THIBODAUX, La. — A Nicholls State University student’s documentary will debut at the 31st Annual New Orleans Film Festival.
The film festival will screen Andrew Liang’s 12-minute film, “Under the Knife: Overcoming Boundaries,” in the Louisiana short film category. The documentary is about Chef John Folse Culinary Institute student Blake Bodwin. Bodwin is legally blind, a double lung transplant recipient and has cystic fibrosis.
“It is an honor to be selected by the New Orleans Film Festival, but I didn’t do this to place, I did this for my friend,” the interdisciplinary studies major from Destrehan said. “What Blake has been able to do is a huge feat for anyone to accomplish.”
He made the film for his short documentary production course in the film studies concentration of the English program.
“When I came here, I only had filmmaking as a hobby, but this class really makes you realize if this is something you want to do or not,” Liang said. “I would encourage everyone to take this course if you want to learn about filmmaking. It really does push your ability.”
Department of Languages and Literature assistant professor Melissa Remark, who teaches the short documentary production course, said this is a great opportunity for Liang. Remark had a film, “Riverbend,” debut at the festival in 2018, so she can imagine the doors this could open for him in the industry.
“Not only does he have exceptional technical skills, but he has a strong natural instinct for visual storytelling as well. The documentary just flows and it’s interesting from the first frame to the last note,” she said. “It’s not easy, but Andrew makes it look easy.”
The film is eligible for several awards and will show at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, and Wednesday, Nov. 11. Both showings are at the NOFF Open Air Cinema on Lafitte Greenway.
Tickets will be available through neworleansfilmsociety.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 23, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Jacob Batte, Media Relations and Publications Coordinator, 985.448.4141 or jacob.batte@nicholls.edu
