Kent State University at Trumbull's Digital Media Production Center, in partnership with Kent State Trumbull Theatre, Hounding Productions LLC, and Trumbull Satellite (a student-run digital magazine), held its first Student Short Film Festival for local students of all ages.
Over 50 members of the campus and community (students and family members) attended an awards ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 31.
The three award categories were Media Mania (Students Ages 7 to 12), Film Flair (Students Ages 13 to 17), and Cinema Celebration (Students Ages 18 to 110). The length of the video entries varied from 15 seconds to 12 minutes.
"The quantity and quality of entrees were impressive," said Carol Robinson, Ph.D., English and Digital Media professor at Kent State Trumbull. "From TikTok to filmmaking, digital media skills are becoming increasingly vital, whether you are starting your own business or working for a larger company. We want to encourage learners to explore their talents, but the festival was also about the sheer fun of video production."
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 114,300 digital media job openings from 2023 to 2032.
A complete list of award winners is detailed below.
Media Mania
1st Prize: Daniel Patron, Mr. Claus
2nd Prize: Peter Metoki, Winter
3rd Prize: Paige Hoskinson, The Bananickle War
Honorable Mentions
1. Daniel Patron, DINO
2. Daniel Patron, Candyland
Film Flair
1st Prize: Jordan GraySmith, A Character Study
2nd Prize: Lillian Flanders, Hug All Your Friends Music Video
3rd Prize: Maria Metoki, The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies You've Ever Had
Honorable Mentions:
1. Eva Bryan, Welcome to WRTV
2. Ethan Cannon, [untitled]
3. Joey Constantine, The Extractor
4. Brooklyn Ciminero, PBS Cimineros
5. Olivia Dancison, Steel City Warriors
6. Jessica Dick, Bad Day Music Video
7. Sebastian Dunn, Project Garrettsville
8. Sebastian Dunn, 3D Pastry Pro Infomercial
9. Sebastian Dunn, CTSO Spotlight
10. Andrew Fromel, [untitled]
11. Sydney Gilmore, The Journey
12. Noah Gonzalez, [untitled]
13. Jordan GraySmith, On and On Music Video
14. Jordan GraySmith, Disney World Travel Video
15. Nate Hemburger, [untitled]
16. Olivia Howell, Murray Wallace and The Greatest Pitch
17. Sophia Honeycutt, Charles Smith: A Wolf in Business
Clothing Covered in Jam
18. Louie Lagacherie, [untitled]
19. Joseph Lincoln, Mark It: Bring Business to the Mahoning Valley
20. Luke Metoki, Flowers
21. Angelina Nabhan, [untitled]
22. Deanna Prox, TCTC Titans
23. Caleb Sinn, [untitled]
24. Dere'On Williams, The Joker's Evolution
25. Caylee Selley, Eva Bryan, Kylee Ramsey, High School, ASMR
Cinema Celebration
1st Prize: Andrew Cornelius, Beads to Play Baseball
2nd Prize: Sierra Savitts, Seasonal Depression
3rd Prize: Cory Conrad, Vitamin X
Honorable Mentions
1. Jonathan Bahrey, Science Fiction: A Tribute
2. Gabriel Clare, Bobby's Roadtrip (Past Times Arcade)
3. Cory Conrad, Closure
4. Cory Conrad, Paper Cuts On a Sunday
5. Aubrey Hamilton, Rats
6. Aubrey Hamilton, Missing
7. James Kaminski, The Ohio Project
8. Jael Kasiewicz, Warren-Trumbull County Public Libraries
9. Allen Noble-Williams, [untitled]
10. Brayden Saunders, [untitled]
11. Sierra Savitts, Meet the Tutors
12. Jasmine Williams, The History of the Black Actress
Pictured, Media Mania, Award winner, Paige Hoskinson, The Bananickle War