On Friday, November 12, students from all over campus congregated in the Chapel, all dressed to the nines, to witness the results of over a month of hard work from the residents of Maclellan and Rymer Hall: Mac Movie. As the countdown got close to zero and students walked down the red carpet lined isles, a buzz of anticipation filled the room. The building excitement erupted as the countdown ended and Maclellan president, Jacob Morosco, stepped on stage.
After welcoming the crowd and thanking the Mac Cabinet for their work preparing for the event, Morosco introduced the hosts for the evening. Bounding onto the stage came Ethan Gualano, RA of Lawrence, and Keenan Kessler of Suburbs with an energy that would last all evening — aside from the brief nap Gualano took on stage while introducing the Five Points film. Then came a prayer for the evening and the introduction of the prestigious panel of judges: Dr. Heather Hess, Dr. Sarah Donaldson, Dr. David Washburn, and Professors Mark and Claire Slavovsky. Soon enough, the lights dimmed, and the judges and audience members settled in to watch the first film.
From Chi Alpha came “Planet Earth: College Edition,” a nature mockumentary about college students in their natural habitat. Written by Jessica Seabolt and Lilly Oak, and directed by RA Anna MacDonald, the movie interspersed footage of animals with clips of students going about their day, complete with narrations by Seabolt and Abby Rose. The film was well received by the audience, as was proved by the laughter that filled the room when on screen MacDonald tried to make bacon on the windowsill.
The next film to play was a parody of the classic children’s show, “Blue’s Clues,” from the Brotherhood of Lawrence written and directed by Ethan Gualano, who also played the lead. With help from hall members dressed as the various characters from the original show, Gualano searches for clues that will help him figure out why Blue, portrayed by Ethan Bagget, seems so down. The crowd’s enthusiastic response to the audience cues interspersed throughout the film marked Lawrence’s success in engaging the audience.
After the film from Lawrence came the film from their sister hall, Halcyon. Coming back after a year as a quarantine hall, Halcyon used their movie to reintroduce their hall to the greater Covenant community in the style of the 90’s sitcom, “Friends.” The film, entitled “A Day in the Life,” was written by Tori Leigh Thomas and Virginia Turpin and directed by Isabella Duran and myself. The film’s opening sequence introduces each member of the hall and leads up to clips which showcase the hall’s average day in a semi-exaggerated way.
The last film to play before intermission was Sutherlands’ film “Sutherland Society,” written by Trey Grant and directed by Caleb Kleinmann and Noah Sweatman. This black-and-white mob movie starred Grant Grey as a disgraced member of the Sutherland Society trying to earn his way back into the society’s good graces. The film’s suspense, action, and precise cinematography gave the audience the illusion of being in a movie theater watching a new blockbuster.
After intermission, the second act of the night started with Rowan’s film, “El Velo del Secreto,” written and directed by Yemimah Manodhaya, Heidi Hall, and Courtney Swanson. Caitie Eggert stars as a bride who discovers on her wedding day that the rings are missing. The suspenseful comedy also stars Suburbs' Sam Powell as the groom and Bennett Cerny as a bridesmaid who fakes a pregnancy to delay the wedding. The romantic and charming opening of the film was followed by the string of humorous events surrounding the missing rings.
As the film from Five Points, “Sleep Hunters,” began, a voice students were accustomed to hearing in the chapel filled the room: the voice of Chaplain Grant Lowe. The voice over explains the premise of the movie: due to the growing rate of students falling asleep during class, Chaplain Lowe will be calling in help to prevent the sleeping crisis from growing out of control. Inspired by the popular Star Wars series, “The Mandalorian,” the film follows both the Sleep Hunters and the tired students who fear being discovered by them. Under the creative leadership of Timothy Tuninga, Wyatt “Sarlac” Stulac, and Judah Dorsey, Five Points delivered a work of ingenuity that captures a relatable college experience in a fresh way.
Next came Harambe’s whimsical silent film, “A Pen for your Thoughts,” by Stephanie Smole and Isabelle Torokwa. In a style reminiscent of a Pixar short, the film follows a pen from owner to owner, capturing snippets of lives as it goes. The film’s charming simplicity and peaceful soundtrack captured the hearts of the audience.
The night ended with Suburbs’ “Monkumentary,” a fake documentary about the making of a fictional film. Although in reality Adam Kortenhoeven wrote and directed the film, Reece Bradley and Caleb Miller star as directors concerned about the casting of their film. Jonathan Hazen portrays an actor invested in his role as the lead monkey. Although making of the fictional film is nothing short of disastrous, the “Monkumentary” proved to be well put together and entertaining.
With the showing of the films over, it came time for winners to be announced. The winners of Best Actor and Actress were, respectively, Ethan Gualano for “Blue’s Clues” and Bennett Cerny for “El Velo del Secreto.” Most Comedic Film was awarded to Lawrence’s “Blue’s Clues,” which also won third place. In second place came “Sutherland Society,” and the winner of the night was Five Points’ “Sleep Hunters.” Fan Favorite was awarded to “Sutherland Society.”
As students gathered on stage to congratulate the winners and take pictures with their halls, 2021 Mac Movie came to a close. Covenant students will not soon forget everything that made the night wonderful — the careful planning, the captivating hosts, the thoughtful judges, and, most importantly, the creativity and originality of the Maclellan and Rymer community showcased in eight short films.