Students

The FMC meets with the chair and other members of the department to discuss the curriculum and related issues of mutual interest, as well as to plan faculty-student social events. Majors committees also interview candidates for faculty positions when they are brought to campus and report their assessment to the department chair.

Programming Chair 

The Programming Co-Chairs plan social and academic events for the Film Department. They work closely alongside the Treasurer, Communications Chair, Student Advocacy Chair, and Chair of the Film Department to ensure these events run smoothly and are relevant to students and professors alike.

Current Co-Chair: Levent Kucuk (lkucuk@vassar.edu)

Levent (he/him) is a sophomore Film major with a correlate in Philosophy. His production experience includes directing multiple short films, assisting on professional sets, and collaborating on NYU productions. He has received awards at various film festivals, including Official Selection at the All American High School Film Festival. He composes original scores for both his own films and those of others. Outside of film, he is interested in music, fitness, creative writing, and nature. He is enthusiastic to work with the other committee members to plan various events and attract more students to the Film Department.

Student and Community Engagement

The Student and Community Engagement Chair serves as the primary bridge between Film majors and correlates and the Film Department. They liaise with both groups to provide relevant feedback to the department about student needs and help students find department resources.

Current Co-Chair: Madison Powell, Class of 2023 (mdpowell@vassar.edu)

Madison (she/her) is a senior film major with a correlate in women, feminist, and queer studies. Her current film project is an experimental documentary about fashion and identity. On campus, she is also a costume designer for drama department shows, as well as an employee of the Vassar costume shop, and a teacher’s assistant for Intro to Draping & Pattern-Making. She currently resides in Ferry House where she loves planning group events and bonding. Her favorite movies include Election, Juno, and Drop Dead Gorgeous.

Current Co-Chair: Peter Chu (pchu@vassar.edu)

Peter Chu (he/him) is a Film and Economics major from Los Angeles, CA. He is interested in unorthodox modes of storytelling, and enjoys capturing the aesthetics of everyday life through film and photography. Some of his other interests include fashion design, opinion journalism, and sports, which he pursues through student orgs and in his free time. He is excited to expand and strengthen the Vassar film community as a member of the FMC. Some of his favorite movies include La Haine, Possession, Minari, and Paris, Texas.

Treasurer

The Treasurer works with the fellow committee chairs and the Chair of the Film Department to make sure FMC programming plans are within budget. In addition, they maintain a record of the committee’s expenditures.

Current Co-Treasurer: Bella Kimbrough (ikimbrough@vassar.edu)

Bella (she/her) is a junior film major from Los Angeles, CA. Her production work tends to fall under the narrative experimental umbrella and she strives to combine aspects of her identity into her films/stories. Currently she is working on a non-fiction film about Black women and their hair that sheds light on natural hair insecurities. She served as a film academic intern at the Womp Haus, Vassar Film’s Home of Camera, Audio, Lighting, & Grip. Outside of film, she is an executive member of WVKR 91.3 FM and FlyPeople (Vassar’s dance org). Her current favorite movie is The Watermelon Woman directed by Black lesbian filmmaker Cheryl Dunye.

Current Co-Treasurer: Bella McCray (bmccray@vassar.edu)

Bella McCray (she/her) is currently a sophomore Film and Anthropology major (with a potential Dance correlate) from Oklahoma City, OK. She is very interested in feminist film theory and hopes to produce some surrealist/experimental films while at Vassar. On campus, she is a part of the Raymond House Team as a Student Fellow, where she helps plan events for the Raymond community and support first-year students in their transition to college. She is very happy to be a part of the Film Majors Committee and is excited to work with the other film majors to build our community! Her guilty pleasure is the vegan shortbread cookies at the Gordon Commons.

Communications Chair

The Communications Chair coordinates the promotion of Film Department events, initiatives, and updates, through email, print, and social media channels. They work with the Programming and Student Advocacy Chairs to ensure that students are aware of all FMC events and projects.

Current Chair: Etta Fontenot (efontenot@vassar.edu)

Etta Fontenot (she/her) is a junior film major with a french correlate from Los Angeles, CA. She is interested primarily in nonfiction and documentary filmmaking as well as screenwriting, and hopes to produce several nonfiction shorts during her time at Vassar. Outside film, she loves journalistic and creative writing, and writes for a local social advocacy journal. She is excited to help coordinate the film department’s upcoming events and connect fellow film students! Some of her all time favorite movies are Atlantique, Some Like It Hot, and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

Student Film Projectionists

If you have technical skills, enjoy watching films, are responsible, detailed-oriented, reliable, personable, and prompt, then you might be a good fit for a campus job in the Film Department.

The Film Department hires a limited number of students each academic year to work as Student Film Projectionists. Students are hired to cover the projection of films for a variety of required class screenings throughout the semesters. The department utilizes state-of-the-art digital equipment and technology to project films in its theater and classroom settings. In addition, covering special event screenings and meeting guest speakers makes this job extra exciting. The Student Employment Office assists with the placement of students for this position. Please visit their website for details on the student job application process.

Womp Haus Film Academic Interns

Four year-long academic internships are available in the Film Department’s camera, audio, and lighting house we call “Womp Haus.” Students can get an in-depth, hands-on experience with all varieties of production equipment as they manage the Womp Haus inventory system, prep student orders, assist in maintaining Studio A, the Vassar Film editing labs, help with in-house video productions, and more. Students must be in good academic standing to apply for the academic intern positions.