PB Film

WINNERS OF THE 27th ANNUAL STUDENT SHOWCASE OF FILMS ANNOUNCED

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Sandy Collier
561.386.5262
sandy@heysandypr.com

WINNERS OF THE 27^th ANNUAL STUDENT SHOWCASE OF FILMS ANNOUNCED

Florida college and high school students earned cash prizes for filmmaking talents

(Jupiter, FL – May 6, 2022) - The 27^th Annual Palm Beaches Student Showcase of Films (SSOF), Florida’s largest student film competition and award show, proudly announces this year’s class of winners. The star-studded event, live and in person for the first time since 2019, did not disappoint. The newly renovated Maltz Jupiter Theatre set the stage for a glamorous red-carpet welcome as a harpist enchanted guests as they arrived in style.

Reality TV star and rapper Vanilla Ice and Oscar-nominated director Ted Melfi (Hidden Figures) were among the celebrity presenters, along with several local television personalities.  Frank Licari, an Emmy-nominated host, a Telly and Addy award-winning writer, producer, actor, and star of South Florida PBS’s On the Town in The Palm Beaches hosted the live show.

One highlight of the morning was the presentation of the Burt Reynolds Scholarship, named after the late actor who founded the old dinner theatre which opened in 1979. The award was presented by actress and award-winning documentary filmmaker Suzanne Niedland,a multi-award-winning film and television writer, producer, director, and cinematographer Frank Eberling, and award-winning veteran Aaron Wells whose work has garnered national honors including Addy, Aegis, Communicator, Telly and Vision Awards.

“This year, the Student Showcase of Films received hundreds of submissions from nearly 50 different schools across Florida,” said Michelle Hillery, Palm Beach County’s Deputy Film Commissioner and Executive Producer of the Student Showcase of Films. “Our judging panel of 50 industry professionals had a tough assignment choosing the finalists, and to be back doing our show live after two years of virtual shows was incredibly rewarding!”

More than $20,000 in scholarship money, along with customized signature trophies, were awarded.

The winners of the 27^th Annual Palm Beaches Student Showcase of Films are:

Commercial/PSA Award ($750)

• Thomas Pozo, Christopher Columbus High School (Miami) - “Be Kind to Your Mind”

Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful Inc. Environmental PSA Award ($1,000)

• Christopher Andre Otto, Key West High School (Key West) - “Polaroid”

Donald E. Ross Educational PSA Award ($1,000)

• Madeline Acosta, Nicholas Dawsey and Saron Bahre, Paxon School for Advanced Studies (Jacksonville) - “Educational Conscience”

Nellie & Fred Chasin Screenwriting Award ($500)

• Ayden Kostzer, West Broward High School (Pembroke Pines) - “The Confessional”

Vanilla Ice Music Video Award ($1,000)

• Isabella Chiappini, Alex Duque, and Luis Rodriguez, Cypress Bay High School (Weston), “While We’re Young”

Animation Award ($1,000)

• Marika Tamura, Ringling College of Art & Design, (Sarasota) - “Final Deathination”

Suzanne Niedland Documentary Award ($1,000)

• Steven Nye, University of Tampa (Tampa) - “American Air Boss”

Burt Reynolds Scholarship ($5,000)

• Burt Reynolds Scholarship Winner – Marcelo Puccini, G-Star School of the Arts, (Palm Springs)
• Sara Fuller Scholarship ($1,000) – Joseph White, American Heritage, (Delray Beach)

High School Feature/Short Awards

• 1^st Place – Julen Herrerias, Christopher Columbus High School (Miami – “The Pink Wallet” ($1,500)
• 2^nd Place – Andrew Cheyne, Harrison School for the Arts (Lakeland) – “Madaptation” ($1,000)

• 3^rd Place – Connor Wright, Harrison School for the Arts (Lakeland) – “A Learning Experience” ($750)

College Feature/Short Awards

• 1^st Place – Domenicca Isabella Botero, Miami Dade College (Miami) – “Silver Waters” ($2,000)
• 2^nd Place – Megan Baer, Florida State University (Tallahassee) – “How to Dance with Monsters” ($1,500)
• 3^rd Place – Abiesel Aleed Báez and Corey Marr, University of Central Florida, (Orlando) – “¡OLLE!” ($1,250)

Special Recognition Awards

• Best Director – Shreya Devarakonda and Daniela Portilla, Ringling College of Art and Design (Sarasota) – “By The Book”
• Best Editing – Steven Nye, University of Tampa (Tampa) – “American Air Boss”
• Best Production Design – Andrew Cheyne, Harrison School for the Arts (Lakeland) – “Madaptation”
• Best Special Effects – Alexander Tullo, Ringling College of Art and Design (Sarasota) – “Barking Orders”
• Artist’s Choice – Adriana Irmina Marquez (homeschooled) – “The Progress Express”

Poster Design Award ($750)

• Lucy Jacques, SouthTech Academy (Boynton Beach)

About The Palm Beaches Student Showcase of Films

Student submissions are judged by industry professionals with finalists to be presented with cash awards and prizes during the red-carpet awards show. Every year, the SSOF awards show attracts more than 650 students and their families, along with celebrity presenters, industry pros, media, state and county dignitaries, performers and more. Celebrity presenters have included Burt Reynolds, Vanilla Ice, Cheri Oteri, Backstreet Boys Howie D., Thomas Ian Nicholas, Bruce Campbell, Clint Howard, Linda Blair, Montel Williams, Anthony Anderson, Ice-T, Martin Kove, Billy West, Hector David Jr., Conrad Ricamora, Zack Gottsagen and many more! The SSOF is funded by the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners through the Department of Housing & Economic Sustainability. Major sponsors include The Maltz Jupiter Theatre and the Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission. Category sponsors include Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful, Inc. (Environmental PSA Award), Film Florida (Sara Fuller Scholarship), Suzanne Niedland (Suzanne Niedland Documentary), Michael Chasin (Nellie & Fred Chasin Screenwriting Award) and Ralf Gschwend (Poster Design). For more information, please visit www.pbfilm.com/ssof

 

Website:      pbfilm.com/SSOF

Twitter:    twitter.com/StudentFilmsFL

Facebook:  facebook.com/StudentShowcaseofFilms

     Instagram:   instagram.com/studentfilmsfl

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