Arturo Gomez Molina
Making movies is one thing—getting them seen is a whole different game.
During his senior year, Chapman alumnus Dasha Levin ’24 wrapped up his Community Voices film and was ready to try and make an impression on the local and international film festival scene.
Unsure how to navigate the complex film festival landscape, Levin turned to Dodge College’s Film Festival Specialist, Mickey Duzdevich, for navigation. With years of experience and industry insight, Duzdevich helped build a strategy for submitting the film to the right festivals.
“We want our students to get their foot in the door, experience what a festival is like and make industry connections that will help them grow,” Duzdevich said. “I just got back from a festival in Seattle where we had 43 Chapman alumni participating. For myself, it was amazing to watch them promote their films and still be a part of their mentoring through that stage of being filmmakers.”
With that support behind him, Levin had the direction he needed to move forward. He was confident that ‘Handwoven,’ a documentary that follows a non-binary shepherd and weaver working to preserve their way of life through the traditional art of weaving, had the potential to make a real impact.
“Because this film covers LGBTQ+ and indigenous issues, and given our current heightened political climate, we felt like this film was going to give the voices of those audiences a platform to be seen and heard,” Levin said. “I’ve made multiple films, but I felt like in front of the right audience, this one could really take off.”
Since its debut on the festival circuit in 2024, “Handwoven” has earned widespread recognition—winning Best Student Documentary at the American Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival, the nexGEN Filmmaker Award at the Berkshire International Film Festival, and was named an Official Selection at the Seattle International Film Festival, among many others.
“Winning an award at Cannes was incredibly surreal and deeply meaningful,” Levin said. “Although I was unable to attend in-person, just knowing that ‘Handwoven’ was recognized on such a big international stage was incredibly validating for the work and the story we set out to tell.”
Since graduating, Levin has continued to build on the success of utilizing Duzdevich’s guidance and strategy and continues to promote and submit ‘Handwoven’ to film festivals around the world.
“Our film now has an acceptance rate of over 40%, including acceptance into some big globally recognized festivals,” Levin said. “I’m happy and excited that I was able to combine my Dodge education with Mickey’s expertise to launch this project. It’s opened doors I didn’t expect.”
With a clear vision and a powerful story to tell, “Handwoven” grew from a student film into an award-winning film on the international stage. For Levin, it’s a testament to what’s possible when passion meets purpose—with Dodge College’s faculty and staff there to support every step of the way.
