Dr. Timothy Day’s first foray into filmmaking began with a heist.  

“My cousin and I started in middle school. We snuck my aunt’s camera in a bookbag out of the house, and we shot a video while sledding. We called it ‘Extreme Sledding,’” says Dr. Day, associate dean of Wilmington University’s College of Business and Technology.  

Earlier this year, Dr. Day joined other WilmU instructors and local filmmaking experts to lead a seven-week workshop for young filmmakers, guiding high school students as they developed skills and created entries for the Student Film Competition at the inaugural Wilmington International Film Festival in October. The winner, who will be announced at the festival, will receive the President’s Emerging Storyteller Award, a full four-year scholarship to Wilmington University. 

“Our bachelor’s in Video and Film Production is a great program,” says Dr. Day, “but the scholarship winner can choose any program they’d like. We’re working to connect with the community, engage high school students and celebrate Wilmington’s arts scene.” 

“I appreciate them for setting themselves apart by doing this,” says Film Brothers Productions Owner and Festival Director Gordon DelGiorno. “They understand that storytelling, whether conscious or unconscious, is about everything we do.”  

The Wilmington International Film Festival will feature more than 50 films from 18 countries, live music, global cuisine and special events.  

“It’s about entertainment and escapism, and it’s about commerce,” says DelGiorno. “Art and creativity can drive business in our state.”  

As for the high schoolers, they’re learning more than the business of filmmaking.  

“In today’s world of AI and constant change, there’s no better way to help students develop critical thinking than through the arts,” says Dr. Day. “Creating a film or video is one of the most unnatural things you can do, but it teaches you how to problem-solve on the fly.” 

The students’ stories must reflect the theme of togetherness or connection and incorporate an unusual prop: cheese. One film focuses on how to make a family’s famous grilled cheese sandwich, while another showcases string cheese as the only way to save the world from a virus.  

“To have them sit down and create stories from scratch, I can’t wait to see them,” says DelGiorno. “It’s going to be a wonderful moment.”