MCC Student Screens Film at Boston Independent Film Festival

Middlesex Community College selected Communication student Donovan Meehan’s film “TRAEH” as the college’s submission to the 2024 Boston Independent Film Festival on May 4. From Concord, Meehan directed and edited the film, assisted by MCC students Phillip Nelsen and Abby Hamill.

“It feels really great to have my film in the festival and I am really looking forward to seeing it on the big screen,” Meehan said. “I am studying film after a long experience of not being able to find a career that suits me. I settled on my true passion.”

Meehan wrote and shot the film over the summer of 2023. Based on Instagram memes about Ryan Gosling characters, the film focuses on neo noir movies and features an ending plot twist to “flip the cliché on its head.”

“TRAEH” was also one of 29 films from five countries screened at the Lowell Film Festival on April 6. MCC co-hosted the first-ever event with UMass Lowell at MCC’s Academic Arts Center.

“The Lowell Film Festival was my first film festival that I have attended since starting my journey into the world of filmmaking,” Meehan said. “It was a really cool and exciting experience.”

MCC’s program has provided Meehan with various hands-on experiences to improve his knowledge and skills in the industry. In addition to working on his own projects, he has interned for the college’s Communication division by filming events and acting as a teaching assistant in classes.

He chose to come to Middlesex based on its convenient location, affordable prices, and on recommendation from his mother who is an alumna of MCC’s Dental Hygiene program. While he explored different subjects in his first year at the college, Meehan discovered his love of filmmaking thanks in part to professor and Chair of the Communication, Art & Design division Dr. Jennifer Bauer.

“When we met in my first semester of second year, Jen Bauer saw I had potential and took me under her wing,” Meehan said. “She helped me not only create fantastic pieces of work, but also allowed me to do what I am passionate about, which in turn makes the work that much better.”

After graduating from MCC, Meehan wants to continue his filmmaking with shorts and other projects. He is also working toward getting into the union for set design. His goal is to build connections and make his way up in the industry as he films his own projects on the side.

With plans to transfer to a state four-year institution, Meehan credits MCC for a “top-notch education” that helped him explore his passion.

“MCC has allowed me to grow my craft and expand my knowledge,” he said. “I have truly enjoyed my time at MCC and cannot see any other way that I would have come out in the same path if not for the school and the community it has given me.”