Audience members laughed, applauded and occasionally wiped away tears as MTSU film students premiered their capstone projects at the Keathley University Center Theater Thursday night.
The annual film capstone showcase highlighted a wide range of genres and styles — from dramatic comedies and crime thrillers to music videos and documentary-inspired projects — while celebrating the collaborative spirit behind the productions.
Before the screenings began, the capstone course professors described the projects as portfolio pieces students can use when pursuing careers after graduation. The showcase also came shortly after MTSU was named one of the top 10 film and video schools in the nation by the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts.
Many of the projects screened on Thursday were developed over months of writing, planning and production, with several filmmakers discussing their capstone processes with Sidelines earlier this semester.
Throughout the night, audience members reacted enthusiastically to each film, applauding during credits and responding emotionally to the stories on screen. Many of the filmmakers also worked on each other’s productions, creating an interconnected showcase where students frequently appeared in multiple credits across directing, cinematography, editing and production roles.
Senior filmmaking major Abbey Smith screened her capstone project during the event, a romantic comedy she had been developing since November.
“It felt very cathartic,” Smith said. “Seeing your work come to life, just kind of makes your brain stop working in a good way.”
Smith said the project included personal elements while still embracing the lighthearted, raunchy tone she wanted for the film. She also took several creative risks during production, including filming across multiple locations over three shooting days.
“Everyone here is so supportive,” Smith said. “They just want to celebrate you and your accomplishments.”
Smith said the collaborative nature of the showcase reflected the program’s culture, where students regularly help each other with their productions to gain experience and strengthen relationships.
“If you help me out, I’m gonna help you out,” Smith said. “This is my career, so obviously I just want to always be working.”
That collaboration extended beyond the student filmmakers themselves. Ed Nash, a SAG-AFTRA actor who played the lead role in Maximus Moncayo’s capstone film, “Countdown,” said he was surprised by the professionalism he encountered while working on the production.
“I wasn’t necessarily expecting a lot,” Nash said. “It was one of the best experiences I’ve had on a set, honestly.”
Nash said the emotional core of the script initially drew him to audition for the project after seeing a casting call for a student film.
“When a script feels real, to me, it makes it a lot easier to kind of channel that emotion,” Nash said.
Watching the completed film for the first time during the showcase added another layer to the experience, especially alongside a highly reactive audience.
“The audience was into everything,” Nash said. “They were absolutely enthusiastic, which is really cool to see.”
Watching the films alongside packed audience reactions gave Nash confidence in the future of the program and its students, he said.
“There are some very talented filmmakers coming out of this program,” Nash said. “That’s great to see.”
After the screenings concluded, the capstone students joined onstage for a brief Q&A before dispersing to celebrate their projects with audience members, actors and crew throughout the theater and lobby.
As conversations and congratulations continued late into the night, the showcase served as both a culmination of months — and, in some cases, years — of work and a sendoff for many graduating filmmakers.
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