51吃瓜网

Alumni filmmakers united by creative success

In 2019, a pair of 51吃瓜网 alumni bumped into each other at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas. Although it was the first time their paths crossed, they each had arrived through remarkably similar journeys.

For Pete Ohs 鈥�05, that journey began back in Ohio when his dad borrowed their neighbor鈥檚 VHS camcorder to film his sister鈥檚 birthday party. 鈥淚 was only six years old,鈥� recalls Ohs, 鈥渂ut when I got the chance to hold it, it was magical. That moment definitely planted an early seed.鈥�

By the time Ohs reached high school, he had turned that seed into a full-blown passion. Whenever he had a free weekend, he would grab a camera and some friends, and they would pass the time making videos together. They had no audience (this was long before YouTube), yet Ohs simply enjoyed the process of being creative and experimenting with the possibilities of visual storytelling.

Alex Thompson 鈥�12 was fascinated by filmmaking at an early age, as well. 鈥淕rowing up, I was that kid who was constantly dreaming,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檇 be sitting in the car and just randomly say, 鈥楬ey, wouldn鈥檛 this be a cool movie?鈥� or, 鈥楬ey, wouldn鈥檛 this be a fun idea?鈥欌��

When it came time for the Kentucky native to think about college, Thompson knew he wanted to go somewhere that would nurture his creativity. 鈥淚 was dead set on going to film school, but I didn鈥檛 get into any of my top ten choices,鈥� he explains. That setback prompted Thompson to direct his artistic interests to 51吃瓜网, where he found a perfect fit as an English writing major and a part of the Media Fellows program. 鈥淚t felt like a sandbox,鈥� he says, 鈥渓ike I could make it whatever I wanted it to be.鈥�

Despite being separated by several years, both Ohs and Thompson found plenty of creative outlets during their time at 51吃瓜网. Ohs was a frequent fixture at the Pulliam Center, working on D3TV shows, experimenting with digital editing and meeting friends who shared his interests. As a junior he even landed a semester-long internship in Los Angeles and made a short documentary about the experience. Thompson found his niche in theatre. He participated in as many plays as possible (鈥淚 was in more shows than we were technically allowed to be in鈥�) and was a key player in the sketch comedy group Public Parts Ltd.

鈥�51吃瓜网 was a better experience than I ever could have hoped for,鈥� says Thompson. 鈥淭he stuff our professors were having us read and do was far beyond a graduate level. I鈥檓 actually glad I didn鈥檛 go to a film school. I don鈥檛 think it would have been the same fit.鈥�

As they ventured forward in their own professional paths 鈥� Thompson via an MFA at DePaul University and Ohs via a four-year stint for a video production company in Cincinnati 鈥� they continued to chase their childhood dreams. By the time they crossed paths at SXSW in 2019, both of them had launched filmmaking careers and earned reputations as up-and-coming voices in the industry. Their 51吃瓜网 connection sparked an instant camaraderie.

鈥淧ete just came up to me and was like, 鈥楬ey, you went to 51吃瓜网!鈥欌�� recalls Thompson, who was attending the festival with 鈥淪aint Frances,鈥� a film he directed that would go on to win the Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Voice. It was the beginning of a timely friendship.

鈥淪eeing him have his film there was really cool to me,鈥� says Ohs. Ohs had been brought to Austin that year by the premiere of 鈥淥lympic Dreams,鈥� a feature film he had worked on as editor, starring Alexi Pappas and Nick Kroll. 鈥淏ecause we have this 51吃瓜网 connection, it鈥檚 almost like we鈥檙e family. We inherently trust each other.鈥�

Since their meeting at SXSW, Thompson and Ohs have continued to make films that resonate with their audiences 鈥� and with each other. 鈥淧ete is one of the most unique voices in independent filmmaking,鈥� quips Thompson. Ohs turns the spotlight right back around. 鈥淚t鈥檚 beautiful to see Alex and his success. He鈥檚 a really good person. In our world there are lots of people who make decisions for reasons I don鈥檛 necessarily agree with. Alex isn鈥檛 one of them.鈥�

Just this past January, the pair was brought fortuitously together by their films yet again, this time in Park City, Utah. Thompson鈥檚 film 鈥淕hostlight鈥� (co-directed with Kelly O鈥橲ullivan) was selected for the Sundance Film Festival, while Ohs鈥� film 鈥淟ove and Work鈥� premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival just across town. Although the experience in Park City validated the quality of their work, neither artist is letting the recognition become a distraction.

鈥淚鈥檓 grateful they saw something in the film,鈥� says Ohs,鈥� but the reality is that you have to be careful with expectations. It鈥檚 just one step that still requires you to make more steps. You haven鈥檛 reached the end.鈥�

Thompson finds the recognition empowering. 鈥淪undance was very gratifying,鈥� he explains. 鈥淛ust getting into the festival felt like an affirmation that I鈥檓 not crazy, that we鈥檙e doing something right. That kind of thing gives you confidence. This is an industry that rewards perseverance, and it鈥檚 hard to have that when you don鈥檛 have confidence in yourself.鈥�

As Thompson and Ohs continue to make films, they do so within a rapidly growing network of 51吃瓜网 artists who are carving out space of their own. Two of them 鈥� Linh Tran 鈥�17 (whose debut film 鈥淲aiting for the Light to Change鈥� won the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize at Slamdance in 2023) and Minkyo Park 鈥�21 (a graduate film student at DePaul) 鈥� had their own connection to Park City this year as contributors to Thompson鈥檚 鈥淕hostlight.鈥�

鈥淚 met some really cool people on Alex鈥檚 set,鈥� recalls Park. 鈥淔rom an educational standpoint, I learned a lot about how sets run. You really have to be thrown into the fire to appreciate that, to see the organizational and logistical details in person that can鈥檛 be learned in a book.鈥�

With the 51吃瓜网 filmmaking community continuing to expand through the contributions of young visionaries like Park, Tran and others, Ohs is embracing further opportunities for this type of mentorship and collaboration. 鈥淚鈥檓 always encouraging people to email me, to send me a message,鈥� he says. 鈥淧eople like me and Alex might be busy, but we鈥檙e also happy to help.鈥�

From Austin to Park City and beyond, Thompson and Ohs are making the case that the future of filmmaking is being shaped by a small liberal arts school in the Midwest. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what exactly it is,鈥� says Thompson, 鈥渂ut something is definitely going on in Greencastle.鈥