Clarence Lockett started out as a theatre student focusing on screenwriting. But it was a true-life story that pulled him into filmmaking and changed his college and career goals.

He has always been a good storyteller, he says, and naturally took to screenwriting, but after transferring to UAB from Miles College, he began taking filmmaking classes in UAB’s College of Arts and Sciences to try to capture real stories.

"Films can ignite discussion," says Lockett, who graduated in December 2013 with a degree in Film and Media Studies. "They may not change things immediately, but they can get people on the paths to helping in a positive way."