Film major takes passion, career to Cannes Film Festival with WMU Study Abroad
KALAMAZOO, Mich.-- When Western Michigan University (WMU) film major Sean Knowles thinks about the movies, he thinks about all the hard work, love and support behind the scenes that make the picture so remarkable.
He is reminded of his grandmother, the woman who would watch movies with him when he was a young boy, so he wasn’t home alone after school.
He recalls his father, who worked long hours in the auto industry to support Knowles, who is now set to become the first person in his family to earn a college degree.
He also thinks about his mother, a woman who died much too young and isn’t here to see Knowles chart his own, remarkable path.
With the assistance of the Haenicke Institute for Global Education, Knowles travelled to France in February for a semester abroad in the seaside town of Cannes. He will document his journey on Instagram @wmustudyabroad.
In Cannes, Knowles will study French culture and communication while also completing an internship at what has become one of the most recognized film events in the world: The Cannes Film Festival.
“Everything in my life revolves around my love for film,” says Knowles, who is 19 and in his sophomore year at Western. “There is so much support for me—from family to my teachers and the people here. With this kind of support, I feel like I can really do anything.”
A young film maker
Knowles was only 6 –years-old when his mother died, and he and his father moved from Texas to Chicago to be closer to family. “My coping was movies," he says. “The theater became my escape.”
Knowles’s love for film and storytelling only strengthened as he grew older and began to heal from the trauma of losing a parent so young,
He went from watching movies on the couch with his grandmother to creating his own short films with his friends after school. By the time he was in high school, they had won a local film contest.
“That was an ‘Oh my God’ moment for me,” says Knowles. “I was finally recognized for my work. I want to be able to make a movie and watch it. Nothing makes me happier than watching and making movies.”
Knowles chose Western after a campus tour where he saw the studio setup in the renovated Dunbar Hall and learned about the university’s robust communication offerings. He also met a study abroad specialist at a recruitment event.
He recalls jumping up and down in excitement when he realized he could customize his own study aboard experience and go to Cannes and intern at the film festival with the support of Western scholarships.
He immediately signed up to take French classes and began immersing himself in French culture. “The winners at Cannes, these are movies that are in usually in theaters the next year,” he gushes.
“The teachers here, the staff here, they put their faith and trust in me. I now want to put it back into the school and my mentors here and make something of myself.”
Knowles is now eyeing a similar internship and scholarship program with the Toronto International Film Festival. “I want to study abroad again, and I haven’t even gone yet,” says Knowles with a grin as he discusses his career aspirations just hours before his first French exam.
Western’s Film, Video and Media Studies program in the College of Arts and Sciences emphasizes hands-on education, says Dr. Vincent Longo, assistant professor in the School of Communication.
The focus is on making films, websites, podcasts, documentaries and more that are critically informed and community-centered, Longo says.
“Several of our classes learn the technical, artistic and ethical approaches to documentary by making films in collaboration with people and groups in Kalamazoo about issues for which they care.”
“Sean has the remarkable opportunity to experience the pulse of the international film industry in a way that only celebrities and major players usually do,” Longo says. "The Cannes Film Festival shows films from across the world that are on the cutting edge of film art and film as a tool of social critique and discussion.”
Cannes is also home to some of the world’s largest film sales conventions, Longo adds. There is an opportunity to make real-world connections that could lead to a first job in the industry. “Sean will gain an insider's understanding how film licensing works, how filmmakers make deals and make money and the processes by which media actually reaches audiences,” he says.
“Sean will get to meet, and sometimes talk at length with, the creatives and business people who make the media industry run."
WMU Study Abroad
Knowles has always wanted to travel but says his father couldn’t afford international trips growing up. “When I saw study abroad at orientation, I realized there was a chance for me to go through school,” he explains.
WMU Study Abroad offers more than 80 programs in 30 countries around the world. Most students are traveling to Europe, Asia and Latin America. However, offerings span the globe, with international education experiences in Africa, Oceania, North America and the Middle East.
Over 460 students participated in WMU Study Abroad programming in the 2023-2024 academic year. “Sean is a great candidate for studying abroad because he wants to challenge himself and expand his vison for his studies and career,” says Dr. Howard Huff, study abroad specialist at The Haenicke Institute. “He cares about his work and will represent WMU, his college and himself well at the international level.”
Knowles will travel to the French Riveria with the study abroad program provider AIFS Abroad, where he will study film, French language and culture at the Campus International de Cannes. His travel will be funded, in part, through WMU study abroad scholarships.
One major benefit of study abroad is learning from other cultures, says Longo. “Some of the films at Cannes only receive limited releases in the United States, if they are released at all,” he explains. “Sean will be exposed to new techniques and cultural approaches to filmmaking that even the most well-connected American cinephiles do not get.”
Traveling internationally can be nerve wrecking, Knowles admits, but he says his preparations with WMU Study Abroad have eased his fears. “Western will always make sure you are okay. I have a security system, and I have people behind me to take care of me.”
Knowles will be the first in his family to leave the United States. The trip will be life changing. It’s already changing the people around him.
At Thanksgiving dinner, Knowles’s travel plans were all anyone wanted to talk about. His grandmother is even applying for her passport so she can come to France. “This is going to happen,” says Knowles. “This is a huge, monumental thing.”
About The Haenicke Institute for Global Education
The Diether H. Haenicke Institute for Global Education, established in 1998, fosters an environment that supports the global engagement of the Western Michigan University community. Its offices assist more than 1,170 international students on campus and nearly 1,000 WMU degree-seeking students studying at partner institutions in China and Taiwan.
The Institute facilitates short- and long-term study abroad programs for students, faculty and staff. It also hosts a variety of global learning activities to encourage a more globally engaged southwest Michigan. These initiatives include designing and promoting scholarship and academic opportunities at WMU; providing outreach to area K-12 schools; hosting lectures, panels and events; and showcasing arts, entertainment and culture from around the world.
More information at www.wmich.edu/global.