SAM THOMAS TRIBUTE PAGE
Sam Thomas, 2011 Lander Alum, who won 1st place in the Lander Film Festival Short Film competition each of the eight times he entered, passed away on March 12, 2025. This presentation is a tribute to his memory, and the significant legacy he left behind.
Sam Thomas’ Award Winning Lander Short Films
2010 Imagine a Cave: 1st place College Division
2011 The Sequel: 1st place Open Division
2012 Still locating
2013: Let’s Dance: 1st place Open Division
2014: Love Hurts Darryl & The Bandit: 1st place Open Division
2016 Finch’s Landing 1st Open and Directors Award
2017 The Fixer: 1st place Open Division
2018 “Love Hurts – Heart 2: 1st place Open Division
Greenwood Mayor Brandon Smith’s Proclamation for Sam Thomas Day March 22, 2025
To be awarded beginning with the 2026 Lander Film Festival
Sam Thomas: 2016 Lander Short Film Open Division 1st place: Finch’s Landing
Memorial contributions, in memory of Sam, may be sent to the family via cash.app ($teachsamskids) for a Children’s Education Fund.
Sam’s story shows the beauty of the Lander Film Festival:
*In persons getting to know each other
*In persons advancing their skills, and
*In persons using this festival to advance their interests and careers.
Sam’s story is one that led him to be the co-founder of Bessie Productions and to help bring stories and characters to life through his work in film.
MEMORIES
In addition to winning first place in the Lander short film competition each year he competed, Sam left us so many more memories that we will treasure forever. Below is just one example. Sam wrote this song to compete in Lander’s talent show back in 2010. Of course, it won. Here we are performing to a packed house after one rehearsal. Sam surprized us playing his guitar behind his back. (Chelsey Ashford is singing, Paul Crutcher is on guitar, Chandler Pucket on bass, and I’m on drums). Sam also made our caricatures.
Sam Thomas, Keller Ridgeway and Nic Massey perform at Springfest in Uptown Greenwood in 2015.
Sam clowning around . . . . with longtime XLR General Manager Paul Crutcher.
“Sam was an extraordinary individual. He was uniquely talented, and He was surprisingly creative.
Sam never disappointed. When he took on a project, he would consistently blow us all away with a sly smile and humble wit.
He was a dependable friend always available and more than willing to help. “Sam called me Dr. Rob, and he made these two audio clips for my Dr. Rob’s Retro Radio Show on Lander’s XLR Radio.”
Dr. Robert F. Stevenson
“Sam was one of my students. He always stood out to me, not just because he was so tall…but because of his wit and intelligence.
In my Acting Class they had to come dressed as an alter ego or something totally different from their regular character. He came as Dracula. Gotta admit I had a hard time keeping a straight face when he performed his monologue as Dracula.
Sam was incredibly gifted. His curiosity, humor, and insight could be seen in many of his projects. I was honored when he asked me to be in his short film about a couple attending marriage counseling
The dialogue was edgy, funny, and contrasted with the deeper side of the film which was the relationship of the counselor with his disabled son. Sam knew how to explore the complex relationships, the light and dark, the absurdity of life that engaged and entertained his audience in a meaningful way.
Sam lived his life in his own terms. I have always respected that about him and felt it was one of the characteristics that made him stand out. He has left us with many wonderful memories and creative works…but it was too soon for his bright light to leave us.”
Media and Communication Professor Monique Sacay-Bagwell
“Back 3 years ago, Sam Thomas did a presentation at the Lander Film Festival Short Film Kickoff Workshop on how to get started with filmmaking. Especially on a short timeline. His knowledge of the field and passion for filmmaking left an impression on me to continue to make great things and put all my heart and soul into what I do.”
Alex Moreno, Media and Communication Alum ’24
“I first heard about Sam Thomas my freshman year at Lander. I was doing coverage of the 8th annual film festival, and as a part of that coverage I researched into past winners. The one name that consistently came up when asking past participants about the festival was Sam and the creativity of his past submissions. They specifically would bring up Love Hurts, the film where he had to incorporate the line “Because my dad is Burt Reynolds.” I was talking with all of the competitors that year that encouraged me to enter the following year, which also happened to be the year Sam made a sequel to Love Hurts, which won that year. A few years after that, I had the pleasure of judging the 13th annual film festival with Sam, and it was there where I got further insight into his creativity and his perspective on filmmaking. Sam and his films were a great source of inspiration to me in my own filmmaking, and I know they were inspirations for others as well.”
Joey Plyler, Assistant Director of Residence Life at Lander
Sam was one of the first people I met during my first film festival as a freshman in 2016. In a sense, it felt like meeting a celebrity; but he couldn’t have been any kinder to me as a young man and as an adult. I still have his judges’ notes from my last film Stars Crossed in 2023, and I still look back on them every once in a while to get the insight of such a bright mind; a bright mind gone far too soon. I’ll miss him.
Jarron Gravley, Lander Library administrative specialist
To submit you Memories for the Sam Thomas Tribute page, email Lander Festival Director at rstevenson@lander.edu