MARSHALL — Famous actor, director and filmmaker Nate Parker is serving as a guiding light to aspiring East Texas filmmakers. The Nate Parker Foundation is wrapping up its 2018 summer film institute at Wiley College.
“For me, it’s really an understanding that this is about legacy,” says Nate Parker. This is about using the gifts that I think God has so gracefully given me in film and create some type of legacy in an institution that I think supports my core values.”
Now in its third year, the institute is seeking to disrupt the film industry by fostering diversity, both in front and behind the camera. The program has become extremely competitive, with students from the high school level to recent college graduates hoping to secure a spot. Students in the institute receives professional training and mentorship from some of Hollywood’s finest.
The 7-day program also includes hands-on workshops in screenwriting, directing, acting and producing. Representatives of Wiley College say the film institute provides a unique and rich opportunity for its students.
"It's made such a difference, not only to the institution but to our students,” says Monica Newman McCluney, the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Wiley College. “To be able to see the energy that Nate Parker brings to this campus and the expertise in film and theater is really exciting."
The program will conclude with a red-carpet premiere at Wiley College of a short film written, directed and produced by students of the institute. The event starts at 6 p.m. at the Julius S. Scott, Sr. Chapel and is open to the public.