A clip from "Bygone Vanity," a short animation film created by Luke Johnson.
A film created by junior Animation and Illustration major Luke Johnson has been screened at the Ridgeway Off-Kilter Film Festival.
“Bygone Vanity” was among 14 animated shorts presented at the festival that is geared to unusual independent artful films and was held at the Stone Circle Theater, Queens, NY. Mr. Johnson, of Syracuse, NY, attended the screening and participated in a question-and-answer session with other filmmakers.
It’s quite an honor, especially for a student, to have a film accepted at any festival from among hundreds of entries submitted, said Visual Arts and New Media Assistant Professor Abbey Paccia. “Finding a festival that is a good fit for your work and to be able to share it with an audience is great.”
Bringing together a dynamic community of filmmakers and film enthusiasts in celebration of weird cinema and uniquely crafted stories is the mission of the two-year-old festival.
A prolific filmmaker, Johnson already has a vast body of work that most students don’t have, Ms. Paccia noted. “He has a really distinct artistic voice.”
Johnson said the film was made to experiment with a lot of mixed media, and features characters made out of clay or Post-it notes and includes some live action and layering. The storyline involves three characters, two of whom are involved in a physical alteration, and a scientist who is an observer.
“He makes things that are personal to him, actually drawing from life experiences, and really specific emotions that he’s feeling and witnessing,” Paccia said in describing films Johnson has made. “They aren’t always directly represented but come through in symbol and tone.”
Paccia describes Johnson as a dedicated illustrator and filmmaker who has already produced over 240 illustrations and six short films during his time at Fredonia. “He collaborates with other artists including several SUNY Fredonia students and currently has another two films and a video game in progress,” Paccia said. He is currently enrolled in ARTS 495: Independent Studio Projects, supervised by Paccia.
Johnson completed “Bygone Vanity” as an independent project at the end of the Spring 2024 semester, and he’s already submitted it to several other film festivals.
Pursuing a career wholly focused on creating art is Johnson’s goal.
Johnson’s film is part of a Department of Visual Arts and New Media student group show, “Summer Pics & Flicks,” that can be viewed at the Michael C. Rockefeller Arts Center’s Emmitt Christian Gallery through Thursday, Oct. 3, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. His work is also online here and on Instagram @ostrichmower.
