AUSTIN, TX - Independent filmmakers dream of the day their work will screen at a prestigious film festival like SXSW; and for two JPCatholic students, that dream is now a reality.

The road to this year's festival began with an assignment in Professor Thomas Deason's Commercials class. Working in teams of two, his students created video ads for leading brands like Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, and AT&T and entered them in the renowned MoFilm Marquee Competition. Winning entries were unveiled at a special event during the festival.

MoFilm's panel awarded third prize - and two thousand dollars - to Emily Moré and Kathleen Wilder's humorous take on high tech dating for KPMG Data Services. Two other JPCatholic teams were also recognized by contest judges. Ivana Diaz and Hayley Rossi's inspirational Chevy commercial featuring a member of the US Amputee Soccer Team was named a semi-finalist; and Elizabeth Flood and Whitney Najmy received the same honor for a Purina spot.

“I'm so proud of everyone who participated,” says Deason, who attended the festival in Austin, Texas, in March. “This competition is one of the largest of its kind, worldwide. Our students went head-to-head with their peers at top film schools as well as working professionals. The results speak for themselves.”

If you missed the film festival, don't worry; you might still catch a glimpse of these talented students' work. A second assignment in the same class paired class members with businesses owners for a real-world client experience. Three of those companies - an Internet startup, a real estate investment firm, and an auto inspection facility - were so pleased with the results that they plan to use the ads in their upcoming promotional campaigns.