News release Public Information Office  SLU 10880   Hammond, LA 70402   phone: 985-549-2341   fax: 985-549-2061 publicinfo@selu.edu Spring 2004 news releases Public Information home News archive Contact: Rene Abadie Date: 4/27/04   AN ACT OF BRAVERY TAKES GOLD AWARD AT WORLDFEST-HOUSTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL       HAMMOND --  An Act of Bravery, a short film produced by Southeastern Louisiana University faculty and staff, won a second prize Gold Award at the 37th  annual WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival awards gala held in Houston this past weekend.       Written, choreographed, produced, and directed by Martie Fellom, professor of music and dramatic arts, the film premiered during Southeastern’s Fanfare 2003 season. An Act of Bravery depicts in dance and narration the journey of courage that takes place when a victim of molestation finds the strength to reveal their experience and reclaim their life. The work won in the category of film and video production for performing arts that includes dance, drama and music.       “I was fortunate to have many talented and creative persons working with An Act of Bravery –all of whom greatly contributed to the success of the project,” Fellom said.       An Act of Bravery was funded by a Southeastern faculty development grant and featured the dancing of Southeastern alumnus Michele Cudd with music by Conor McGibboney of Hammond. The eight-minutee piece was videotaped by Claude A. Levet and edited by Steven Kleyle, both with the Southeastern Public Information Office. Voice-overs were provided by Kleyle and Southeastern graduating senior Elizabeth Mayeux.       Worldfest-Houston is one of the world's largest awards programs for independent films and videos and is recognized as a prominent rival of the acclaimed Sundance Film Festival. The event is credited with early recognition of such directors as Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List), Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and Ridley Scott (Black Hawk Down, Gladiator).       An Act of Bravery is Fellom’s second film to be recognized at WorldFest-Houston. Her film Wish, written by Alan Marsh with video by Levet and which premiered in the 2001 Fanfare season, won a Gold Award in the 2002 film festival for Experimental Dramatic Films.       Fellom, Marsh, and Levet are currently at work for a new video project entitled The Firefly Club.