The University of Arizona’s School of Theatre, Film & Television will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its annual student film showcase, “I Dream in Widescreen,” on Saturday, May 10, at the Fox Tucson Theatre, where 13 senior thesis films will debut on the big screen.
For graduating senior Madison Hernandez, the night marks both the end of a journey and the start of a new chapter.
Her film “Blush’n,” one of the featured selections, dives into the complex dynamics of fame, performance and authenticity.
“I moved to Tucson when I was about 9 and so I’ve always heard about the ‘I Dream in Widescreen’ event,” Hernandez said. “It’s honestly something that I’ve been looking forward to, not really knowing as a freshman if I’d have this premiere or not. The 20th anniversary is kinda just the cherry on top.”
Hernandez’s film follows Celina Martinez, a journalist who investigates rising pop star Skye Rivers. What starts as a simple profile quickly becomes a deeper exploration into identity, image and media manipulation.
“For me, I think what drew me to it was that I was interested in the nature of celebrities and how journalists kinda have that immediate access,” she said. “They can be part of that rare world … creating them and also taking them away.”
Melanie Moreno, a ’22 BA theatre arts major, plays journalist Celina Martinez in Blush’n.
Hernandez approached her film with a strong sense of visual storytelling, emphasizing contrast and aesthetics to support the film’s themes.
“During production, I would say that one thing I focused heavily on was the contrast between both characters,” she said. “I really emphasized to production that I want pink, as much pink as possible.”
Her creative direction extended beyond visuals and into sound, where she saw music as a crucial element in building authenticity around her fictional celebrity, Skye Rivers.
To bring that vision to life, Hernandez collaborated with local musician Victor Ramirez, a connection she made through a professor at Pima Community College.
“I knew that having a song was really important for my film, just to establish the believability of the celebrity, especially when creating Skye Rivers,” she said.
Meghan Gray, a senior BFA musical theater major, plays pop star Skye Rivers in Blush’n.
The creative process began last August, when seniors pitched their film ideas. Production followed in November, and Hernandez shot her film over three days. Now, months later, she’s reflecting on the growth the project has inspired.
“This whole year has taught me exactly what I want to do and what I want to say as a filmmaker going forward,” she said. “More than ever, it’s made me fall more in love with filmmaking.”
Other films in Saturday’s showcase include: “Parallel Lines” by Neylani Castro; “Play Pretend” by Jordan Fouts; Xander Maniece’s “The World We Live In”; “Universe Academy” from Daniel Cadena; “Even Now” from Cosmo Brusa Zappellini; Bennett Smith’s “Playing It Ghoul”; “No One Can Hear You For Miles” from Allie Cincera; “People For Paws” by Cody Rivera; Alek Mendez’s “The Grit of It All”; “Pizza Guy Returns” by Philip D. Summers; and “The Glass Planet” by Gaël Baup.
Each film featured in “I Dream in Widescreen” will compete for jury prizes awarded by a panel of industry professionals, including Christine Vachon, producer of the Oscar-nominated film “Past Lives”; Savannah Abrishamchian, development coordinator at Monkeypaw Productions; and Jeff Yanc, program director at The Loft Cinema. Awards range from cash prizes to practical tools to support students as they take their first steps into the film industry.
“I Dream in Widescreen” takes place at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Fox, 17 W. Congress St. General admission is $5 through idiw.tftv.arizona.edu.
Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism
