What started out as a CSUN senior project in 2010, “Misdirection” has now blossomed in a successful film that has been well received by the industry.

“Misdirection” was accepted into the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

The CSUN students who produced the short film graduated in Spring 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in cinema and television arts emphasis in film production.  “Misdirection” was written and directed by Doron Kipper and co-produced by Sevan Ambrahamian, Crystal Nobregas and David Veneracion.

Kipper said he was excited when he found out “Misdirection” would be part of the 2011 Emerging Filmmaker Showcase. He left for France on May 7 to attend the Cannes Film Festival.

“I will be attending Cannes as an intern at the American Pavilion, so it will be a great event to promote while I am there, and an easy conversation starter when I go to the networking events,” Kipper said.

“Misdirection” tells the story of what happens to Peter, the grandson of a famous magician, Castulo the Magnificent, when he discovers his grandfather’s magic deck of cards possesses a secret much more dangerous than he ever imagined.

Kipper’s personal connection and passion for magic inspired him to create this film.

“I’ve been a magician since I was 5 years old and I fell out of magic a bit when I found my passion for filmmaking,” Kipper said.  “When it came time to decide what I wanted to spend two years of my life working on as a senior project, I was really drawn to the idea of rediscovering the world of magic.”

“Misdirection” began to gather attention after its premiere at CSUN’s 2010 Senior Film Showcase. Kipper has been invited to show the film at dozens of film festivals over the past year.

The film had a cast and crew of more than 200 people.  Kipper said it is great knowing their hard work is being recognized.

“It has definitely opened many doors for me, and it serves as a great calling card for all of the crewmembers,” Kipper said.  “I know many of them are working on great productions right now.”

The amount of time and effort that went into creating “Misdirection” has given Kipper a deeper understanding of what it takes to produce a film at a professional level.

“I have a much greater appreciation for all of the elements that make up a professional film, Kipper said.  “The level of collaboration that is needed to successfully complete a film is complex and very fulfilling when you see the end product.”

Kipper said his ultimate goal for “Misdirection” is to see it made into a feature film.

“From the beginning, I’ve wanted to see ‘Misdirection’ made into a feature film,” Kipper said.   “That is my current goal, but it has already achieved the central purpose of a senior project—to show the entertainment industry what students are capable of (doing).”