MEADVILLE, Pa. – April 24, 2008 – Jaclyn Spirer, a December graduate of the Allegheny College class of 2008, won the Best Documentary prize and the Grand Jury Award for her film “Finding Matty's Voice” at the seventh annual Ivy Film Festival.
The Grand Jury Prize represents the festival's top honor. Spirer's film, which was her Senior Comprehensive Project at Allegheny, was about a teenage boy with autism and his family. The film was selected from among 250 submissions from Oregon to Greece, a field that had been narrowed to 34 finalists.
The Ivy Film Festival, held April 14-20 at Brown University, featured screenings of student films, filmmaking panels and addresses by film industry professionals including Martin Scorsese, associate director of the Ivy Film Festival, and keynote speaker Thomas Rothman, chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Filmed Entertainment.
“I could never have imagined that I would be competing against students who were in prestigious film schools and had been active in film festivals for years,” said Spirer. “I am proof that if you are truly passionate about something you can go beyond your wildest dreams.”
After graduation, Spirer accepted a position at Sesame Workshop in New York City working on the Sesame Street English pilot, which involves developing language learning projects to teach English in East Asia markets. Next month, she will return to Allegheny to participate in Commencement.
Spirer's Personal and Professional Growth
“While I was a junior at Gateway High School in Monroeville, Pa., Mr. Wallace, one of my teachers, pulled me aside before his class and said, ‘I might have a job for you but I have to ask my wife first.' No further explanation,” recalled Spirer.
“A few days later I learned that he and his wife agreed to entrust me to care for his autistic son, Matty, who was 10 at the time. I spent almost two years babysitting Matty, and my life was forever changed.”
At Allegheny College, Mark LaPointe, assistant professor of communication arts and Spirer's faculty advisor, saw the further transformation that took place during her years at Allegheny.
“When Jackie arrived at Allegheny four years ago, she came across as highly intelligent, but uncertain. She certainly wasn't a risk taker and seemed a bit afraid to stretch herself creatively,” said LaPointe. “Four years later and she's matured into a brave and enthusiastic young woman whose work displays a wonderful balance of compassion, artistry and self-confidence.”
Clearly, it was a more focused, committed Spirer who approached Assistant Professor of Communication Arts River Branch about her idea for the senior project.
“Jackie brings an ethical, intellectual and creative rigor to her work that honors those within her piece, the subject and her audience,” said Branch. “It is this rigor, operating on so many fronts, which provides the foundation for the success of ‘Finding Matty's Voice' and, I am willing to bet, a foundation for her future successes.
“As her comp advisor, it is rewarding to see the work receive the recognition it deserves on a large scale. As an educator, it is an honor to work with a student intellectually, creatively and ethically driven to make a difference in this world via her chosen field. Jackie has done this and, will no doubt, continue to do so.”
Spirer's Desire to Impact People's Lives
“Having been so involved in Matty's care and development, I wanted to paint a more realistic and accurate portrayal of this debilitating disorder,” Spirer explained. “With this film, I wanted to open the door and invite people in to see Matty's world as he lives it.”
One of her first large-scale screenings of “Finding Matty's Voice” was in a school district that serves Matty's community. Following this screening, a teacher who was working with a mainstream classroom in which she had an autistic student let Spirer know that the work shifted her entire outlook. Earlier in the day, the teacher had written a note to demand removal of the child with autism from her class. After the screening, the teacher asked the principal to tear up the request.
“If that is all that happens from this piece, if I made a difference in that one child's life, then making this piece was worth it,” Spirer said.
About Allegheny College Senior Projects
In keeping with Allegheny's commitment to provide students with a liberal arts education that meets the highest standards, the Senior Project is a significant piece of independent study, research or creative work conducted under the supervision of one or more faculty members.
The outcome of a Senior Project is more than a grade or a written document; for the student it often results in a new way of looking at complex problems and inspires an appreciation for the power of ideas that might previously have seemed like abstract concepts in a textbook. Often it can be a pivotal time when a student realizes his or her own abilities and potential. The Senior Project also improves opportunities for graduate school and employment.
About the Ivy Film Festival
The Ivy Film Festival encourages the creative efforts of undergraduate and graduate student filmmakers by acting as a significant venue for their work and by creating opportunities to learn from one another and talented professionals. The festival strives to garner recognition for student filmmakers by means of a panel of celebrity judges including directors, producers, writers and agents who will view the top films from the festival.
