In the Press: Interviews, Articles, & Reviews

Thine Own Self

Interview in Filmmaker Magazine:
Evan Bode on His Student Short Film Showcase Winner Thine Own Self
August 15, 2022

Interview in Global Search for Education:
Unmasking the Artistry of Thine Own Self: An Interview with Evan Bode
October 12, 2023

5-Star Review in C.M. Rubin World:
The Beauty of Self: Authenticity in Evan Bode's Thine Own Self
October 1, 2023


Article in Syracuse University News: 
VPA Film Student Wins Gotham’s Student Short Film Showcase
Dec. 8, 2021
 

Article in The Daily Orange: 
SU graduate’s award-winning film ‘Thine Own Self’ explores gender binaries 
Nov. 28, 2021

A Spot for Frog

Ranked #1 Best Short Film of Outfest LA in
12 Stellar Shorts from OUTFEST 2023 by Jason Flatt
July 26, 2023


Interview for New Jersey Film Fest:
Festival Shorts Program Filmmaker Q&A Panel 
May 28, 2023


Review in New Jersey Stage:
A Spot for Frog screens at the 2023 New Jersey International Film Festival 
May 22, 2023

Afterimages

Review in Moving Poems: Poetry in Video Form: Afterimages by Mackenzie Duan and Evan Bode
Aug. 12, 2023

Published in Counterclock Literary Journal:
Patchwork: Film x Poetry Season 4
2023

Out of Frame

Teens with a Movie Camera

On Freedom with Project Mend

Gallery Exhibitions

Article in Syracuse University News:
VPA Inaugurates New Warehouse Gallery with Overture: 2025 Faculty Survey
January 31, 2025

Other Achievements

Article in Syracuse University News:
35 Teaching Assistants Recognized for Outstanding Contributions
April 27, 2023

Article in Syracuse University News, for Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence:
One University Awards to Celebrate Excellence Across the University
April 18, 2023

Article in College of VPA News:
2 VPA Graduate Students Recognized as Outstanding Teaching Assistants
April 10, 2023

Full Curriculum Vitae

Education


Syracuse University – Master of Fine Arts in Film                                                      Fall 2020 – May 2023
Department of Film and Media Arts, College of Visual and Performing Arts


Colorado State University – Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies              Fall 2016 – Spring 2020
Minors in Film Studies, English, and Sociology; Graduated with Honors


Oxford University – “Shakespeare in Oxford” Honors Study Abroad Program                     Summer 2019
Independent Study: Contemporary Children’s Cinema and Cultural Theory

Awards and Honors

  • Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence in Graduate Student Research (Syracuse University, 2023)

  • Outstanding Teaching Assistant (Syracuse University, 2023)

  • Official Selections for major film festivals, including OUTFEST L.A. and Animafest Zagreb (2022)

  • Winner of Director’s Choice Award at Thomas Edison Film Festival (2022)

  • Winner of The Gotham Institute’s Student Short Film Showcase, earning $10K production grant, distribution through Focus Features and JetBlue Airlines In-Flight Entertainment, and attendance at the 2021 Gotham Awards (New York City, 2021)

Teaching Experience 

Part-Time Instructor, Film and Media Arts — Syracuse University                          Spring 2023 – Spring 2025

  • Designed original syllabi, developed lesson plans, facilitated critiques, and taught multiple courses across a range of topics in film and interdisciplinary media arts, including theory, history, and hands-on practice, emphasizing experimentation, collaboration, and creative personal expression.

Courses Taught:       

CAR 102: Art and Craft of Animation (Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025)
FIL 124: Filmmaking Workshop: Concepts (Spring 2024, Spring 2025)
FIL 223: Modes of Production: Fiction / Hybrid (Spring 2025)
FIL 221: Modes of Production: Documentary / Experimental (2 sections, Fall 2024)
CAR 121: Experimental Animation (Spring 2023)
FIL 253: Survey of Film History (Co-Taught, Fall 2023)

Courses Assisted:     

FIL 253: Survey of Film History (Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020)
FIL 226: Survey of Film Theory (Spring 2023)
FIL 520: Auteur Cinema (Spring 2022, Spring 2021)

Co-Leader, Video Editor, Web Manager, “Teens with a Movie Camera” – Syracuse, NY 2024 – Present

  • Co-founded a free, collaborative media arts workshop empowering the diverse visions of underrepresented teens in the city of Syracuse.

