CanvasRebel, the online magazine that focuses on creatives making an impact and generating a living from their art, recently featured videographer and School of Theatre, Film & Television (TFTV) alum Sasha Reist (BA Film & Television ’23, BFA Dance ’23). In the feature, Sasha chronicles their creative trajectory, talks about their most meaningful project to date, and shares the passion for advocacy that drives them to be an artist.
Sasha says that it was a documentary film made in Professor Jacob Bricca’s Documentary Production class that changed everything. “It brought more to my career than I could have ever imagined,” says Sasha. “It was my first experience creating a documentary short and taught me so much about not only film production, but storytelling. It put me on the map as a filmmaker in college.” The film, Changement, tracks the experiences of dancers Cat Cogliandro and Mae Lever and the deeply traditional artform of ballet, and opens up a discussion around engaging in more inclusive and welcoming language and narratives. Following its premiere at What’s Up Docs, TFTV’s annual showcase of student-made documentary shorts, Changement was selected to screen at multiple festivals including the Academy Award-qualifying Leeds International Film Festival, and was a nominee at the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Student Production Awards.
“I made this documentary my junior fall in college with my incredible film partner, Jackson Hayes,” Sasha reflected. “I got to go to multiple film festivals, including screening my film through the U of A at SXSW. It led me to my incredible mentor, TFTV’s Kerryn Negus, who has been a guiding light throughout my film journey. It gave me my great film partner, Jackson Hayes, who I continue to learn so much from and will be one of my best friends for life.”
“Lastly, creating Changement emphasized my purpose in creating art – to use the intersection and combination of dance and film to shed light on queer stories and make the world a better place for not just LGBTQ+ folk, but for everyone. At the end of the day, instilling change to help the LGBTQ+ community benefits EVERYONE.”
Coming up, Sasha shares that they’re working on a feature-length adaptation of Changement.
Read more at CanvasRebel