Motion Pictures (MOT) alumnus Carter Bowden (‘22) directed, co-edited and co-produced the short film, Snowflake, which was celebrated as a People’s Choice finalist in the KINO Studios Short Film Festival in January.
The festival features projects from filmmakers around the world across multiple genres. Finalists are invited to attend the awards ceremony at the Hollywood Legion Theater with the Directors Guild of America.
Snowflake tells the story of a young woman who creates an entirely new social media persona, losing her true self in the process. The project is the culmination of years of hard work for Bowden, who began working on Snowflake in early 2020 as a sophomore at Belmont. The project wrapped in August 2022.
Bowden moved to Los Angeles after graduation and has been submitting Snowflake to film festivals ever since. In addition to being nominated as a KINO People’s Choice finalist, Snowflake won Best Actress at the Thrills and Chills Film Awards, Best Drama at the Rome Short Film Festival, was nominated for Bestie Indie Short at the IndieX Film Festival, was an honorable mention at the Tokyo International Monthly Film Festival and was screened at the Close Up Film Theatre Centre in London.
The KINO Short Film Festival was the last on Bowden's 2023 circuit. “It was really exciting to get to go to these festivals and have people see the movie and respond to it,” he said.
One of Belmont’s biggest appeals for Bowden was the size of the Motion Pictures program. “The idea of getting to grow as the department was also growing seemed really interesting,” he said. “I had various teachers at Belmont give feedback on certain aspects of the film.”
He also found inspiration in fellow motion pictures students. “I completely share Snowflake with everybody who came together to help me finish it, because it wouldn’t have happened without them,” he said.
Author, journalist and speaker Lily Hansen collaborated on Snowflake as a co-producer, writer and main actress. The project was a combination of Bowden and Hansen’s love for the craft and desire to test their creative limits.
“We talked for hours about our film and slowly brought it to life because we believed in ourselves and one another,” Hansen said. “Belmont students are highly creative, kind and industrious. When we had an obstacle, we knocked our heads together to figure it out. It was a dream collaboration.”
In addition to his individual work, Bowden works in many aspects of production in Los Angeles, including camera crew, freelance editing and storyboarding for various projects.
Belmont’s MOT program supports students in their journey to make a meaningful career in the film and television industry. The program offers access to expert faculty, top-of-the-line industry equipment and an inviting creative community with unique opportunities to develop their skills.