SUNY Old Westbury Visual Arts alumnus Joshua Olsen is a finalist in the SUNY-Wide Film Festival (SWFF). Olsen, who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2020, is nominated twice in the animation category for his works: “Pillow Talk” and “The Critique.”
“Joshua’s talent has shone at SUNY Old Westbury since his time as a student, having earned both a MAC - Media Arts Celebration Award in 2019 and an honorable mention at the last SUNY-Wide Film Festival for his work ‘Alien Invasion’,” said School of Arts and Sciences Dean Amanda Frisken. “Our innovative Visual Arts faculty nurture creativity and technical mastery essential for emerging fields like digital animation, and Joshua is a great example of those achievements.”
SWFF, now in its 10th year, is one of the top film festivals in the Northeast, and an opportunity to showcase the cinematic work of students and faculty from the SUNY system. The selections are made by a panel of judges, including an Emmy-award nominee, and an award-winning filmmaker. The finalists will be selected after the Film Festival in April at Purchase College.
Olsen, a resident of Coram, New York, is continuing his education seeking an M.F.A. in Community Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art, In addition, he is a Community Art Collaborative (CAC) AmeriCorps Member with Access Art, where he is serving as a Teaching Artist to help train and empower youth in artistic skills, confidence, and positive development through art making.
Visit SWFF’s website for a full list of events and award nominees.