  • Supported and guided the development of original, collaborative art projects with high school participants, predominantly immigrant and refugee youth, including interdisciplinary experiments in film, photography, poetry, dance, essay films, painting, video projection, and stop motion animation.

  • Edited teen work into a collective screening, premiering on the façade of the Everson Museum of Art, in affiliation with internationally recognized media organizations Light Work and Urban Video Project.

 

Instructor, Summer Pre-College Program — Syracuse University                   Summer 2021-Present

  • Taught and assisted seven intensive 2-week sessions of an all-day filmmaking workshop for high school students. Prepared lessons, led workshops, provided critical feedback, and offered mentorship for high school filmmakers on foundations of filmmaking, animation, and various media arts.

 Course Taught:  Intro to Filmmaking / Summer Filmmaking Academy

Co-Instructor: Summer 2024 (2 Sessions), Summer 2023 (2 Sessions)
Teaching Assistant: Summer 2022 (2 sessions), Summer 2021 (1 session)

Artist Talks / Workshops / Speaking Engagements

2025    

OCAD University, Animation History, Guest Filmmaker: A Spot for Frog as Queer “Outsider Art”
DePauw University, Experimental Animation, Artist’s Talk and Film Screening
Syracuse University Museum of Art, Spring Community Day Animation Workshop

2024         

Syracuse University, Feminist Film Practices, Artist’s Talk: “Futures Out of Frame: Filmmaking for Another World.” 
Syracuse University, In Our Own Backyards, 2-Part Workshop: “Animating the Everyday” and “Storytelling with Shadows.” Artist’s Talk: “Video Editing, Outside the Box.”
Dignity for Children Foundation, Malaysia, STEP: Videography, Artist’s Talk: “The Freedom of Amateurs: Personal Creative Expression on Zero Budget”
Syracuse University, Smartphone Filmmaking for Artists, Artist’s Talk: “Video Diaries in the Digital Age” + “Stop-Motion Tools in Your Pocket,” and Workshop: “Self-Reflexive Stop-Motion”

2023

Baltimore School for the Arts, Junior Production Studio, Q&A on animating “Out of Frame”
Syracuse University, Modes of Production, Artist’s Talk: “My Experimental Film Practice”
Syracuse University, In Our Own Backyards, 2-Part Workshop: “Backyard Folklore: Collaborative Storytelling and Animation with Shadow Puppets”
Syracuse University, Physical Aspects of Filmmaking, Artist’s Talk: “Learning to Listen: The Invisible, Essential Role of Sound Design” and Workshop: “Creating a Soundscape.”
Syracuse University, Smartphone Filmmaking for Artists, Artist’s Talk: “Don’t Be Afraid to Animate” and “Bringing Inner Worlds to Light”
WQED Film Academy, with Teen Screen Pittsburgh, Artist’s Talk: “Filmmaking Outside the Box: Telling Personal Stories in Your Own Way”

2022

Cornell University, Film Production, Artist’s Talk: “Animating Inner Worlds” and Workshop: “Anyone Can Animate: Stop Motion Tools in Your Pocket”
DePauw University, Film Production: Creating the Short Film, Artist’s Talk: “Embrace Your Limitations: Creative Approaches to Authentic, Personal Storytelling”
Syracuse University, GUT-C (Give Us the Camera), Workshop for Marginalized Film Students: “Anyone Can Animate: A Hands-On, Accessible, Beginner-Friendly Animation Workshop”
Milwaukee LGBTQ Community Center, Community Screening and Conversation: “Write Yourself In: Breaking Binaries in Queer Storytelling through Animation”
Music Box Theater, Chicago, Pre-Concert Film Screening and Director Q&A: A Spot for Frog
Syracuse University, In Our Own Backyards, Artist’s Talk: “Don’t Be Afraid to Animate” and Workshop: “Animating the Animator: Stop-Motion Self Portraits”

