Collaboration was the theme this week as 8 College for Arts and Technology program departments came together to produce a one-of-a-kind evening. “The Final Cut” was Kelowna’s first-ever film and fashion event and took months of planning and cooperation amongst departments, students and College staff as a whole. Department heads, instructors and students were on hand from Fashion Design and Merchandising, Digital Filmmaking, Animation and Event and Promotions Management programs to see their planning come to fruition. Support came from other departments such as Digital Photography, Audio Engineering and Production, Electronic Music Artists and Digital Video Fusion Production. Animation department head Sean Ridgway had this to say; “I was so impressed.  A great celebration of our students’ immense talent and dedication to excellence.  CATO rocks!”

The concept for the evening was a Hollywood-style, glamorous affair to showcase the efforts of the film, fashion and animation students, planned and executed by students from the Event and Promotions Management program. “The EPM students went well beyond the call of duty to produce a spectacular event that not only showcased the skills of their peers in the Fashion, Film and Animation departments here at the College for Arts and Technology, it also demonstrated to themselves and the community their potential as event planners,” says Program Manager Victor Poirier.

Guests were welcomed at the Rotary College for the Arts in downtown Kelowna where they were greeted on the red carpet by Event and Promotions Management students. Upon entrance to the venue, party-goers were treated to a plethora of visual, auditory and edible treats during the reception portion of the evening. Electronic Music Artist student Warner Jerome and others provided the musical entertainment while photography students meandered the halls taking candid and behind the scenes images. Earlier in the day senior photography students also coordinated a studio shoot for all the fashion designers and their collections.

Despite this being an event to showcase Film, Fashion and Animation programs, it was a collaborative affair from concept to execution. Nearly every department from the Kelowna campus was on hand to either assist or just show their support of the students’ hard work. Student services manager Tammy Hoekstra aided in the awards portion of the evening, Campus Service Assistants ensured the students had all the appropriate technical gear and education administrative assistant Dorothy Dalba even donned a dress and walked the runway for our fashion students! Program advisor Kristin Stratulat also put on her stilettos and modeled student garments…talk about support! Even during the planning phase it was all hands on deck; graphic design students Jillian Prest and Abby Michelle created the eye-catching posters and programs with the help of our in house graphic designer Janell Alm.  Audio and Digital Filmmaking Department Head Graham Cairns noted “The Final Cut was a great demonstration of departments working together and showcasing all the outstanding materials our students create at the school.”

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the actual students showcasing their work. The students from Digital Filmmaking, Fashion Design and Merchandising and Animation truly were the stars of the evening. Their professional and industry quality work was a visual treat for all in attendance, with a diverse array of short films shown and Milan-ready fashions on the catwalk wowing the audience and faculty alike.

Education Manager Marc Leger writes “Wednesday night was a spectacular culmination of many people’s hard work.   From the buzz and busyness to the pomp and pageantry, it was great to watch and witness the organizers and students in their element.  Those of us more familiar with the school certainly felt and saw the spirit of collaboration between the represented programs.  It was truly awesome.”

Overall the night was a fantastic success, one that next year’s students will be hard-pressed to top. In this age of lightning speed productivity and an oversaturation of the creative digital landscape, up-and-coming entrepreneurs in all of these fields must take advantage of the benefits of collaboration. This event was a dynamic example of the fruits of partnership and cooperation; everyone involved is to be commended! And now, the planning begins again for next year.

Watch the video HERE!