Liz Whitman-Kinghorn
Showrunner
Liz Whitman-Kinghorn is an up-and-coming television writer and producer. She was born and raised in the Boston area and always had a love for finding and telling stories. She loves to tell and support stories that are full of positive messages or energy, and after working as a teacher of children ages 0-5 throughout her high school career, found a passion for stories either about or made for children. She often feels inspired by creators such as Hayao Miyazaki, who has a knack for showing the beauty of our world in his films, and Taika Waititi, who finds a way to put a little bit of light-hearted humor into everything he does. Although the figures she admires are primarily men, she hopes to see throughout her career that women, people of color and LGBTQIA people all are welcome in the media industry, particularly comedic media.
Artist Statement
I have known every one of the filmmakers from this year’s capstone class for years, and I see the film festival as a way of honoring how far we have all come in our college career, and a way of celebrating us moving onto whatever stage in life is coming up next. Every project we have done, every course we have taken, all lead up to the climactic finale that will be this year’s film festival. We have jumped through hoops to make it to where we are and gone through a worldwide pandemic, putting a halt on all of our plans for the future. Now that the world is (at least slightly) back on track, I think this was the perfect opportunity for everyone to show that the pandemic might have slowed us down a bit, but it did not stop any of us from continuing to follow our passion for film. I think one of the most important parts of show running is knowing and acknowledging that while the film festival is your creation, it is important to step back and acknowledge that it is primarily for the filmmakers’ benefit. As for the theme, it is a combination of two ideas: the transparency and honesty of the filmmakers-- no matter how real or out-of-this-world their story may be-- and the idea of the unknown that lies ahead for all of our careers. We have all learned throughout the past 4 or so years that we cannot know what is in store for each of us, so why not be true to ourselves in our art and create what we’re passionate about?