Zambian Film Project Gaining Steam
On Friday, I had a crew at the Governor's office to record a piece on education, workforce development and industry trends for a web project we're doing for the college. The Spotlight on Careers promos feature the college programs that help to fulfill the current and future workforce needs. During the discussion, Policy Advisor Darcy Renfro and I got to talking about the Zambian Film Project. She was surprised to hear that a Mesa Community College student was going to be returning to his country to make the very first feature film. She was equally surprised to hear that Mesa faculty were going to be shooting a documentary about the process AND teaching teachers in Zambia. It was one of those very serendipitous moments where everything lines up and the world opens a door.
Also in the conversation, Renfro said that Governor Napolitano is actively pursuing more film production in Arizona. The state has committed a significant amount of money to developing the industry. They've instituted tax breaks and incentives. As a professor of film and animation, this was GREAT news. Even better, they expressed an interest and need in getting more people trained to support that industry. So, I heard from the Governor's office directly that there is a tremendous need for my graduates! Not to mention that it means more money will be available for filmmakers in Arizona.
ironically, I'm going on sabbatical for a year so I won't even be at the school this coming year. I struggle with going somewhere else to build a program (because I can't even imagine not teaching for an entire year). It's hard, though, because Mesa Community College is one of the largest schools in the nation. There are 28,000+ students. It's hard to think about going someplace smaller. Oh, the dilemma. Who knows, maybe I'll end up teaching in Zambia for a year. I hear they desperately need teachers.
