UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A documentary produced by Penn State sports journalism students has been chosen as an official selection for the Southampton International Film Festival in England.
The film, “Quiet Sundays,” focuses on passionate NFL fans in Great Britain. It was filmed on location during a 10-day working trip by students in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism, who covered two NFL games at Wembley Stadium in 2017.
“I'm ecstatic for the recent success of the film,” said Katie Kemmerer, the student director of “Quiet Sundays” and now an intern with the Kansas City Chiefs. “It's crazy to think that, a year ago, our process was just beginning. It's awesome to see people around the world connecting with ‘Quiet Sundays’ and the cast the same way we did.”
The Southampton International Film Festival, scheduled Oct. 17-21, has grown consistently since its inaugural year (2011) when it received nearly 400 entries, with representation from every continent. Festival organizers envision it becoming the United Kingdom’s largest international film festival, bringing with it the ability to start the UK’s international film market specializing in independent film.
“I’m elated that the Curley Center’s first step into documentary making has reached this level of recognition, and we look forward to more storytelling opportunities of this kind,” said John Affleck, the Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society and director of the Curley Center. He organized the project, collaborating with faculty director Boaz Dvir, an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism, and Pearl Gluck, an assistant professor in the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies.
Earlier this year, “Quiet Sundays” was honored as “Best Student Film” in a monthly competition sponsored by the Online Film Festival. It also has been nominated for Mid-Atlantic Emmy as a university student production.
“Overseas learning experiences tend to propel students’ growth and development,” Dvir said. “Last year in London and Oxford, our students performed like pros — and now their work is being presented in England in a highly professional setting.”
The Curley Center, created in 2003 and housed in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, explores issues and trends in sports journalism through instruction, outreach, programming and research. The Curley Center complements its core courses with an emphasis on internships and hand-on experience with broadcast, multimedia and print outlets as well as with league, sport and team publicity operations.