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A new documentary about legendary independent film and horror pioneer George Romero will premiere at 7 p.m. on Feb. 4. Produced by 51��Ʒ��Ƶ film studies students, “George Romero & 51��Ʒ��Ƶsburgh: The Early Years” was made in ’s spring 2020 course Making the Documentary: George Romero and 51��Ʒ��Ƶsburgh.

A panel discussion moderated by “Day of the Dead” star Lori Cardille will follow the film.  is required and attendees will be sent an access link to the virtual event.

Students of Kurlander, a senior lecturer in the in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, were able to interview a number of key players for the project, including film producer Gary Streiner, Romero’s widow Suzanne Romero, acclaimed local filmmaker Tony Buba and others. They also had access to the within the University Library System. This student film explores Romero’s early creative life in 51��Ʒ��Ƶsburgh, his connections to the 51��Ʒ��Ƶ, his legacy as an artist and his historic casting of African-American actor and 51��Ʒ��Ƶ alumnus Duane Jones as the lead in the 1968 horror classic “Night of the Living Dead.”

Kurlander said his student film producers were thrown a curve when the pandemic hit.

“In responding to the challenge, many of them could have given up,” he said. “But the class was inspired by how creative George was when he was their age, and they learned how to interview via Zoom and how to research, work with transcripts and edit remotely.”

Several students continued to work on the film over the summer and also made two related mini-documentaries that will be shown at the event. One is about Jones, who will posthumously receive the George A. Romero Foundation Pioneer Award, which will be accepted by his sister, Marva Brooks.