According to the 1975 Jesuit Today, “Fr. [Marvin] Kitten initiated Jesuit’s film program in the spring semester of 1971 with a class of six students.”
In the Second Annual Dallas/Ft. Worth Information Film Producers Association Student Film Competition, “Steve Cook, was presented the ‘Sandy’ award for the best edited film. . . . [It] was the only high school entry honored at the college dominated festival.” The film was “a study in color and in black and white contrasting a poor boy and a rich boy at play and then in death” (TheTexas Catholic May 25, 1973).
Jesuit “won four awards at the recent Third Annual Texas Student Film Festival. The statewide competition was cosponsored by the Texas Education Agency and St. Stephen’s Episcopal School of Austin. Joe Salina won first place in the super-8 one reeler unedited category with his film. “Hall Hold-up.” In the general category Jesuit won all the awards. Tom Unis and Richard Rankin took first place with their film entitled “I’ve Got One Big Hangup.” Second place went to Steve Cook for “Friday the Thirteenth” and Kevin Jordan’s documentary “Mardi Gras 73’” was third (The Texas Catholic May 11, 1973). Both of the Dallas papers also covered these details.
In February 1975 “Channel 13 conducted The Young Filmmakers’ Festival. Films that were entered included Super 8mm, 8mm and 16mm both colored and black and white. Only films produced after January 1, 1973 were eligible. The Festival was an opportunity for young filmmakers to exhibit their works and have them viewed by film experts and the public” (Jesuit Today March 1975). 17 films were entered with 4 finalists.
The 1975 Jesuit Today noted that Jesuit “participated in three major Film Festivals this past year setting a new record for the number of awards won. There are currently five sections of Filmmaking offered at Jesuit. Pat Korman ’70 joined the Jesuit faculty this year as the film instructor.” Jesuit won five of the nine awards at the State Film Festival.
The May 30, 1975 The Texas Catholic notes that “Father Marvin Kitten, SJ, Jesuit film instructor, will be leaving the film department this year in order to devote his time to a special freshman program which will be initiated this fall at Jesuit. Pat Korman, a Jesuit alumnus and recent film graduate of SMU, will be in charge of the Jesuit film program next year.”
The 1977 school yearbook notes that Jesuit won two first place, four second place, and five third place prizes at the Texas State Film Festival Awards.
The 1982 Roundup reported: “The Jesuit Film Department is becoming an unknown organization with the departure of its moderator Pat Korman.”
