College of Charleston Student Film Festival Turns 20
The 2025 lineup offers seven short films submitted by students across a variety of majors.
Above: Film Club students at the 2024 Student Film Festival
On Saturday, April 5, 2025, after more than six months of screenwriting, costume design, set building, editing, directing and acting, one film among the seven films submitted will emerge as winner of the 20th annual student film festival. The 2025 film lineup offers seven short films of different genres from horror to magical realism submitted by students across a variety of disciplines, from biology to studio art.
“It’s a major undertaking for the students who put it on,” says Colleen Glenn, director of film studies and faculty advisor to the film club, “and it is the flagship event of the year for the Film Studies program.”
Making a film is humbling. Students have to be creative, flexible and resilient. The most important quality, according to Caroline Drinnon, CofC Film Club president and a junior minoring in film studies, is courage.
“You start with this beautiful vision in your mind and work really hard to make it a reality,” Drinnon says. “You have to be courageous to sustain that vision even when you don’t have the tools or sometimes even the necessary skills needed. That’s why we have the film festival every year. To celebrate the work that goes into student filmmaking.”
The CofC Film Club is a student-run organization where students watch, analyze and produce films. Every fall the club holds a faculty judged screenwriting competition where students submit short film scripts. With the permission of the winner, film club members produce the film and then submit it to the annual student film festival.
“The students in the club are passionate about film and filmmaking and they enrich our campus through their many activities,” Glenn says. “Not only do they screen interesting films at their weekly meetings, but also they host workshops where students can learn the basics of screenwriting and filmmaking. They collaborate with other clubs on campus for special screenings, too. Their love for cinema is truly inspiring.”
This year marks the festival’s 20th anniversary, which is a testament to its enduring popularity among students and faculty. The festival is open to Trident Tech students enrolled in a film production program partially run by Tim Fennell, a former College of Charleston communications professor, who is returning in the fall to teach a class on documentary filmmaking. The festival kicks off with a red-carpet reception, followed by a screening of the winning film and a special moment to honor the graduating film studies students. Surrounded by friends and family, students get to enjoy this moment in the spotlight. They’ve earned it.
College of Charleston Film Club Presents the Student Film Festival
Saturday, April 5, 2025, 6-9 p.m.; Education Center, Room 118
To learn more about film club events and news, check out the film studies blog Reel News and follow them on Instagram at @cofc.filmclub.
