Ouray Student’s Art Finds New Home

It started with water. 

More precisely, it started with a haunting animated short film entitled "By Water" which screened at the 2023 Ouray International Film Festival. The film, which was conceived of and directed by Dartmouth film professor and filmmaker Iyabo Kwayana, uses lush animation to visualize a pivotal voicemail that the filmmaker's sibling left her. 

On the day of the film's screening in Ouray, the audience included Keaton Nelson, a local student from Ouray High School who has partnered with the festival on a range of artistic projects. Something about the film captured Keaton's attention. In fact, Keaton chose to create a multi-media triptych that paid homage to the film's aesthetic and themes. He presented the fruits of his work at our annual end-of-year celebration at Ouray School where we honor the work our student partners create through the film festival. 

Most ambitious students would stop there. Not Keaton. 

He contacted Professor Kwayana to make her aware of his work and to thank her for the film that sparked his own inspiration. Many months later, Keaton's artwork hangs outside Professor Kwayana's office at Dartmouth College. 

At OIFF, we couldn't be prouder. Keaton represents everything that we try to accomplish in our partnership with Ouray School. Working closely with superintendent Tod Lokey and faculty member Eric Constantineau, the program is built on the belief that our festival can open doors to enriching opportunities for students in a range of art forms, vocational pursuits, and intellectual disciplines. 

Thank you for everything you bring to the OIFF community, Keaton!