University of North Georgia (UNG) student Calvin Bowers has won awards at four film festivals for his eight-and-a-half-minute documentary "Per Amore Dei Gatti (For the Love of Cats)."

Bowers directed the film and produced it with three fellow students during the Film in Italy study abroad program in Barga, Italy, in 2024. Grant Aldinger, Olivia Claudon and Jarred Taber were part of the production.

The film's awards include:

• Georgia Communication Association Film Festival: Award of Excellence in Documentary.
• Bobcat Film Festival: Best Editing.
• South Georgia Film Festival: Best Undergraduate Film.
• Backlight Film Festival: Best Editing.

The concept for the film evolved in a much different direction than he originally thought it would.

"I initially had the idea for the documentary when I walked into Barga for the first time and immediately saw a bunch of cats around town. There was a freedom to them that felt different than strays in America," Bowers, a junior from New Milford, Connecticut, pursuing a degree in film and digital media with a production concentration, said. "This was because the majority of them weren’t strays, but in fact the pets of locals. Despite being pets, they seemed to belong to the town, in a community ownership kind of way. Everybody who walked past interacted with, talked to and cherished these animals together."

Bowers said he enjoyed the relationships he formed with classmates and the locals in Barga as the group worked on the film and earned the trust of the people they were interviewing.

"The experience of the study abroad program and the creation of the documentary were unforgettable. We were able to make something truly special and personal, while working with a beautiful community that gave a piece of themselves as well," Bowers said. "The festivals we’ve played in so far have added our film to IMDb, giving us a sense of accomplishment as our audience continues to grow."

James Mackenzie, associate director of film in the School of Communication, Film & Theatre in UNG's College of Arts & Letters, leads the Film in Italy program each year and appreciated the way the students excelled in their assignment.

"It's a beautiful short film," Mackenzie said. "It was inspiring to see those students use the opportunity of making the film to learn about Italian culture."