative, technical side is a massive undertaking for a single organization, but each member of the club is up to the task. And, by sharing each member’s creative vision with a larger community, be it the club, the University, or the city of Charlottesville and beyond, FMS is a wholly practical, results-driven group as well. FMS has established itself as a rising star among the CIOs on Grounds, with more to come in the future.
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