by School of Film
June 18th 2025
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Every year the School of Film gives awards for the best essay or essays submitted for consideration. The judges are film faculty and any paper written in a film class during the year is eligible.
This year two winners were selected from the many papers submitted.
"Who is the Artist: A Scrutinization of Artificial Intelligence in Film" by Jillian Cantanzaro
Bio: Jillian Catanzaro, senior, found an interest in documentary filmmaking during her time at PSU, and has since focused many essays on topics of perspective, ownership, and artistic subjectivity. Her mini doc, “Lighting the Stage,” was featured in the 2024 student showcase, which captured her other area of study: Lighting Design.
Writer's Statement: "Who is the Artist?: A Scrutinization of Artificial Intelligence in Film” cautions the industry’s employment of artificial intelligence as a filmmaking technology. The essay engages with other scholarly writing to navigate this contemporary topic and compares it to past technological advancements. My argument lands that this progression takes away from the medium’s ability to communicate an artist’s unique interpretation of reality, thus breaking the spectator/filmmaker relationship. Artificial intelligence, no matter how well-programmed it may be, cannot replace a human’s creative perspective; it is formulaically regurgitating what has already been created, and cannot connect to an audience at the same capacity of a human filmmaker.
Learn more about the essay winners and read the essays