The cardinal syn of questions....Camera.

This is basically a what camera should i buy question but my situation is a bit different. Im an 18 year old aspiring film maker. I have a panasonic gs35 that i have been working with but its time to step it up. i have used my dads panasonic dvx100 and it looks awsome, i made a short film that was actually blown up on a large projector screen and still looked so clear. The gs35, not so much. I have the option of a new camera between the $600-$1000 range and was wondering whats good for me. The Canon HV20/30 is what i have been rading all about but i dont really like the small size. I plan on majoring in film. I am used to editing mini dv and i was wondering what switches would have to be made to edit/import/export hd footage and present it in the best quality. In addition to the camera, i did want a new editing system, lenses, etc.....so keep that in mind. Is the Hv20/30 my best option?
 
in addition.....

My favorite film is Donnie Darko. I loved the steady cam/tracking shots (dont know if that helps) but also i really loved the look of Reign Over Me, especially the intro. The night shots which was about half the movie or more, look so good and it was shot in HD. So low light capability is definitly important as well as manual controls, especially focus! Mic input and headphone input. The thing that attracted me first to the HV20 is the 24p and cinemode. like most indie film makers, i want to make the picture look very film-like. So please help.
thanks
 
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