Utah Tech Professor Makes Award Festival

A film professor at Utah Tech University has made it to two large film festivals with the tv series “Groundbreaking”.  

A UT press release on Thursday, April 13 said that the university’s Assistant Professor of Digital Film, Patrick Smith’s series has been accepted into the CANNESERIES and SeriesFest. CANNESERIES will begin tomorrow April 14 in Cannes, France through the 19. SeriesFest will be in Denver, CO in May from the fifth through 10. 

“Groundbreaking” follows a group of archeologists in Ireland.  

“On the tail end of a fruitless excavation, a team of astoundingly unsuccessful archaeologists on the brink of unemployment unwittingly discover an ancient Celtic secret that upends the beloved history of a rural Irish hamlet and catalyzes a series of inexplicable – if not supernatural – events that will fundamentally alter them all.”-Official Website 

The series is a mockumentary in the style of “The Office” the press release said. 

“Groundbreaking” was privately financed and produced by Smith’s production company Kiyo Films. There were more than 70 applicants for internships to assist with the film in Ireland but only 16 were chosen by producers in the end. Six faculty members from the university were also helping with various roles in production.  

“I’m grateful that our little rag-tag group of student hopefuls were able to help with and learn from this grand adventure across the ocean,” UT digital film major Hunter Abarca said. “I went through a series of firsthand knowledge opportunities. The news of the premiere is a welcome surprise, but not altogether unexpected. We know it’s in good hands.” 

Abarca was accepted as an intern for the film and worked with the director or photography.