Cinema Columbus
Cinema Columbus Film Festival opens on April 30 and runs through May 4. The annual film festival brings independent films from around the globe to Columbus. Throughout the weekend, film lovers can visit local venues including Southern Theatre, Drexel Theatre, Gateway Film Center, Grandview Theater & Drafthouse, McConnell Arts Center, Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse and Wexner Center for the Arts to watch the selected films.
While many filmmakers have moved away from Columbus to pursue their careers, some are returning to showcase their work at the film festival. Meet some of these filmmakers below.
Shawn Bannon
Eric Zachanowich
Growing up in Dublin, Shawn Bannon began editing and creating films in high school. Bannon first gained interested in filmmaking when his high school invested in Avid Media Composer editing software. He learned the software himself and started making films.
His passion for filmmaking led him to the California Institute of the Arts, and he’s been in California ever since.
Since then, he has become an award-winning filmmaker, with films screened at multiple film festivals including Sundance.
In addition to being an independent filmmaker, Bannon has created work for several different companies. He has worked with A24, including making a documentary on The Green Knight movie, and has also worked with nonprofits to make short films on environmental issues.
His first feature documentary, The Smell of Money, premiered at Sarasota Film Festival in 2022. This film gained a lot of attention for sending a powerful message about environmental justice.
His latest feature documentary, Memories of Los Angeles, will screen at Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse on Friday, May 2 at 9:00 p.m. The experimental documentary explores the changing relationship between humans and the environment in the city of Los Angeles.
“I fell in love with cinema in Columbus. A lot of my friends are just so into cinema there,” says Bannon. “We went to the movies all the time and we would go to the Drexel and all of those theaters, so it’s just cool to premiere there.”
Allyson Morgan
Emily Lambert
A graduate of The Ohio State University and originally from Pickerington, Allyson Morgan has since moved away to New York City to pursue her dreams and build her career. From a young age, Morgan had a passion for the arts and storytelling, getting her start at Columbus Children’s Theatre.
Since moving to NYC, she has remained involved in the theater community – originally more focused on acting, Morgan started a theater company with her friends in 2010 – but she has also gradually expanded into the film industry.
In 2014, she entered a screenplay competition and won, and she also had a script that went on to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
With her new focus in writing, Morgan wrote two films for Hulu. In 2020, she wrote a short film for the Bite Size Halloween series. Her other Hulu film was a feature film titled Jagged Mind, released in 2023.
Now, Morgan’s directorial debut, The Ghost, will screen at the festival on Thursday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m. at the Drexel Theatre. The film is a dark comedy about a woman being ghosted by the man she is dating and then becoming haunted.
“I was such a different person when I lived in Ohio and left Ohio. I left Ohio when I was 22 years old, and it’s been about 20 years at this point,” says Morgan. “So, I like that it feels like a full circle moment for me to be able to show everything that I’ve learned and bring it back to Columbus.”
Jazmin Bryant
Jazmin Bryant
Growing up in Gahanna, Jazmin Bryant moved to Chicago to attend Columbia College Chicago. During her final semester, she participated in the school’s L.A. program and has been in Los Angeles ever since.
Bryant first discovered her love for entertainment in high school through theater and morning announcements.
Since then, she has interned with multiple companies including Monkeypaw Productions and A24.
After her internships, she went on to become a production assistant on various projects. She was also an office production assistant for multiple projects such as HBO’s The Idol and Hulu’s Pam & Tommy.
Recently, she has transitioned to the corporate side of the entertainment industry. On the side, she continues to produce short films and music videos.
Her current passion project is “Fake Film School,” which is a talk show where Bryant sits down and interviews artists who are in the entertainment industry to discuss their journey, advice and resources for navigating the field.
Most recently, Byrant was a creative producer for Between Gigs, directed by Brittney Briggs. The film will screen on Friday May 2 at 8:00 p.m. at Gateway Film Center. The film explores artists pursuing their passion while being overworked and underpaid.
“It’s super significant and I do not take it lightly or for granted. I was so excited to submit to Cinema Columbus specifically because I am from there,” says Bryant. “I just want to play homage to the city where I am from.”
View the full Cinema Columbus Film Festival 2025 schedule here.
Korrigan Craddock is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
