Jacksonville University Associate Professor of Media Art Alex Willemin will screen his first feature film, Albert and Claude, on the closing night of the St. Augustine Film Festival on Jan. 14, 2024.
After debuting in Los Angeles and Austin earlier this year and winning “Best Feature Film” at the Treasure Coast International Film Festival and “Best Comedy Feature” at the Spotlight International Film Festival earlier this year, Albert and Claude will end it’s festival run at the St. Augustine Film Festival.
The film tells the story of Claude, a lone French Huguenot settler, who visits the abandoned quarters of his commander, Albert, whom he killed during a mutiny. Claude begins to hallucinate and interacts with Albert, and the two embark on a darkly comedic journey to the Fountain of Youth.
Willemin wrote the script when he was home during the Covid-19 pandemic. He explained, “The idea of losing my wife and daughter to something I could not protect them from resonated with me. That was the backstory for Claude’s character (portrayed by the very talented Eric Newcombe) and why he decided to leave France.”
The story was also inspired by Willemin’s personal interest in the Huguenots. “I’ve always been fascinated with their failed settlements, not just Fort Caroline here in our community, but also Charlesfort in South Carolina, where the settlers mutinied and tried to row back to France before succumbing to cannibalism. That’s where that part of the film is taken from.”
Principal filming took place over the course of 16 days on the south side of JU’s campus, Pumpkin Hill Preserve, and Huguenot State Park.
Willemin shared praise for JU students and colleagues who collaborated on his first
feature film project. Associate Professor of Theatre Erik DeCicco co- 
starred, Professor of Piano Dr. Scott Watkins composed and recorded the musical score,
and eleven Jacksonville University students worked alongside Willemin and a crew of
Jacksonville-based film industry professionals.
“I continue to marvel at the amazing work my film students put into this,” shared Willemin. “I also feel so fortunate to teach at a University where I have so many creative colleagues who are also so passionate about collaborating and creating great art. I wrote Albert’s character for Professor Erik DeCicco because we had worked on a couple of short films together and work really well together. Professor Scott Watkins’ score is unbelievable.”
Professor Willemin is an award-winning screenwriter, director, and cinematographer. His projects have screened around the world and have been featured on ESPN, PBS, and HBO. He also runs Alix Filmworks, an independent media production company with his wife, who also co-produced the film.
Albert and Claude will be screened on January 14th at 7:00 p.m. at the Gamache-Koger Theater before being available on demand late winter/early spring.
To purchase festival passes or individual tickets, visit here.
