Students hail Haggis's return to Fanshawe
Fanshawe rolled-out the red carpet last week when former student and Oscar winner, Paul Haggis, returned to the college to talk with students about his recent accomplishments.
Haggis attended Fanshawe in the early 70s and was enrolled in a film studies course, which has since been discontinued. Just this year, a new post-graduate diploma in advanced filmmaking has been added to the curriculum and Fanshawe President, Dr. Howard Rundle, presented an honourary diploma to Haggis, who failed to graduate from the college over 30 years ago.
“I was an incredibly bad student here at Fanshawe,” Haggis said to the crowd of students and local media in Fanshawe's broadcasting centre. “I was struggling to keep a C-average- which I never did.”
Academics aside, Haggis had fond memories of the college and spoke highly of learning from professors and getting the chance to work with film making equipment.
“It was fabulous,” Haggis said of his developing film-making days at Fanshawe. “I have great love in my heart for Fanshawe College.”
Advanced Filmmaking student, Dave Cardoso, created a three-minute film montage highlighting the Oscar-winner's career, which was shown during Haggis's visit. When asked what Haggis thought of the student film, Cardoso said Haggis would have preferred that the television show Walker, Texas Ranger, which he briefly wrote for, was not considered a highlight.
Amongst the brigade of media, it was apparent the visit was more about the students than publicity. On a larger than life-size portrait of himself, Haggis wrote, “For the students: Live what you dream.”
“You can't just have the dream,” Haggis said. “You have to work ferociously toward that goal.”
In conjunction with the London Catholic and Public School boards, and on behalf of Fanshawe College, Rundle announced a new scholarship in honour of Haggis. The annual scholarship will go to a student from each high school system that chooses to study within the arts department at the college.
“[The scholarship] will help aspiring students follow in the footsteps of Paul Haggis,” Rundle said.
Moving to Hollywood from London at the age of 22, Haggis's parents supported his dream with encouragement and the financial backing of $100 a week until he was making enough on his own as a television writer.
Best known for his 2005 critical hit, Crash, which explores the racial divide in Los Angeles, Haggis co-wrote, directed and co-produced the film. Created on a relatively small budget ($6.5 million US budget), Crash debuted at the Toronto Film Festival with a bevy of stars, such as Matt Dillon, Ryan Phillippe, Sandra Bullock and Don Cheadle.
Earlier this year, Crash and Haggis took home Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Motion Picture of the Year.
Haggis also wrote the screenplay for Million Dollar Baby, which took home the Academy Award in 2005 for Best Motion Picture of the Year.
Prior to working with films on the big screen, Haggis was a veteran in the television world, contributing to such programs as The Love Boat, One Day at a Time, Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, Due South and L.A. Law.
Haggis attended Fanshawe in the early 70s and was enrolled in a film studies course, which has since been discontinued. Just this year, a new post-graduate diploma in advanced filmmaking has been added to the curriculum and Fanshawe President, Dr. Howard Rundle, presented an honourary diploma to Haggis, who failed to graduate from the college over 30 years ago.
“I was an incredibly bad student here at Fanshawe,” Haggis said to the crowd of students and local media in Fanshawe's broadcasting centre. “I was struggling to keep a C-average- which I never did.”
Academics aside, Haggis had fond memories of the college and spoke highly of learning from professors and getting the chance to work with film making equipment.
“It was fabulous,” Haggis said of his developing film-making days at Fanshawe. “I have great love in my heart for Fanshawe College.”
Advanced Filmmaking student, Dave Cardoso, created a three-minute film montage highlighting the Oscar-winner's career, which was shown during Haggis's visit. When asked what Haggis thought of the student film, Cardoso said Haggis would have preferred that the television show Walker, Texas Ranger, which he briefly wrote for, was not considered a highlight.
Amongst the brigade of media, it was apparent the visit was more about the students than publicity. On a larger than life-size portrait of himself, Haggis wrote, “For the students: Live what you dream.”
“You can't just have the dream,” Haggis said. “You have to work ferociously toward that goal.”
In conjunction with the London Catholic and Public School boards, and on behalf of Fanshawe College, Rundle announced a new scholarship in honour of Haggis. The annual scholarship will go to a student from each high school system that chooses to study within the arts department at the college.
“[The scholarship] will help aspiring students follow in the footsteps of Paul Haggis,” Rundle said.
Moving to Hollywood from London at the age of 22, Haggis's parents supported his dream with encouragement and the financial backing of $100 a week until he was making enough on his own as a television writer.
Best known for his 2005 critical hit, Crash, which explores the racial divide in Los Angeles, Haggis co-wrote, directed and co-produced the film. Created on a relatively small budget ($6.5 million US budget), Crash debuted at the Toronto Film Festival with a bevy of stars, such as Matt Dillon, Ryan Phillippe, Sandra Bullock and Don Cheadle.
Earlier this year, Crash and Haggis took home Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Motion Picture of the Year.
Haggis also wrote the screenplay for Million Dollar Baby, which took home the Academy Award in 2005 for Best Motion Picture of the Year.
Prior to working with films on the big screen, Haggis was a veteran in the television world, contributing to such programs as The Love Boat, One Day at a Time, Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, Due South and L.A. Law.
