The first short film by alumnus Jon Hill (B.F.A. photography, 1991) was screened at HypeFest in Los Angeles July 26. Hypefest is a film festival that links independent ideas with commercial creativity.

“White Bitch Down,” described as “one craftily made film from its hilariously dark humor to its whip-smart direction” by writer Daniel Wible of Film Threat, won numerous awards at the Atlanta 48-Hour Film Project, including Best Director, Best Script and the Audience Award. Other festival screenings include the Sarasota Film Festival, the Cleveland International Film Festival and the Atlanta Film Festival, where Hill also won the Southeastern Media Award for his next project, the feature film, “Good Intentions.”

“Good Intentions” was written by “Project Greenlight 2” finalist Tony Stephenson. The award includes more than $100,000 in goods and services from Georgia businesses to complete the film. “Georgia is the perfect setting for ‘Good Intentions,’ a twisted dark comedy about the antics of a small-town spitfire, and the timing just couldn’t be better” said Hill. More than 30 filmmakers submitted bids, business plans and proposals for the competition.

While continuing work on television commercials, Hill will begin principal photography on Good Intentions in the winter of 2004.