By Georgia Jackson, College of Arts and Sciences
When Hilda Sheridan-Hewlett moved from London, England to Tampa, Fla. to study literature and film at the University of South Florida, she was so swept away by the natural beauty of the local beaches that she decided to write and direct a short film. The final product, “Lost in the Current," has so far been selected for inclusion at the Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival, FilmGate Miami, the Luleå International Film Festival and the Gasparilla International Film Festival.
On April 26, it appeared at the Sunscreen Film Festival in St. Pete.
Like Sheridan-Hewlett, the short film’s protagonist — a young art student named Aria — worries about sustaining her creative pursuits and finds inspiration at the beach.
“Aria constantly finds herself torn between the commercial demands of the art world and her yearning for authentic self-expression,” said Sheridan-Hewlett, who teamed up with Jonathan Davis, another student in the USF Department of Humanities and Cultural Studies, to direct the film. “The crashing waves embody the drive to push forward, while the still ocean reflects her need to remain grounded in the current."
Cody Farkas (left), Hilda Sheridan-Hewlett (center left) and Leslie Consuegra (center right) pose on the red carpet.
To bring Aria’s story to life, Sheridan-Hewlett called upon friends and members of the local community. A crew of more than 10 people signed on, including USF students Sofia Johansson, Grace Salemi, Violet Chace, Jaclyn Calhoun and Julia Martinez, who, together, handled costume design, makeup, camera operation and boom operation. Jose Ariza, a student in the Zimmerman School of Advertising & Mass Communications, served as director of photography, and Silvia Cannarella, a student in the Muma College of Business, helped launch a fundraising campaign.
Sheridan-Hewlett held auditions in the USF Library, where she booked a study room. After two days of auditions, she cast Leslie Consuegra and Cody Farkas, two students from the USF School of Theatre & Dance, to play Aria and her boyfriend Justin. Todd Jurgess, an associate professor of instruction in the Department of Humanities and Cultural Studies, stars in the film as Justin’s father.
"Everybody involved was really dedicated to making the film work,” Consuegra said. “I think it is really special to find a group of students who were on board with the project like this."
The film has been screened at multiple festivals, including St. Pete’s Sunscreen Film Festival and Tampa’s Gasparilla International Film Festival, where Sheridan-Hewlett connected with other local filmmakers and is already making plans to collaborate on future projects.
“Hilda is a talented — and tireless! — artist and scholar whose creative practice expresses what is best about her academic scholarship," said Amy Rust, an associate professor in the Department of Humanities & Cultural Studies. "Indeed, her thoughtful consideration of a woman artist in 'Lost in the Current' joins the concerns of her recent thesis project about screenwriter Diablo Cody and filmmaker Greta Gerwig. In this, Hilda exemplifies the mission of the Department of Humanities & Cultural Studies, which regularly investigates how images, sounds, texts and performances actively shape social relationships and lived experiences.”
Follow @lostinthecurrentfilm on Instagram to find out about future screenings.