Aberdeen, South Dakota – Jason Knowles, an Assistant Professor of Art at Northern State University, won an award at the 2025 New Media Film Festival for his original short film Ever So Faintly I See. The film, Knowles’ first spiritually themed production, was made in collaboration with friends, colleagues, former students, and family.
“I am very grateful to the 2025 New Media Film Festival for this award,” says Knowles. “Ever So Faintly I See was the first spiritually themed film I directed and produced, which would not have been possible without strong collaboration between friends, colleagues, and former students.”
Terry Martin, an internationally recognized nature painter and educator, provided the film’s story and narration. Knowles’ longtime research partner, Shaun Speers, recorded the narration remotely. Chris Norton, one of Knowles’ most talented former students, worked as the director of photography. The cast included Jamie Keyes, William Pelton, Michael Ashburn, Lisa Malleck, William Johnston, and Knowles’ father, Donald H. Knowles.
Ever So Faintly I See explores spiritual harmony through creativity in fishing and painting, as an artist reflects on an old friend and realizes that solitude is not loneliness.
The film was honored by the New Media Film Festival®, which has been celebrating the fusion of storytelling and technology since 2009. The Los Angeles-based festival showcases works that challenge traditional media, providing a platform for innovative content to both in-person and online audiences. More information is available at www.newmediafilmfestival.com.
In addition to the national recognition, Knowles and Northern’s F.B.I. (Film/Broadcast/Interactive Media Production) program will be featured in the July/August 2025 issue of South Dakota Magazine, which focuses on filmmaking in the state. The article focuses on the M.I.L. (Moving Imagery Lab), a studio with a green screen for special effects and digital backgrounds, and The C.A.V.E., an audio space for movie sound design, musical performances, and podcasting.
The article also mentions that Knowles, along with fellow NSU educators Meng Tian and Hannah Walters, recently received a grant to investigate the use of artificial intelligence tools in marketing and public relations.
F.B.I. students at Northern create a variety of media projects, such as a bi-weekly television show and live radio programming. On October 30, the program presents the Spook-Spectacular Radio Show live in the historic Krikac Theater, commemorating the anniversary of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds broadcast.
The Zep-stone International Film and Music Festival recognized the 2024 production with two awards.
In November, Knowles will direct a new short film in Aberdeen as part of a community collaboration with local filmmakers and artists. Cast auditions will take place on campus in early September 2025, with volunteer crew members working alongside Northern film students. More information will be announced in August.
Knowles is also expanding his research into the emerging field of A.I. filmmaking, with summer experiments focusing on virtual actors, voices, music scoring, and screenwriting.
The F.B.I. emphasis is part of Northern’s School of Fine Arts’ Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Media program, which is offered by the Art Department. Within its first two years, the F.B.I. program has already achieved international recognition. Students can also pursue cross-disciplinary minors such as Sports Media, Marketing and Digital Design, and Public Relations, all of which include various forms of digital media production.
