UCF Film Professor Wins Big at International Mobile Film Festival

By Tom Hurter and Christine Dellert March 4, 2009

Photo: UCF File

Lisa Mills is an assistant professor in UCF's Film Department and has worked as broadcast journalist.

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Lisa Mills, an assistant professor in the University of Central Florida’s Film Department, was recently recognized at the International Mobile Global Film Festival -- or MOFILM.

The first-of-its-kind festival, held Feb. 18 and 19 in Barcelona, Spain, celebrated the intersection of art, commerce and technology in mobile entertainment. The entries were short films that would be ideal for viewing and sharing on mobile phones.

Mills was honored with the “Outstanding Cultural Achievement Award” for her five-minute documentary about UCF professor and composer Stella Sung’s work last year with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. Mills’ film, “Rockwell,” was chosen out of 250 films that had been submitted from more than 100 countries. “Rockwell” is a poignant piece about one of Sung’s works inspired by the paintings of Norman Rockwell.

The film focuses on one of Sung’s five-part movement, The Peace Corps, featuring Rockwell’s portrayals of President John F. Kennedy with young volunteers. Also featured in the film is Maestro Christopher Wilkins leading the orchestra.

“Filmmaking is a collaborative art, and I am honored to have been part of a team that had the vision to make this project happen,” Mills said. “My hope is that it causes anyone who sees it to examine in their own lives the connections between hope, help and leadership that inspired Norman Rockwell’s painting, Stella Sung’s music, Christopher Wilkins’ music direction and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra’s performance.

“Images and sounds can be a powerful tool for understanding the basic values people hold, no matter where they live or how much they have to give.  I am grateful to all involved."

Mills received a trophy and cash prize. In addition to teaching film, she has a professional background in broadcast journalism and has been directing and producing documentaries for commercial and public television since 1987. She earned her doctorate in Political Communication from the University of Florida in 2005.  Her recently completed documentary feature “Dear Mr. Gore:  A Somewhat Cinematic Correspondence Awkwardly Tracing a Circular Journey Constructed on a Warming Planet” is currently screening at film festivals.

Stella Sung is a renowned local composer, a professor of Digital Media and the director of UCF's Center for Research and Education in Arts, Technology and Entertainment. Last year, she was named the Orlando Philharmonic’s first Composer-in-Residence.

To view “Rockwell,” visit www.mofilm.com/2009_nominations.php and go to "Documentaries." To watch it on Facebook, click here.

UCF Stands For Opportunity: The University of Central Florida is a metropolitan research university that ranks as the 6th largest in the nation with more than 50,000 students. UCF's first classes were offered in 1968. The university offers impressive academic and research environments that power the region's economic development. UCF's culture of opportunity is driven by our diversity, Orlando environment, history of entrepreneurship and our youth, relevance and energy. For more information, visit http://news.ucf.edu.

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