Kenyon College is no stranger to the film industry. Our cinematic roots span over 100 years, multiple actors, directors and writers. The film and drama program is popular among students, with high class enrollments every semester. At the center of this artistic hive is the crucial question among college students: “What am I going to do after this?” Kaylin Allshouse ’19 has the answer. 

Allshouse, who graduated from Kenyon with a degree in film and studio art, has made a name for herself. Her first feature film, “Still Ohio,” will soon be screened at Cinema Columbus, an annual independent film showcase, as a special hometown narrative feature. 

In an interview with the Collegian, Allshouse went back to the start of it all. The film industry first captivated her because of her time in Gambier: “I just immediately felt like I was living in a movie when I was at Kenyon… What better place to make movies than there?” Which is exactly what she did —  after initially going into classes hoping to become a film editor, Allshouse pivoted, focusing instead on writing and directing. “I was able to get a lot of reps in with just directing short after short,” she said about her classes. “I just loved the casting part of it, and just seeing it all come together.” 

“Still Ohio” is set in the rolling plains of Ohio, where Allshouse grew up. The film centers around a group of college students carpooling (much like many Kenyonites). While stopping at an Ohio gas station, they become stuck in a time loop. The indie/horror/comedy is making its debut Friday at Cinema Columbus and again on Sept. 28 at the Cindependent Film Festival in Cincinnati. 

Allshouse drew comparisons back to Kenyon. “So many of my characters are inspired by just my time at Kenyon,” she answered, when asked about the similarities between the movie and her college education. “One of the things about my feature, ‘Still Ohio,’ is that [the characters] start off as stereotypes and then as you watch the movie, you quickly learn that they’re multifaceted.” She likened her characters to Kenyon students as they grow into their adult selves: “Who you arrive on the Hill as is not the person who you’ll leave [as] and it’s not the person who you were in high school.” 

Allshouse’s fascination with the sci-fi and horror genres also stems from courses she took and experiences she had in college. Throughout the interview, she reflected on the continuous effect that her courses had on her creative life post-Kenyon, “When you write a character, you have to put yourself in their shoes and really justify everything that they’re doing. … It goes back to Quest for Justice.” 

Aside from her busy life as a director and filmmaker, Allshouse serves as a role model for undergraduate students, particularly women, looking to break into the film industry. This summer, Kyla Keller ’29 worked with Allshouse on set for a movie the alumna was producing, “Plain City.” Both Keller and Allshouse describe their shoots as a rush of activity and responsibility, both exciting and empowering. When asked about women in media, Allshouse responded, “I purposely seek out young female creatives and filmmakers to work on my projects. … Being able to give that opportunity sooner to young women is just so important.” In a statement to the Collegian, Keller said, “Kaylin and I are both from Ohio and it was very cool to see that another woman from the same place, with an experience similar to me, has paved a way for herself in a very male-dominated industry.” 

“Still Ohio,” in its entirety, can be seen as a love letter (and a twisted one at that) to Ohio. As it is both Allshouse’s home state and the site of her formal higher education, she only has fond things to say: “Ohio is quickly going to be seen as a major player in the film industry. … To be able to have the possibility to inspire this same wonder or joy or even fear that I sometimes felt when I went to the theaters here in Ohio. … That’s fantastic.”