UNCSA student film “Sonata” selected for CAA’s Moebius Film Festival

A student film from the School of Filmmaking at UNCSA will be represented in the eighth annual Moebius Film Festival, presented by leading talent and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

Directed, written and animated by Filmmaking alumni Madison Crisp (B.F.A. ’22) of Burlington, Abby Davenport (B.F.A. ’22) of Charlotte, Fern Singleton (B.F.A ’22) of Sylva and Vic Sosa (B.F.A. ’22) of Mooresville, who make up “Team Sonata,” “Sonata” is an animated short film that follows Henry as his plans for a perfect date with Ophelia are derailed during a blackout. He must learn to navigate his nerves, the heat and a mischievous gang of shadow musicians if he has any chance to win over the girl of his dreams.

CAA Moebius is a two-day screening series showcasing diverse graduate student filmmakers from around the world – including Canada, China, France, Malaysia, New Zealand and the U.S. – beginning Wednesday June 7, at the Ray Kurtzman Theater in Los Angeles.

This year, Moebius features 11 live-action and animated short films by emerging directors from University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, the School of Film/Video at CalArts, Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, the American Film Institute Conservatory and, for the second time, UNCSA. In 2022, UNCSA student film “Sammy, Without Strings” become the first project from an East Coast school to be represented in the festival.

“The School of Filmmaking reminds me of a magic cauldron where fantastic ideas bubble up and take form,” said UNCSA School of Filmmaking Dean Deborah LaVine. “‘Sonata’ is one of those gems that is delightful and magical...

“We are very honored to participate in the screening in Los Angeles for the second year in a row. We're pleased to have one of our animated films represent us at this prestigious event.  Especially one that tells such a joyful and warm story,” Dean LaVine concluded.

The story follows Henry as he’s tidying up his apartment for a date with his coworker and biggest crush, Ophelia. When the pair get settled with some popcorn and are ready to watch a movie, the power for the entire city goes out. Then, a mischievous band of shadow jazz players arrive, driving Ophelia away from Henry and toward their fun musical numbers. It’s up to Henry to let the night — and his date — get away or conquer his anxieties and win his date back from the mysterious musicians.

“This film was created as a love letter to romance, young adulthood and all the awkwardness inherent to those times,” wrote Team Sonata. “We really wanted to bring something to audiences that felt joyful and charming, but also deeply relatable. ‘Sonata’ was a dream to work on, and we all pitched in to make it magic — from the first story beats to the art direction, to the final touches of music and sound. We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we did making it.”

The story was created by Hailey Hudson (B.F.A. ’22) and Ava Tennis (B.F.A. ’23); produced by Robert Mageau (B.F.A. ’22) and Hailey Hudson; edited and sound designed by Lyric Abbott (B.F.A. ’23); with music by Ryan Mulder (M.F.A. ’20); and assistant animation by Aiden Winter-Deely (B.F.A. ’23), Kam Szeliga (B.F.A. ’22) and current Filmmaking student Destiny Dejames.

The cast for “Sonata” includes Hailey Hudson as the voice of Ophelia, Bobby Mageau as the voice of Henry, and Abby Davenport and Fern Singleton as Princess the hamster.

About the Moebius Film Festival

Conceived in 2015 by then-trainees and now CAA Motion Picture agents Christina Chou, Zach Kaplan and Pete Stein, plus Lingie Park, Moebius is produced through a collaboration of colleagues across CAA’s Motion Pictures department. The event draws attendees from major agencies, management companies, production companies, studios, networks, and streaming companies.  

Moebius supports CAA’s larger commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, within the agency and beyond. A longtime leader in the space, CAA has launched a number of programs and initiatives to support diverse creators and executives from underrepresented communities, including the Writer’s Bootcamp; the Full Story Initiative, an industry-led effort designed to generate more authentic and equitable storytelling in television and film; and CAA Amplify, a platform to connect a cross-disciplinary group of leaders from media, entertainment, sports and social justice to discuss timely social issues and generate solutions and collaborations that address them.

More about Creative Artists Agency

Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is a leading entertainment and sports agency, with global expertise in filmed and live entertainment, digital media, publishing, sponsorship sales and endorsements, media finance, consumer investing, fashion, trademark licensing, and philanthropy. Distinguished by its culture of collaboration and exceptional client service, CAA’s diverse workforce identifies, innovates and amplifies opportunities for the people and organizations that shape culture and inspire the world. The trailblazer of the agency business, CAA was the first to build a sports business, create an investment bank, launch a venture fund, found technology start-up companies, establish a philanthropic arm, build a business in China, and form a brand marketing services division, among other innovations.

Named Most Valuable Sports Agency by Forbes for eight consecutive years, CAA represents more than 2,000 of the world’s top athletes in football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer, in addition to coaches, on-air broadcasters and sports personalities and works in the areas of broadcast rights, corporate marketing initiatives, social impact, executive search, and sports properties for sales and sponsorship opportunities. Founded in 1975, CAA is headquartered in Los Angeles and has offices in New York, Nashville, Memphis, Chicago, Miami, London, Munich, Geneva, Stockholm, Shanghai and Beijing, among other locations globally. For more information, visit www.caa.com.

More about the UNCSA School of Filmmaking

Consistently recognized among the nation’s best training programs for filmmakers, the School of Filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts has produced some of today’s most creative storytellers, including Danny McBride, David Gordon Green, Craig Zobel, Zach Seivers, Brett Haley, Rebecca Green, Jody Hill, Jeff Nichols, Vera Herbert, Martha Stephens, Aaron Katz and Zoë White. Led by independent filmmaker and educator Deborah LaVine, the award-winning faculty have decades of real-world experience and a passion for mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in concentrations that include animation, cinematography, directing, film music composition, picture editing and sound design, producing, production design and visual effects, and screenwriting.

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