Film and Video - Summer Films
The Summer Film Project, founded in 1995, brings students, faculty and industry professionals together on the production of a film. The preproduction and filming takes place in the summer session. The fall semester is devoted to postproduction where students complete the film and prepare for its premiere at a local movie theatre and enter it into film festivals across the country. See these award-winning films as well as the stories behind each production.
2022 - Unemployees
2021 - Thing from the Factory by the Field
2019 - Driftless
2018 - Inheritance
2017 - For the Birds
2016 - Lucky Jay: Season 2
2015 - The Lens
2014 - Lucky Jay
Set at a fictional college in the Midwest, Lucky Jay is a comedy series about assistant professor Dr. Jay Calder as he approaches his big tenure review.
Directed by Harper Philbin
Lucky Jay official site
Behind the scenes
2013 - The White Bag
Women over 50 are generally invisible in our society. The White Bag explores what happens when an elderly lady--tired of being ignored--stands up for herself.
Written and directed by Marie Ullrich
2012 - Realizism
Home foreclosure drives a sheltered suburban family into the thick of the urban jungle where a latter-day Robin Hood helps them uncover a vast land-grabbing scheme.
- Directed by Mitch Nyberg
2011 - Message Sent
A vagrant finds a cell phone full of emergency messages and is compelled to find the phone's rightful owner.
-Directed by Harper Philbin
2010 - Horizontal Accidents
A week in the life of the bargain-basement Adamac Funeral Home and the two modern-day grave robbers who work there. Screenplay by Tom Castillo. Based on the short story by Michael Salisbury.
-Produced by Kim Roberts
-Directed by Tom Seidman
2009 - The Darkroom
John, a divorced, old-school photographer, who has spent his life dedicated to the discipline of his darkroom and art of photography, finds himself fighting for his craft and ultimately his livelihood.
-Written and directed by Z. Eric Yang
2008 - Walter's Wife
Walter's Wife is a dark and highly visual tale about a crumbling marriage as seen from the perspective of a young boy. Written by GVSU student, Joshua Kinne. Several GVSU alumni play major roles in the production including director Andy Fortenbacher, '07; executive producer Jim Schaub, '93 & '00; producer John Otterbacher, '03 & '05, and director of photography Michael Bosman, '07.
-Directed by Andy Fortenbacher
2007 - To Live and Die in Dixie
To Live and Die in Dixie is the first feature-length motion picture ever produced by a university in Michigan. Winner of Best Thriller Feature at the 2008 Illinois International Film Festival and Best Feature at the 2009 Flint Film Festival.
-Directed by Harper Philbin
2006 - Story Time
Starring Janalee Keegstra. Written by Elizabeth Grant (2005 GVSU Screenplay Competition winner).
-Directed by Robert Hurst.
2005 - The Gospel According to Roy
The Gospel According to Roy: The Second Greatest Story Ever Told
- Directed by Harper Philbin
2004 - A Moment Of Grace
A young American doctor working in the midst of the Middle East conflict in a Palestinian refugee camp clinic risks her life to save the life of an unborn, premature baby.
- Directed by Alba Francesca
2003 - Flickering Blue
A lonely old man turns off his TV and ventures out on a walk through the city in an attempt to reconnect with people.
** Starring James Karen **
- Directed by Harper Philbi
Watch the behind the scenes video
2002 - The Freezer Jesus
- Written by John Dufresne
- Directed by Harper Philbin
2001 - The Lucas Files
- Directed by Harper Philbin
2000 - With You Always
- Directed by Harper Philbin
1999 - Survival of the Fattest
- Directed by Harper Philbin
1998 - My Life Among Gopis
- Directed by Harper Philbin
Other Departments
Art Education — Art History — Ceramics — Film & Video Production — Graphic Design — Illustration — Jewelry and Metalsmithing — Painting — Photography — Printmaking — Sculpture — Visual Studies