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Kent State will soon hit the big screen. As part of a three-course curriculum, Kent State students are getting the opportunity to work on a full-length film from pre-production to post-production.

Kelly Thewlis, senior electronic media major and director of the film, describes the film “Breaking News” as a mystery and drama featuring martial arts.

Thewlis became interested in the project when Traci E. Williams, a lecturer in Journalism, Mass Communication and Pan-African Studies, told her she planned on turning the Advanced Narrative course into a three-course curriculum so students could learn all parts of the film production process.

The three courses are Pre-Production, Production and Post-Production. The post-production phase of the film starts in the fall, with the production phase wrapping up last week.

This will lead up to a premiere in December at the Kent Stage and also one at the Kiva the following night, said Film Publicist Brad Taylor.

Taylor also said the film is expected to be released nationally.

Williams, who is leading this project, has experience working on major films including, “Antwone Fisher,” “Welcome to Collinwood” and “Against the Ropes.”

This program was a unique opportunity for students to try their hands at all the stages of production for a film, said Thewlis.

“It is a great experience that not every student gets to have,” Thewlis said. “It was such a great learning experience and an opportunity.”

The staff and cast of the film were made up of about 40 people.

“The crew was probably about half students and half volunteers, with a lot of the actors coming from outside, but there were some student actors as well,” Thewlis said.

Contact general assignment reporter Kyle Reynolds at [email protected].