The coming-of-age romance follows a young violinist who falls for a girl at the opera, unaware that she is a ghost.
“I was heavily inspired by the coursework in my English literature classes, which focused on the gothic genre, as well as my love of classic opera,” said Butkewitsch (pictured, right). “I had a dream about three years ago that I developed into the script for the film, blending the gothic and operatic genres into a beautiful, ghostly story about being a young artist.”
Vitolo received support through the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Teaching Fellowship in 2023 and a Brackenridge Fellowship from the David C. Frederick Honors College in 2024. She worked closely with Brenda Whitney, a teaching associate professor in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences’ Department of English, who mentored her through both experiences and encouraged her to pursue the film.
Throughout the production — writing, directing, acting and editing — Vitolo completed two degrees in business Marketing and English literature while working at part-time jobs and internships.
“I had never made a film of my own so I learned to trust myself as an artist and disregard distractions, even if they tell you to your face that you can’t accomplish something,” she said. “As someone who wasn’t in this field before, it’s daunting to be an outsider, but even when you’re a young artist, you know what your story is. You are the only one who knows how to tell it.”
You can watch “No Encore” on YouTube.