Ohio filmmakers celebrated at the 25th annual Ohio Shorts premiere at South Drive-In

A Still from “Standing in The Blink of a Night: For Casey Goodson Jr,” by John Landry. Credit: Courtesy of John Landry

Film buffs, students and community members met at the South Drive-In Thursday to spotlight the moving-image makers of Ohio, whose work is now viewable from the couch and open for voting.

The Wexner Center for the Arts hosted the 25th anniversary of the Ohio Shorts, an annual film festival showcasing the Ohio filmmaking scene with films from local artists, Ohio State students and local K-12 students. The 2021 festival shared 20 short films handpicked by Ohio Shorts alumnus and Cincinnati artist Prentiss Haney from 122 submissions, and the films are available online until May 1.

The festival showcased a variety of films, ranging from animated films such as “Sona VS” by Mackenzie Bigley and films about social justice issues such as “Standing in the Blink of a Night: For Casey Goodson Jr.” by John Landry and “As a Matter of Black” by Donte Woods-Spikes.

The $500 Jury Award was announced during the premiere screening, but voting for the $300 Audience Award is open until April 25.

John Landry, a North Carolina native, photographer and videographer, showcased his short film “Standing in the Blink of a Night: For Casey Goodson Jr.,” which won the Jury Award during the premiere. He said he felt compelled to tell the story of Goodson, a Black man who was killed in an officer-involved shooting in Columbus, after attending a march for Goodson in downtown Columbus.

“I didn’t really intend to make it a film actually, I just went down to take pictures,” Landry said. “Then while doing so, I actually captured a lot of video as well. They both kind of coincide with each other.” 

Landry said he felt like Goodson’s story had not been spoken about as much as it should have been, and the motivation behind creating the film was to broaden audience exposure to Goodson’s story. 

Donte Woods-Spikes, a filmmaker and public speaker, said his film, “As a Matter of Black,” depicts the Black experience in relation to police brutality. Woods-Spikes said he felt the need to attempt to highlight and change the media portrayals of Black people and their humanity, things that are often left out of popular political narratives.

“I just want to be proactive and put something out there that will get people talking and just thinking, ‘What can we do to be proactive?’ and not wait until something happens to protest, as well as for the police to use us ‘being scary’ and them being nervous as a defense,” Woods-Spikes said. “When you see this documentary, you see that these are normal average people. You see that they had a family and they’ve gone through things as well.”

Woods-Spikes said he premiered a different version of the film in theaters at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival in Columbus, but he appreciated the opportunity to be able to share his film and the experience with loved ones during a time where physical proximity is limited.

“It was only 10 people in the room because that’s all that was allowed. And you feel like that moment of glory is kind of snatched from you. It’s like, ‘Wow, this was the opportunity for everyone to see what I have been doing, and see all the recognition that I’m getting.’ But I can’t share this moment,” Woods-Spikes said. “So being able to have it at the drive-in, it gives everyone the opportunity to remain socially distant but also be physically present at the same time.”

The complete lineup of films is available for free streaming on the Wexner Center’s website through May 1.