Created by Hunter Friesen, The Cinema Dispatch is your one-stop-shop for all news, reviews, lists, awards updates, and essays relating to the world of cinema.
While attaining a Master’s Degrees in both Accounting and Finance at the University of Northern Iowa, Hunter was also a student of cinema. He was president of the Film Appreciation Club for three years, which entailed programming weekly screenings and leading post-screening discussions. Through films such as Do the Right Thing, The Sacrifice, The Maltese Falcon, and All That Jazz, the club was able to entertain and educate the student body about film and its role in society.
In the final years of his presidency, Hunter coordinated a partnership between the club and the Sundance Film Festival, which allowed for the screening of several festival selections on campus. Along with his club presidency, Hunter extended his involvement by taking up the position of film critic for The Northern Iowan. Over his extended tenure, he made his mission to broaden the horizons of the student body by writing over 100 articles, consisting of reviews, festival correspondence, and awards forecasts. He also hosted a biweekly campus radio show called Your World with Nick & Hunter on 94.5 KULT-FM for two years, which features segments touching on film news.
Apart from his ties to the university, Hunter has formed several connections within the cinephile community. Since early 2021, he’s been a member of The League of Cinephiles. He’s been crowned Film Trivia Champion on numerous occasions, and has appeared in other videos surrounding the Oscars and movie debates. The next year he became the first president of The Critics Circle, which was formed by several members of the league to further promote their shared passion for cinema through group reviews and lists.
Starting in 2021, Hunter attended the Cannes Film Festival as a part of the 3 Days in Cannes program. Over the years he’s attended the world premieres of Nitram, Memoria, and Showing Up. Other films he saw include The French Dispatch, A Hero, Annette, Triangle of Sadness, Close, and Crimes of the Future. He wrote reviews for Next Best Picture as part of his festival coverage, all of which can be found at Rotten Tomatoes. He’s also appeared twice on the Gold Derby Horses Podcast to provide insight about the Oscar chances of the films in competition. He also attended the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival and 2022 Twin Cities Film Festival.
Other outlets he’s contributed to are Buffed Film Buffs, the Reel Chronicles Podcast and The Infinity Film Podcast.
Hunter is a member of the Minnesota Film Critics Alliance (MNFCA).