This semester, the Broadcast Education Association awarded a Kent State junior an award of excellence for the quality of her film, making her the first member of the Female Filmmakers Initiative to win.
Bailey Fair, a junior digital media production student and vice president of FFI, received the honor at the Festival of Media Arts, hosted by the Broadcast Education Association. Fair was one of 32 winners in her category and her film, “A Positive Outcome,” was both written and directed by her.
The Broadcast Education Association is very reputable and honors the work of students from various universities in the U.S. It gives students prestige when they win, and it’s important for them to have that exposure, Dana White, the FFI advisor and associate professor in the School of Media and Journalism said.
FFI was founded six years ago by White. The group supports female filmmakers in their endeavors in the industry.
“It’s obvious that they did a good job because they got the recognition for it on a national level,” White said.
This recognition not only validated their efforts but also highlighted the challenges they face as a college organization.
“We struggle to find the support on campus since we are independent, but winning this award helped solidify that what we are doing is important,” Fair said.
The film explores the five minutes a woman spends waiting for the results after taking a pregnancy test. Fair was inspired to write the piece because she felt it was a common experience for college women that should be talked about.
“Taking a pregnancy test is viewed as taboo, so I wanted to show it as a normal experience that women go through because it is,” Fair said.
Fair originally wrote the script for the film as a comedy during her freshman year at Kent State; however, she decided to make some changes.
She submitted the film after encouragement from her advisor, White. The School of Media and Journalism also supported the group.
“The dean sent me links about it and helped to get the fees waived. It was a cool opportunity to see the school of MDJ support FFI, especially since we are an independent group,” Fair said.
Other members of FFI also contributed to the creation of “A Positive Outcome.” Stella Naymik was the director of photography, and Saida Lewis was the editor.
“My name is on the award, but it is really FFI’s film — I couldn’t have done it without them,” Fair said. “It was a collaborative effort. It is FFI’s win too.”
Joi Sims is a reporter. You can contact her at [email protected].