PB Film

Florida Film Students Dazzle The SSOF Red-Carpet Showcase!

Florida Film Students Dazzle the Red-Carpet Showcase
Scholarships and Awards - $12,500+

As Florida’s largest student showcase of films, awards and scholarships for high school and college students studying film, digital media, design, and screen writing, the much-anticipated morning at the Wold Performing Center at Lynn University was by all measure – a blockbuster!

Michelle Hillery, Palm Beach County’s Deputy Film Commissioner and Executive Producer of the 22nd Annual Student Showcase flawlessly executed every detail. More than 750 fashionably dressed students arrived in buses, vans, limousines, and exotic collectible cars provided by the promoter of Palm Beach County’s Supercar Week, and limo sponsor Palm Beach Tours and Transportation. Parents, teachers, professors, classmates, film industry leaders, celebrities and film enthusiasts applauded the student finalists and winners as they strolled the red carpet, enjoying the bright lights of excellence and fame.

Award-winning writer, producer and actor, Frank Licari, the Student Showcase host for the past 10 years greeted cheering students; Vanilla Ice (Rob Van Winkle) ramped up the crowd posing for selfies, granting interviews, and posing for the cameras. Actress Cheri Oteri, known for her character spoofs on Saturday Night Live, as well as her role in Liar Liar, and Dumb and Dumber shared humorous one-liners, and words of wisdom for the students.

The 2-hour presentation featured dancing, humor, surprises, testimonials from past winners, and poignant moments as winners were announced and students accepted awards. Legendary film actor Burt Reynolds spoke from the heart, and presented the $2,500 Burt Reynolds Scholarship to Dreyfoos School stand-out, Matthew Nadel.

Student Showcase of Awards 2017 Winners

Burt Reynolds Scholarship Winner – Matthew Nadel, A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts ($2,500)

Sara Fuller Scholarship – Cristian Aguiar, G-Star School of the Arts ($500)

Feature/Short High School Winner – Lyndsie Zimmerman, Dixie Hollins High School, ($1,000)

Feature/Short College – Mary Jeanes and Luiz Mendez, Jr., Florida State University ($1,200)

Audience On-line Voting Award - Jesse Veliz, Calvary Christian Academy ($500)

SSOF’s competition winners in other categories include:

1st Place Animation Award Winner ($500)
Tarun Lak, Ringling College of Art and Design, Rupee Run

1st Place Commercial/PSA Award Winner ($300)
Arielle Dauch, Spanish River High School, American Eagle Outfitters

1st Place Documentary Award Winner ($500)
Erik Kallin, Florida State University, Soleil

1st Place Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful Environmental PSA Award Winner ($1,000)
Elizabeth Quintana, Wellington High School, Fight Trash

1st Place “Know Difference” Mental Health Awareness PSA Award Winner ($500)
Alexander Luttin, G-Star School of the Arts, Parting

1st Place Music Video Award Winner ($300)
Matthew Nadel, A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Young and Dumb

1st Place Nellie & Fred Chasin Screenwriting Award Winner ($500)
Stephanie Cone, University of Miami, Pied Piper

1st Place Poster Design Award Winner ($500)
Lacei Sams, Nova Southeastern University, 2018 Poster Design

About the Student Showcase of Films: Over $12,500 was given in scholarships and awards at the live award show. Each year, top industry professionals judge the submitted entries and competition finalists are honored at a sizzling live awards show for more than 700 attendees from around the state. Winning student films will also be screened in their entirety at the students’ own premiere during PBIFF, April 1st at 3:00pm, at Keiser University in West Palm Beach.

For more information about the Student Showcase of Films please visit www.pbfilm.com, StudentShowcaseOfFilms (Facebook) or @StudentFilmsFL (Twitter). This program is funded by the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, the Palm Beach County’s Department of Economic Sustainability, the PBIFF and the Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission.  Other generous sponsors include: Lynn University, Film Florida, Michael Chasin, Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful, Inc. and the Information Television Network.

Dropbox Photo Link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/pbj8gb1ff10cygi/AADRha0omtAHkz6o1urAtdYWa?dl=0

Media contact: 
Enid Atwater
855.525.2899, [email protected]