Wright State students, alumni create short film for Smithsonian exhibition

DAYTON, Ohio — The Dayton Art Institute is currently hosting 'Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice,' a touring exhibit by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, but now they can experience another side of it through an immersive short film created by Wright State University students and alumni. The immersive short film was created by students and alumni from the university's Tom Hanks Center for Motion Pictures. The exhibit features 34 paintings from Johnson's 'Fight for Freedom' series, honoring African American activists, scientists, teachers and performers alongside international leaders. The film accompanying the exhibit explores the lives of Marian Anderson, Josephine Baker and Paul Robeson. Lauren Schack, a 2026 motion pictures graduate, motion pictures student Ciarah Jenkins and alumnus Cameron Henderson formed the creative team for the project. Henderson directed and the film was produced by Nichol Simmons, a Wright State alum and director of the Tom Hanks Center for Motion Pictures. Schack served as production designer on the project. 'I learned a lot about William Johnson and the civil rights and political work that he did through his art,' she said. 'And, of course, I learned about what can be accomplished when creative minds come together to make something special. I'm very proud that my work is being exhibited at the Dayton Art Institute,' she said. 'It makes me feel very accomplished and also very honored that I get to be a part of sharing such an important artist.' Jenkins worked as the gaffer, or lighting technician, for the film. 'The more I learn about important people and information that involves my culture, the better,' she said. The students both said the university's motion picture program helped prepare them for the project. 'My time at the Tom Hanks Center for Motion Pictures prepared me greatly for this opportunity,' Schack said. 'I learned how to work with fellow creatives, hone my creative skills and forge connections with new people through art.' 'Professional projects introduce students to an entirely different level of responsibility and collaboration,' said Dan Zehringer, D.M.A., director of outreach and engagement for the School of Fine and Performing Arts. 'Those experiences teach flexibility, communication, accountability and creative problem-solving in ways that simply cannot be fully simulated within a traditional academic environment.' He said the collaboration with the Dayton Arts Institute allowed students to showcase the work produced in the Tom Hanks Center for Motion Pictures while allowing students to work on a nationally visible project. 'Having work featured as part of a Smithsonian-organized exhibition is an experience that many young filmmakers only dream about,' he said. 'It demonstrates that the quality of work being produced at Wright State is not simply meeting classroom expectations — it is contributing to projects of national historical and cultural significance.'