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Lees-McRae College Assistant Professor Jesse Knight Honored with Two Prestigious Awards for Filmmaking

Sept. 20, 2013. Lees-McRae is proud to announce that Jesse Knight, assistant professor of communication arts and programming coordinator for Communication Arts and Design, has been honored with two awards for filmmaking.

At the 2012 ConCarolina Film Festival, Knight took home the Lucid Auteur Award for his short film, Guns, Water & Food: An American Story. The Lucid Auteur Award is given to a director who has made a name for him or herself, and has a specific style to their work. Jesse was honored with the award for his use of artistic shots in all of his films, and he has become known for his hard work in acquiring these scenes.

imgresAnd the 2013 Round Con Film Festival, Knight’s film The Orbs won the Feature Film Award which is only given out to full length films. Full length film requirements are commonly 70 minutes or longer. With a complex story line and superb acting, The Orbs was viewed as an extremely well-constructed film.

“It was an honor to receive these awards,” said Knight. “Any type of accolades I receive for my work is great! I worked really hard on The Orbs especially, taking about two or three years to complete it, which was longer than I anticipated. The script and editing took the longest. I wanted to make sure the details were exact and well done.”

Knight earned his BFA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and subsequently, his MFA from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. In the classroom, Knight, who has been part of the Lees-McRae faculty since 2008, teaches many classes in the Communication Arts and Design program such as Multimedia Presentations and Video Production. Outside of the classroom, Knight continues to make films. His label, Jesse Knight Films, has created numerous short films, music videos and made-for-TV series. Jesse is also working on more future movies to be entered in the Film Festivals.

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Lees-McRae College is a private, four-year college offering diverse baccalaureate degrees, strong athletic programs and outstanding faculty. With 850 students hailing from 40 states and more than 10 countries, Lees-McRae’s broad core curriculum is enhanced by field-specific career preparation and experiential learning with an emphasis in leadership and service. For more information, please visit www.lmc.edu or call 828-898-5241.