Academy president seen in
a different light
Academy President James Dwight was recently honored for his film Shattered, which won "Best Dramatic Short" at the 8th annual Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival. President Dwight wrote, directed, and produced the short film as part of his Master's thesis for his M.F.A. degree from Columbia University. The gritty, stylish production was shot on the streets of New York City and was inspired by a Time magazine article about Bernard Getz, the vigilante "subway shooter" who made headlines in 1984. President Dwight received guidance on his project from Milos Foreman, who is a two-time Academy Award winning Director of "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" and "Amadeus." When making this film, President Dwight said his goal was "to do something both dramatic and cinematically interesting - and to avoid the pitfalls which plague most student productions...." Though produced prior to Mr. Dwight coming to work at FAA, this was the first time Shattered had been submitted into a film festival. When asked if filmmaking were something he would like to pursue in the future, President Dwight smiled and said, "While I certainly have a strong interest in film and several story ideas, I don't intent to give up my day job anytime soon...." Mr. Dwight enjoys teaching a narrative film class at FAA in addition to his duties as Academy President, a post he has held since 1991. |