Penn State alumna Stephanie Wain spent her college career studying film and women’s studies, and her hard work has paid off. Wain’s film, “Stones We Throw,” won IndieWire’s Project of the Month last year and is now competing for the Project of the Year slot, which allows the winner to attend the Tribeca Film Institute Filmmaker and Industry Meetings at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.

“Stones We Throw” is described on IndieWire as “the story of a female comedian who is struggling with her identity and her long distanced relationship while she attends college and is a coming of age tale that will hopefully leave you feeling either inspired or really uncomfortable … We hope both.”

As the director, editor, writer, and main character of “Stones We Throw,” Wain drew from her time at Penn State to address typical college experiences and challenges throughout the film.

“The film is very feminist in nature and features many strong female characters as well as addresses alternative family structures and LGBTQ identities,” Wain said. “I think it would offer a really great perspective to college hookup culture and gender dynamics, so it’s really a progressive film that would relate to the college community.”

Discussion of gender and relationships prevails throughout the film, with several subplots revolving around two female characters navigating the ever-complex college hookup culture.

“Overall, this story highlights the reality of gender dynamics between men and women and offers some critique of the cultural norms that we set for dating and relationships, especially the hookup culture that is present on many college campuses,” Wain said. “I really wanted to give women a voice to critique heterosexuality and to also discuss the complexity of failed marriages and the struggles families face in dealing with complicated relationships. This film is my way of contributing to women’s empowerment by starting discussions about questioning social norms related to these themes.”

“Stones We Throw” is currently in the running to be Tribeca’s Project of the Year. If the filmmakers win, they will attend the festival and have the chance to network with executives at filmmaker meetings and industry meetings for the 2015 season. Polls close this Friday, Jan. 16, and you can cast your ballot just using your email.

“My project is very small. It’s going to be hard to compete with other films with larger budgets,” Wain said.

Penn State’s support of her project is particularly important because the production of “Stones We Throw” included numerous Penn Staters, including current students Barclay Walsh, Abby Jackson, and Peter Malmquist.

Be sure to check out the Facebook page for “Stone’s We Throw” and vote to send Penn Staters and co. to the Tribeca Film Festival!