When the FirstDance Film Festival returns to Westchester Community College this month, it will serve as a major showcase for Video Production students at the Center for Career Services. However, not just their work will be on display that night.
In fact, movie posters created by students in the Advertising & Graphic Design program are already on display in the Career Services’ hallways. Their creative work will be featured once again during the film festival, which is scheduled to be held April 29, 2026, in WCC’s Gateway Center Building.
Filmmakers from the Video Production program were paired up with design students, whose poster designs are meant to depict the stories on screen.
“The kids really took the driver’s seat this time, which was nice,” said Advertising & Graphic Design instructor Damian Powers. “The film students were the clients and we were the designers. Mr. May and I really stayed out of it. We connected them for meetings, and there was very good communication between both classes.”
Yuliana Becerra, a junior from Mamaroneck High School, said she and her client had several conversations that included feedback on her original designs.
“The collaboration was really nice; I really enjoyed it,” Becerra said. “Personally, I always want to make sure that my art is to the liking of whoever I am working with.”
Isaith Lucero, a junior from Port Chester High School, was tasked with creating a poster for a murder mystery involving multiple suspects. He designed a poster for the film "One of Us" (pictured) featuring Polaroid photos that included the silhouettes of the suspects’ faces.
“Every single step of the way, I tried to do what the filmmaker wanted,” Lucero said. “I took elements from the movie and incorporated it into the design. He gave me feedback for any changes, like new colors, fonts, etc.”
“I’m hoping a lot of people see what we created and think, ‘Wow, this is going to be a really interesting movie. I really want to watch it,’” added Becerra.