Award-winning director Rodney Ascher addresses Del Tech film class
Rodney Ascher, director of the award-winning 2012 Sundance Film Festival hit “Room 237,” spoke with communications students at Delaware Technical Community College in April, sharing his knowledge of the industry and his thoughts on the attention his film has received in a video-conference question-and-answer session.
The film, which won the Jury Prize at this year’s Austin Fantastic Fest and a Creative Recognition Award at the International Documentary Association Awards, was also screened and nominated for an award at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. The documentary looks at several different theories about the hidden meanings and messages within Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining.”
Ascher and his film have recently been selected to take part in the inaugural Stanley Film Festival, a horror-themed festival to take place in the same Estes Park, Colo., hotel in which much of “The Shining” was filmed.
The director was invited to speak by Rob Rector, chair of the Communications Department and instructor of the film class. He screened both “The Shining” and “Room 237” for students as part of the director’s participation. “It was great to have someone whose film is in such a national spotlight right now talk with our students,” he said. “Whenever we can have someone from within the industry share his or her wisdom with students, it enhances the entire class.”
Ascher was the second noted director to speak to the class via video-conference technology this semester, following award-winning director, writer and producer Kirby Ferguson, who spoke to the group in March. The class also took a field trip to the newly opened IMAX theater in Wilmington.
"Like most of what we do in Intro to Film, the talk with Rodney Ascher was really informative,” said communications student Aubrey Birowski. "He gave some insight on what it takes to develop a film, confirming some points already made by Mr. Rector, and he also touched on getting rights to use elements of previously developed media."
