Transylvania University to host ‘Lazy Eye’ screening with filmmaker

Transylvania University presents a screening of "Lazy Eye" on Jan. 23 followed by a Q&A with its acclaimed filmmaker, Tim Kirkman.

Part of the school's Creative Intelligence series, the public event begins at 7 p.m. in Carrick Theater. Reserve free tickets here, and note that the film and discussion contain mature themes and content.

Kirkman wrote and directed the 2016 romantic comedy-drama, which streamed on Netflix and was screened in festivals worldwide and in theaters.

The movie was produced by T42 Entertainment, a company co-founded by Kirkman supporting LGBTQ filmmakers.

His first feature was the personal documentary "Dear Jesse." It received honors including Emmy, Gotham, Independent Spirit and GLAAD award nominations - and won Best Documentary of the Year from the Boston Society of Film Critics. Kirkman was nominated for an Emmy in Outstanding Documentary Writing.

The filmmaker also directed and wrote "Loggerheads," premiering at the Sundance Film Festival.

The North Carolina native earned a bachelor's degree from North Carolina State University's College of Design. He later served as art director for Miramax Films and received an M.A. in media studies at The New School. Besides making movies, Kirkman teaches directing and screenwriting at the University of Southern California and UCLA.

The screening of "Lazy Eye" is part of this year's Creative Intelligence Series inspired by Wendell Berry's poem "Testament."

"Like the speaker in the poem, the series seeks hope in what we may be able to imagine, even when the present feels hopeless," said Kremena Todorova, a professor and director of Creative Intelligence. "It calls on us to draw on our available resources, including art and community, while we live through difficult times. And it affirms the power to be found in human connections."