Film Festival Screenings and Awards


2025

Film and Animation Showcase: Global Fundraiser for Gaza, Manchester, United Kingdom
Poetry in Motion Film Festival, Colorado Springs, United States
Exposures Montreal Trans Film Festival, Montreal, Canada
Norwich Queer International Festival of Film, United Kingdom
MisCon International Short Film Festival, Montana, United States
Syracuse University VPA in LA Film Showcase, California, United States
WriteOut in Chorus, Central New York Philanthropy Center, United States
Honorable Mention: Blackbird Film Festival, United States

2024

Winner: Best Animation at New Jersey International Film Festival, United States
Winner: Curator’s Pick Award at Student Experimental Film Festival Binghamton, United States
Winner: Critic’s Choice Award at SyraQs Micro Film Festival, New York, United States
Winner: Best Experimental Film, Voice of the Future - IFF, Lithuania
Winner: Best Costume Design, Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival, Greece
Mometu College Film Festival, United States
Magnolia Independent Film Festival, United States
Art Film Spirit Awards, Toronto, Canada
Baby Teeth Film Festival, New York, United States
Semi-Finalist: Blow-Up Arthouse Filmfest - Chicago, United States

2023

Winner: Director’s Choice Award at the 42nd Thomas Edison Film Festival, United States
Winner: Best Animation at the New Jersey International Film Festival, United States
Winner: Best Arthouse Fiction, Adria International Short Film Festival, Croatia
Winner: Best Score, The Monkey Bread Tree Film Awards, United Kingdom
Winner: Best Diary Film, Timeless Film Awards, Poland
OUTFEST Los Angeles Film Festival, United States
ImageOut: Rochester LGBTQ+ Film Festival, United States
Nantucket Pride Youth Film Festival, United States
Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival, Indiana, United States
Experimental Film Fest, United States
New York Lift-Off Film Festival, United States
Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival, Canada
Reelout Queer Film Festival, Canada
Florence Queer Festival, Italy
Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Australia
AnimaQUEER Film Fest, Brazil (Nominee: Best Score)
Helios Sun Poetry Film Festival, Ciudad de México, México
Reel Desires: Chennai International Queer Film Festival, India
Aotearoa Poetry Film Festival, Wellington, New Zealand
Leeds Queer Film Festival, United Kingdom
MicroActs 16 Artist Film Screening, United Kingdom
Syracuse International Film Festival Student Showcase, New York, United States
Nominee: “Best Director,” The Monkey Bread Tree Film Awards, United Kingdom
Honorable Mention: “Best Director,” Munich New Wave Film Festival, Germany
Honorable Mention: Merced Queer Film Festival, United States
Honorable Mention: Experimental Forum, United States 
Finalist: Kansas City Underground Film Festival, United States 
Semi-Finalist: Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival, United States
Semi-Finalist: Change the Script: Shorts Informed by Experience, Canada
Distribution via Counterclock Literary Magazine - Patchwork: Film x Poetry Season 4
Distribution via Teen Screen Pittsburgh: Educational Media Program, United States
Distribution via Planet Classroom Global Network for Youth, International

2022

Winner: Best Silent Film at Out & Loud: Pune International Queer Film Festival, India
Winner: Super Short Smartphone Contest, Berlin Flash Film Festival, Germany
Animafest Zagreb, Films for Children Competition, Croatia
Leeds International Film Festival, United Kingdom
Durban Film Festival's Isiphethu Student Film Festival, South Africa
Bendigo Queer Film Festival, Victoria, Australia
Seattle Queer Film Festival, United States
Prairie Pride Film Festival, United States
Octopus Marquee Independent Film Festival, United States
New Filmmakers Showcase at Syracuse International Film Festival, United States
Through the Student Lens Film Festival, Colorado, United States
Blackbird Film Festival, New York, United States
TEDxCSU Special Screening, Colorado, United States
Finalist:  55th Humboldt International Film Fest, United States
Distribution via JetBlue In-Flight Entertainment
Distribution via Focus Features Digital Distribution

