By Caitlin Brown (RU-2026), Reinhardt Advancement Division Work-Study Student
In their spare time, two Reinhardt University students are producing and directing their own short film. Andres Jorquera (RU-2026) initiated the idea when he began writing a short comedy skit titled Stu Quioxte, centering around an 8th year college student trying to complete his final credits. Jorquera approached junior Wesley Sever (RU-2026) to collaborate on the project. From there, the script evolved from one to ten pages.
Both individuals are creative writing majors, with Sever earning his bachelor’s degree and Jorquera pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA). The duo uses their experience gained from improvisation exercises in class to bounce ideas off each other and create a funny and clever production.
Almost immediately upon finishing the script, Sever and Jorquera began film production. They gathered a group of alumni and undergraduate friends from the theatre department to participate. Jack Hurtsellers (RU-2025), a biology major, serves as the film’s musical composer. Professor Austin Harleson portrays a character in the film. Sever and Jorquera note the University’s support and how they were able to use locations on campus for filming.
The project allows the students to use their collective skills learned at Reinhardt to produce the film. Sever notes, “So it’s been this glimpse into the evolution and my growth, but this is actually the first thing I’ve ever done like this. So, it is kind of my child, and in essence, we have created something that I’m extremely proud of.” Jorquera also discussed how working on the film has grown his writing abilities by trying something new. “I’ve written a TV pilot, but never have I written something that can be produced between two people… So, to be able to make this with Wesley and then be able to make it ourselves without needing to beg or hope or get lucky and take the initiative to do it ourselves, and try to make it good enough so that we can submit it for film competitions… That’s been a real sense of joy for me.”
Sever and Jorquera plan to submit Stu Quioxte to the Canton Film Festival, and other festivals nationwide upon its completion.
In addition, the film’s production sparked the establishment of a club where students can express themselves creatively by writing and performing in short films. Sever notes, “We wanted to become more than just a self-focused group. We wanted to help where we could and try to become more than just doing our own thing.” Communications Department professor Joshua Marsh acts as the club’s advisor.
