Future Media Makers Converge on Emerson to Pitch Projects
Students from 14 different colleges came to Emerson College to participate in a special one-day event for students entering the film, television and digital media industries on October 27.
The event, hosted at the Bordy Theater, included a pitch contest juried by a panel of experienced professionals with a $1,000 prize. Students had two minutes to pitch a narrative, documentary, or animated short film idea to three judges: Shawn Cotter, executive director of Wicked Queer Boston; Lyda Kuth, executive director of LEF Foundation; Jessica Maher, executive director of SAG-AFTRA New England.
Shaun Clarke, associate professor and chair of the Visual and Media Arts Department, said the summit provided a great opportunity for students, staff and faculty to connect with the broader Boston-area media production community.
“Through the career panel, our students gained valuable insight on navigating the early stages of their careers,” said Clarke. “Our students also had the chance to network with students from other colleges and universities, in hopes future collaborations.”
Photos by Rian Nelson ’25
A student pitches their idea 
Students posted cards on the walls that said what type of help they needed for their films. 
Filmmakers put up cue cards for what ‘I am looking for’ for their upcoming films. 
PitchFest judges: Shawn Cotter, Wicked Queer Boston; Lyda Kuth, LEF Foundation; Jessica Maher, SAG-AFTRA. 
Winner Isaiah Manuel from Fitchburg State University pitched a documentary about what happens to trash after we throw it away and its impacts on communities through out the US. 
Lasell University student Lisa Ortiz and Steven Collins ’19. 
Boston University student Angela Vincent pitches her idea. 
The scene at the Bordy Theatre 
Matt Nash, professor and chair of Digital Filmmaking in the College of Art + Design at Lesley University, spoke to the audience.
Prior to the Pitch Fest, a panel of recent college graduates shared insights on launching their careers, which was followed by a networking session for students looking for collaborators and crew. Students wanting collaborators and crew placed a list of their open positions on cue cards that were taped to the wall for everyone to see.
Colleges could have up to 11 students submit their pitches before the event, and one student from each college was chosen to pitch. Xudong Liu, MFA ’24 represented Emerson in the pitch session. The Emerson College students who participated, all MFA or MA candidates were:
- Sarasa Kikuchi
- Muhammad Sayan Agha
- Carlo Ang
- Emma Rose
- Tomas Oregon
- Sam Permar
- Karen McKeen
- Meenakshi Garodia
- Omer Yilmaz
- Zhelun Lin
- Xudong Liu
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