2021

Winner: Gotham Institute's Student Short Film Showcase, New York, United States
Winner: Audience Choice Award, Through the Student Lens, Colorado, United States
FOR RAINBOW: Festival of Cinema and Culture of Gender Diversity, Brazil
Seattle Queer Film Festival, United States
OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival, United States
QUEER-Streifen Regensburg Film Festival, Germany
MicroActs 8 Artist Film Screening, United States
FilmOneFest, New Jersey, United States
Student Showcase at Syracuse International Film Festival, United States
Semi-Finalist: Sweden Film Awards, Sweden
Nominee: Best Experimental Short at Short Encounters Film Festival, Greece

Gallery Exhibitions

Upcoming: VISIONS OF HOPE: Moving Images by Teens with a Movie Camera, ArtRage Gallery, Syracuse, New York, U.S. (February 7-March 21, 2026)

Syracuse University Faculty Survey, VPA Warehouse Gallery. Syracuse, New York, U.S. (2025)

Our Place in Space: Interactive Video Installation, Shaffer Art Building. Syracuse, New York, U.S. (2025)

MFA Graduate Thesis Show: “I Thought I Knew,” Random Access Gallery. Syracuse, New York, U.S. (2023)

No Citation Needed: Multidisciplinary Art Exhibition, Syracuse, New York, U.S. (2023)

Festival Juries / Curatorial

Jury Member, Salt City Film Festival, New York, United States. April 2025.
Guest Judge, Lambkin Film Festival, Colorado, United States, May 2025.

Film Composer / Sound Design / Music Production

2025

Composer — Vanishing Point. Short film directed by Ryan Bode.
Composer — The Scar Beneath. Short film directed by Ashique Shahir.
Composer — 2025 Grad Showcase, SU VPA Film Program. Teaser Reel.

2024

Composer — The Salamander Fairy Princess. Short film directed by Phoebe Sessler.
Sound Designer & Composer — Cymophane. Short film directed by Ghazal Yousefi.
Composer — Spilled Ink. Short film directed by Ryan Bode.

2023

Composer — A Whale Who Drank a Fish Bowl. Feature film directed by Doorim Kim.
Songwriter & Sound Design — Rabbits Under the Shed 2. Short film directed by Mia Stegner.
Sound Designer & Composer — Out of Frame. Short film directed by Evan Bode.
Composer — Final Cut. Short film directed by Ryan Bode.

2022

Composer — KEN. Short film directed by Adrien Callahan.
Sound Designer & Composer — A Spot for Frog. Short film directed by Evan Bode.
Composer — Dead End. Short film directed by Haolun Xu.
Sound Designer & Composer — Rabid Dog. Short film directed by Lebogang Neo Matseke.
Composer — For Them That Prey. Short film directed by Mmakgosi Anita Tau.

2021

Composer — Love, Lebo. Short film directed by Lebogang Neo Matseke.
Sound Designer & Composer — Thine Own Self. Short film directed by Evan Bode.
Co-Composer with Mia Stegner — Life, Death, Bowling. Short film directed by Adrien Callahan.
Co-Composer with Mia Stegner — Scouts. Short film directed by Oliver Schaffer.

Art Direction / Set Decoration / Production Design

2024

For Wren. Short film directed by Em Baker
Vanishing Point. Short film directed by Ryan Bode
bitter/sweet. Short film directed by Tevvon Hines
The Act of Cutting Away. Short film directed by Hayden Celentano

2023

Spilled Ink. Short film directed by Ryan Bode
The Trouble with Being Human. Short film directed by Samantha Bray
Cymophane. Short film directed by Ghazal Yousefi
All of Her Senses. Short film directed by Oliva Dalfino
Final Cut. Short film directed by Ryan Bode

2022

Little Bird. Short film directed by Sarah Aristy Camejo
Nightfall. Short film directed by Tevvon Hines
The Callback. Short film directed by Kara Herold