From big project to big screen: FMU alums deliver short film

It’s not typical for class projects to eventually be made into short films, but Glass isn’t a typical project.

On Tuesday, May 30, Glass – a short film created by Francis Marion University 2017 alums Christian Brunetti and Christina Xan – will premiere at the FMU Performing Arts Center’s Black Box Theatre at 7 p.m.

The origin of the film goes back to February, when Xan took pen to paper and began writing a stage play as part of a class project. The brutally honest script for the stage play Glass dealt with domestic violence and its repercussions.

Xan’s work drew rave reviews from her peers, especially Brunetti, who had seen his mother go through an abusive relationship. Sensing the chance to use some of his own personal experiences, Brunetti reached out to Xan with the idea of adapting the play into a short film.

Just a few weeks later, shooting was underway.

With the help of students and faculty at Francis Marion, the two were able to make their film on a shoestring budget and in a very short period of time.

Now, the two have graduated, Glass is now set to premiere and the big screen can’t contain the pair’s excitement.

Xan, the architect of the stage version of Glass, says the premiere of the film is both humbling and empowering.

“My goal as a writer is to peel back the cover on something people try to ignore and be as brutally honest about it as possible,” Xan says. “I don’t think it’s a feeling quite possible to describe to watch people work so hard on something you created… I was watching my characters come to life in front of me. I’ll never forget that.”

The film takes on a difficult topic but looks to promote solutions, as all proceeds from ticket sales will go to the CARE House of the Pee Dee.

The CARE House of the Pee Dee is a Florence-based organization that provides services and support to victims of child abuse and trauma. For Brunetti, the chance to make the film while assisting a great cause, is something he’s relished.

“It’s surreal. I’m not going to lie, but it’s something that I set out to do,” Brunetti says. “I want to make art that matters… I got into this because television and film have the power to influence and affect people and this was my opportunity to put that into practice.”