Hobart and William Smith Colleges

1 April 2026 Media and Society Presents Senior Film Festival

Students in the Media and Society capstone host a film festival on April 6. 

On April 6, students in the Media and Society Senior Capstone present the “Senior Short Film Festival,” featuring a curated selection of short films spanning a range of genres, including romance, drama, sci-fi and musical. The event begins at 7 p.m. in the Fish Screening Room in the Gearan Center for the Performing Arts.

“Together, these films explore themes of diversity, adversity, identity and human connection,” Owen Harrod ’26 says. Harrod is one of the student organizers of the festival. “Each piece brings a unique storytelling style and perspective, creating a cohesive experience that highlights relatability and self-discovery.”

Additional student organizers include Eve Desjardins ’26, Tahj Jackson ’26, Marcus Peterson ’26, Katya Romaniuk ’26, John Solano Galindo ’26, Wyatt Tobin ’26 and Paige Wilson ’26.

Associate Professor of Media and Society Becca Burditt adds, “The students who curated, marketed, and organized the festival have worked hard to bring world-class cinema to the heart of campus. The skills that they've built over their time as MDSC majors are on full display in this festival."

The event represents the culmination of students’ semester-long capstone. Over the course of the semester, they worked collaboratively to plan, organize and execute every aspect of the festival, from film selection and curation to marketing and event production.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A and panel discussion with the student curators. 

Above: The 2025 Senior Short Film Festival in the Fish Screening Room.