Goshen College films telling stories of hope win awards

GOSHEN, Ind. – Two films produced with the help of Goshen College students and faculty each won awards at the oldest independent film and video festival in the world.

“Watu Wa Amani: People of Peace” won a Gold Remi and “Dreaming a New South Africa” won a Silver Remi at the 40^th annual WorldFest-Houston International Film & Video Festival in April. Only independently produced films can be entered in the festival. The documentaries were entered and awarded in the category of faith-based programming.

“To win such an award brings satisfaction,” said Ed Cundiff, former Goshen College communication instructor and a producer for the films. “But my passion is to tell stories of hope and faith in a world today that seems to be void of hope and caught in despair.”

Both films concern difficulties faced by people in Africa but also places they have found hope. “Watu Wa Amani: People of Peace” developed from a conference held in Kenya put on by the three historic peace churches: the Quakers, Church of the Brethren and the Mennonites. The film, like the conference, is the sharing of stories from Africans who have struggled to be peacemakers in situations of violence.

Assistant Professor of Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies Dean Johnson was at the conference and co-edited a book containing the stories as well. With Cundiff, Associate Professor of Communication Patricia McFarlane co-produced “Watu Wa Amani: People of Peace.” She also led the trip to South Africa to film the second documentary.

Cundiff wrote and voiced that documentary, “Dreaming a New South Africa,” which was put together by a team of students and professional filmmakers from the area production company, PentaVision Communications, Inc. Seniors Jonny Meyer (Goshen) and James Weber (Reading, Pa.), and 2007 graduates Luke Bishop (Conifer, Colo.) and Erini Shields (Yorktown, Ind.) made up the student film team, three of whom made the trip to South Africa over spring break in 2006 for interviews and filming.

Cundiff said, “[Winning] is a great honor for the college.” Of about 4,500 entries, only 15-20 percent are awarded prizes. “Two of those awards carry the name of Goshen College and a handful of its students,” he said.

– Kelli Yoder

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

###

Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.