Defying Coronavirus, but not executive orders, two major College of Arts & Media (CAM) events are moving online and not allowing social-distancing to keep students from not just sharing their achievements––but celebrating them, too.

Cinefest– Honoring graduates’ capstone work

Cinefest, the annual festival honoring the graduating Film & Television cohort and showcasing top films, series, and productions, will move to an online event.  The event is usually a formal awards show, in the Auraria Campus’s Rawls Theatre, complete with Oscar-style pomp. While postponing the in-person festival to the fall might preserve the pageantry of Cinefest, making sure seniors are properly honored after years of dedication to their films is foremost––considering many have plans to follow career pursuits outside of Denver after graduation.

"We are so proud of our senior class and want to showcase the work they have been developing during their BFA experience,” says Jessica McGaugh, acting chair of Film & Television. Our graduates are starting careers in an incredibly uncertain time, and we want to create a positive community event to support them as they move forward. One thing IS certain: our seniors rock!”

The show will take place on YouTube, hosted by Film & Television faculty Kent Homchick, who along with other faculty have spent four years not just as instructors, but as mentors and advisors on their film projects. These senior capstone films are officially two semesters in the making but years in commitment to learning the art and process.

Guilty– CAM’s juried art show and opening celebration

The Emmanuel Art Gallery, which is an anchor of student and Denver’s creative activity, recognizes the gallery’s role as a community institution––especially during times of uncertainty. The annual juried student show, Guilty, has moved online acknowledging the importance of art, student creativity, and idea exchange in this new climate.

The exhibition, which will be viewed on the Emmanuel Art Gallery Website (emmanuelgallery.org), will even kick-off with an opening reception live on Zoom. For many CAM students, this will mark their first acceptance into a juried show. The Zoom celebration will include congratulatory remarks from Dean Laurence Kaptain, and comments and interpretations from the exhibition jurors, Lauren Thompson and Ann Lambson of the Denver Art Museum. The virtual gathering will also open to discussion about the exhibition, which reflects the ideas and questions of some of Colorado's brightest emerging artists. Prior to the show, CAM Music & Entertainment Industries senior, Alana Margolis will perform live on CAM’s Instagram handle @EmmanuelGallery

“During troubled times like these, art is more important than ever, as artists have the ability to help us develop empathy and compassion, seeing the world from another's perspective,” says gallery director Jeff Lambson.  “Continuing the tradition of our annual exhibition Guilty underscores the university's commitment to the arts and the critical role artists play in our campus, state, and global community.”

Cinefest can be view online Friday, May 15^, 2020 at 7:00PM at: https://bit.ly/Cinefest2020 Current students, prospective students, parents, and the CAM community are invited to view the work of Film & Television and celebrate the Class of 2020.

Guilty is open from May 5–June 6, 2020 at: emmanuelgallery.org
To attend the opening reception May 5, 2020 at 5pm on Zoom, please email: emmanuelgallery@ucdenver.edu
Pre-Reception Performance by I Alana Margolis of Sister Neapolitan at 4:30pm on lnstagram Live: @emmanuelgallery