• Another Baylor alum’s short film earns Cannes screening

    "Stray" short film

    Cannes. For filmmakers, there’s an aura in its very name. Earning a spot on a Cannes Film Festival screen is an incredible honor that only a select few achieve — which makes it all the more incredible that, for a second consecutive year, a Baylor filmmaker will see his work screened there.

    Stray,” a short film written and directed by recent graduate Brynn Sankey, MA ’15, was selected to appear in the 2016 Cannes Short Film Corner. The 25-minute film tells the story of “a burgeoning relationship between two very different people (that) quickly begins to unravel as new layers of truth are revealed.” Its cast includes senior theatre major Devin Perry, Baylor theatre professor Steven Pounders and recent Baylor graduate Chynna Marie Walker, BFA ’15, with even more Bears on the crew: producer Kristina Beevers, BA ’12, MA ’15; co-producer Chris Hansen, chair of Baylor’s Department of Film & Digital Media (FDM); and sound mixer Clint Keller, a master’s candidate in communication.

    “Stray” was a winner at last year’s Black Glasses Film Festival, an annual showcase of films by Baylor students presented by FDM, and its inclusion at Cannes could be the sign that a trend is developing. Last year, “Shotgun,” a short film by former Baylor film student and current FDM lecturer Maverick Moore, MA ’14, was also included in the Cannes’ Short Film Corner. Sankey, a native Australian, was among the “Shotgun” crew, giving him the chance to work on a Cannes-quality film before making one of his own.

    Waco audiences were treated to a re-screening of “Stray” at this year’s Black Glasses, held April 26 at the Waco Hippodrome Theatre, which awarded a new group of aspiring filmmakers in a variety of categories. (Will we be talking about one of these award winners making Cannes once again? Stay tuned.)

    Sankey’s honor is the latest example of Baylor’s ever-growing reputation as a place that nurtures filmmakers and storytellers. Alumni such as John Lee Hancock (BA ’79, JD ’82), Derek Haas (BA ’91, MA ’95), Michael Brandt (BBA ’91, MA ’94) and Kevin Reynolds (BA ’74, JD ’76) have built resumes that speak well of their alma mater, and their continued willingness to give back to Baylor FDM provides students with opportunities seldom found outside of Los Angeles or New York.

    Sic ’em, Brynn Sankey and Baylor FDM!