New Canaan High School 2015 graduate Lillian Engel recently produced a 35-second film that illustrates the emotions of the moviegoing experience as part of her undergraduate film studies at Elon University. Engel and a fellow student received a $15,000 grant from the 2017 Coca-Cola and Regal Films program to produce a film for its contest, according to Elon.edu E-net News.
The contest is described as being for up-and-coming filmmakers and one that attracted submissions from the country’s top film schools. Engel competed against more than a hundred submissions, was named one of five finalists, according to the Elon website, and received $15,000 to produce her entry. Other finalists are from the American Film Institute, Chapman University, New York University and UCLA.
Engel was a recipient of the Peter Kingsbury Award for Film as a senior at NCHS.
Engel’s script features movie poster characters that come to life seeking to quench their thirst with a soft drink. The main character is a cowboy, accompanied by an astronaut and a female pirate.
Engel explained the script’s inspiration came from her own experiences at the movies as a child who grew up in New Canaan. Elon.edu’s E-net News quotes Engel: “When I was younger, seeing a movie in the theaters was like going on an adventure, so I wanted to write something that brought the adventures you see on screen into reality,” said the Communications fellow. “I came up with a bunch of generic but classic characters and narrowed it down from there.”
New Canaan High School 2015 graduate Lillian Engel (second from left) stands with the characters she developed for the 2017 Coca-Cola and Regal Films program at Elon University. Engel and a fellow student received $15,000 to produce a 35-second film. — Contributed photo
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