Sophia “Sunny” Davis

Majors: Film/Media and Writing & Rhetoric

Minors: Anthropology and English

Hometown: Mahwah, NJ

What accomplishments and/or activities are you most proud of while at URI?

Throughout my four years at URI, I have been focused on molding myself into the best writer/director I can be. I am incredibly proud of the three films I have written and directed for various classes as well as the TV series I have developed for my honors project. My senior year, I was able to work as a production assistant on the AMC show NOS4A2 as well as bring back and revamp URI’s Film Collaborative.

What research projects, internships, or study abroad experiences did you participate in at URI?

The summer after my first year, I studied abroad in Calabria, Italy where I produced a video about the trip. During my junior year, I attended South by Southwest, an international film festival held in Austin, TX. There, I got to meet and learn from professionals in the film industry as well as speak to my role models, including Wes Anderson. That summer, I had the opportunity to intern for Mary Healy Jamiel, helping her get ready for the international release of her documentary Searchdog. That same summer, I traveled to Israel to participate in the Jerusalem Film Workshop, a fellowship where I produced a short documentary that I worked on with an international crew; our documentary has screened at festivals around the world.

What do you value about your liberal arts education?

I value the flexibility that a liberal arts education comes with; I have taken courses abroad, at film festivals, and gotten major credit for my honors project that I worked so hard on. Another thing I value is how personal the faculty is. I feel as though all of my professors have mentored me in some way and have helped to make me into who I am today.