A University of Evansville student-produced documentary, The Guatemala Project: A Habitat for Humanity Mission, was selected for Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival, an international online film festival. After an initial round of audience voting, the film advanced to the final round at #4.
The documentary was made by Brea Mullen and Amanda Ackerman, junior multimedia communication majors at the University of Evansville. The film was previously awarded a Student Emmy by the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
“This project has been such a blessing from the very beginning,” said Mullen. “From its planning phases to now, it has been such a wonderful journey of growth both personally and in terms of beginning a career in filmmaking.”
Each year, students travel the globe with UE’s Habitat for Humanity chapter. In May 2018, Mullen and Ackerman traveled to Guatemala with the group to document the experience and came out with a moving testimonial of life-changing aid that UE Changemakers are providing all over the world.
“This was a life-changing trip for me because I got to experience a new culture and people I had never met before,” Ackerman said. “I stand firmly behind Habitat for Humanity’s mission of changing the world in a positive way, which is something I would like to continue to be a part of for trips to come.”
“In times like these when everyone is so isolated, we can lean on film as a universal connector,” Mullen added. “Habitat for Humanity’s mission is all about creating positive change and helping it expand and flourish throughout the world. This project is infused with hope, gratitude, and growth, and our hope is that everyone who has been so generous enough to watch the film is filled with these positive emotions when the end credits roll.”
The Guatemala Project has advanced to a final round of judging along with nine other films. Network members and Lift-Off’s Official Judges will score the films based on multiple aspects. The film with the highest overall score wins and will be selected to form part of one of the live screenings at an upcoming Lift-Off Film Festival.
The Guatemala Project: A Habitat for Humanity Mission can be viewed on YouTube.
