Florida Student Filmmakers Announced as Finalists for the 27th Annual Palm Beaches Student Showcase of Films
Vanilla Ice and other surprise celebrities to present awards!
Palm Beach County, FL (March 28, 2022) – The Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission announced the finalists for the 27th Annual Palm Beaches Student Showcase of Films. Winners will be revealed, and over $20,000 in cash and prizes are to be awarded, during the red-carpet award show on May 6 at Maltz Jupiter Theatre in Jupiter, Florida. TV star/rap icon, Vanilla Ice, will present the Vanilla Ice Music Video Award, among other surprise celebrity award presenters announced closer to show time. The live show is hosted by stage and screen actor, musician, entertainer, and star of South Florida PBS’s On the Town in The Palm Beaches, Frank Licari.
Michelle Hillery, Palm Beach County’s Deputy Film Commissioner and Executive Producer of the Student Showcase of Films, stated, “This year, the Student Showcase of Films received hundreds of submissions from nearly 50 different schools across Florida. Our judging panel of 50 industry professionals had a tough assignment choosing the finalists, and at the live awards show the audience will experience firsthand the outstanding level of talent found in Florida schools!”
The placements of the winners for the Feature/Short categories, the Burt Reynolds and Sara Fuller Scholarships and all other categories, will be announced at the 27th annual red-carpet award show. The finalists, in alphabetical order, are:
Burt Reynolds & Sara Fuller Scholarship Finalists Brooke Goolsby, Seminole Ridge Community High School (Loxahatchee) Joshua Landry, G-Star School of the Arts (Palm Springs) Marcelo Puccini, G-Star School of the Arts (Palm Springs) Joseph White, American Heritage (Delray Beach)
High School Feature/Short Finalists Andrew Cheyne, Harrison School for the Arts (Lakeland), Madaptation Julen Herrerias, Christopher Columbus High School (Miami), The Pink Wallet Connor Wright, Harrison School for the Arts (Lakeland), A Learning Experience
College Feature/Short Finalists Megan Baer, Florida State University (Tallahassee), How to Dance with Monsters Abiesel Aleed Báez and Corey Marr, University of Central Florida, (Orlando), ¡OLLE! Domenicca Isabella Botero, Miami Dade College (Miami), Silver Waters
The Suzanne Niedland Documentary Finalists Corey Marr, University of Central Florida (Orlando), Onchantho Corey Marr, University of Central Florida (Orlando), Walter’s World Steven Nye, University of Tampa (Tampa), American Air Boss
The Vanilla Ice Music Video Finalists Isabella Chiappini, Alex Duque, and Luis Rodriguez, Cypress Bay High School (Weston), While We’re Young Corey Marr and Cecelia Hubbard, University of Central Florida, (Orlando), Depleted!
Adriana Irmina Marquez, (homeschooled), – The Progress Express
Animation Finalists Mild Niamkongkit and Kristen Yuan, Ringling College of Art and Design (Sarasota), Gaslight Marika Tamura, Ringling College of Art and Design (Sarasota), Final Deathination Alexander Tullo, Ringling College of Art and Design (Sarasota), Barking Orders
Commercial/PSA Finalists Grayson Patrick Backman, G-Star School of the Arts (Palm Springs), Love Defined Alex Duque, Cypress Bay High School (Weston), Losing Time Thomas Pozo, Christopher Columbus High School (Miami), Be Kind to Your Mind
Environmental Awareness PSA Finalists Maddox Forman, Seminole Ridge Community High School (Loxahatchee), Fish Will Christopher Andre Otto, Key West High School (Key West), Polaroid Zeki Sert, Paxon School for Advanced Studies (Jacksonville), Punks for the Planet
Educational Awareness PSA Finalists Madeline Acosta, Nicholas Dawsey and Saron Bahre, Paxon School for Advanced Studies (Jacksonville), Educational Conscience Josh DeBardeleben, Paxon School for Advanced Studies (Jacksonville), Get Some Rest Grace Anne Wolfer, Paxon School for Advanced Studies (Jacksonville), Underfunding in School
Nellie & Fred Chasin Screenwriting Finalists Riley Flynn, A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts (West Palm Beach), Jeanie and Jude Were Never Going to Make It Eileen Kohner, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts (Jacksonville), France Lavalier Ayden Kostzer, West Broward High School (Pembroke Pines), The Confessional
Poster Design Finalists Yael Gonzalez, SouthTech Academy (Boynton Beach), 2023 Poster Design Lucy Jacques, SouthTech Academy (Boynton Beach), 2023 Poster Design Fabricio Torrico, SouthTech Academy (Boynton Beach), 2023 Poster Design
Special Recognitions Shreya Devarakonda and Daniela Portilla, Ringling College of Art and Design (Sarasota) – By The Book
Steven Nye, University of Tampa (Tampa) – American Air Boss
Andrew Cheyne, Harrison School of the Arts (Lakeland) – Madaptation
Alexander Tullo, Ringling College of Art and Design (Sarasota) – Barking Orders
Adriana Irmina Marquez (homeschooled) – The Progress Express
The red-carpet awards show takes place Friday, May 6, 2022; pre-show festivities begin at 9:30 a.m. and the live awards show at 10:30 a.m. The event is free, and the public is encouraged to attend. Please RSVP by April 22 by emailing admin@pbfilm.com or calling 561.233.1000.
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
