Senior emerging media arts major Ella Benson’s film “Nesting” won Best Narrative Film at the inaugural Cinemorphia Animated Film Festival.
Billed as “the Midwest’s Most Surreal Film Festival,” the festival took place Feb. 21 in Kansas City, Kansas. The festival showcases the visionary talent of students who push the boundaries of art, storytelling and technology.
Associate Professor and Area Head of Emerging Media Arts Steve Kolbe said Benson is a talented artist.
“Ella is the type of student every faculty member wants in their program. Her talent is unmistakable, but it is her discipline and dedication that truly set her apart. Endlessly curious, exploring new techniques and experimenting without fear,” he said. “In her hands, skill and imagination work seamlessly together, turning ideas into stories. She crafts meaning, emotion and narrative into each scene she creates. She is personable and perceptive, connecting with others as naturally as she connects ideas and stories. Never content to stay comfortable, she continually learning, exploring, and pushing on her own boundaries.”
Kolbe said her growth is what makes her work so compelling.
“The fact that she can already demonstrate such skill and craftsmanship in her storytelling and animation makes what lies ahead of her all the more exciting,” he said. “I can’t wait to see what she creates next.”
The film, directed by Benson and Alexah Fort, was one of 15 films featured in the film festival.
The film has also been accepted into the Omaha Film Festival, where it will screen March 12 as part of the Shorts-Nebraska screening, and the Oneota Film Festival in Iowa, where it will screen March 7. It also screened in December at the Festival du Court Métrage de Loubens-Lauragais in France.
“Nesting” is the story of a scrappy city pigeon on the hunt for a place to call home. Weaving through shoes, dodging chaos, but never giving up on his dreams.
For more on the festival, visit https://cinemorphia.atlas9.com.