Future Filmmakers Shine: The 7th Annual Cherokee Student Film Festival Showcases Emerging Talent
WOODSTOCK, GA — The Cherokee Office of Economic Development (COED), in partnership with the Cherokee County School District’s (CCSD) Audio/Video Technology and Film (AVTF) educators announced the winners of the seventh annual Cherokee Student Film Festival as part of a live screening and awards presentation on March 25.
23 student-made films were screened at Woodstock Arts for more than 200 attendees.
Student submissions are held to strict parameters to prepare them for real-world production requirements. Twelve groups qualified for judging and were assessed by post-secondary film instructors Steven Hames (Berry College), Meredith Muse (Chattahoochee Technical College), Mitch Olson (Kennesaw State University), alongside Media Producer Justin Webb, and Peaberry Film Festival Founder Brent Lambert-Zaffino.
Awards were issued based on the judges’ total scores in the following categories: Best Cinematography, Best Sound Quality, Best Use of Prop, Best Use of Line and two new categories: Best Screenplay and Best of Genre. The Award of Excellence was presented to the overall highest scoring film. Festival attendees were also able to cast their votes in the Audience Choice category.
The winning screenplay received a free entry into the 2025 Georgia Film Academy Screenwriting State Competition, and genre winners were automatically selected to be shown at the Peaberry Film Festival this October at the Historic Canton Theatre.
This year’s winners included:
Liftoff | “Award of Excellence”; “Best Cinematography”; Tie, “Best Sound Quality”; “Best Use of Line”; “Best Drama”; “Audience Choice for Qualifying Entry” – Creekview High School
Chloe Feibus
Yesterday’s Conviction | “Best Use of Prop”; “Best Mystery/Suspense” – Sequoyah High School
Shiven Amrith, Liliana Defiore, Bailey St. Vrain
Music For the End of Your Life | Tie, “Best Sound Quality” – Sequoyah High School
Ava Robers, Noah Popp, Justin Clark, Brooklyn Baggarly
Romeo O Romeo | “Best Screenplay” – River Ridge High School
Abby Reeves, Daniel Sanders
The Pitch | “Best Comedy” – Creekview High School
Sarah Brown, Lane Hardin, Cole Kitchen, Cooper Esterling
Match | “Best Sci-Fi/Superhero” – Creekview High School
Victoria Landes, Andrew Levine, Shane Griffith
The Illegal Candy Trade of ‘25 | “Audience Choice for Non-Qualifying Entry” – Cherokee High School
Jeremy Hett, Hope Lovett, Justus Bailey, Tessa Ghassemzadeh
The Cherokee Student Film Festival comes as the second partnership between COED and CCSD AVTF this year. The 6th Annual Cherokee Student Film Summit was held in January at the YANMAR EVO//Center.
Students heard from a star-studded lineup of film professionals, including a mainstage panel on Careers in Live Sports Production with ESPN Operations Producer Wendy Turner, Television Professional Wrestling Announcer Scott Hudson and the first female producer for the WWE, Christine Johnson-Dean. Through engaging hands-on breakout sessions, students were able to ask questions and connect with college representatives, motion capture professionals, producers and more.
The festival and summit were both created to build skills and connect students to jobs and post-secondary training opportunities, but the study of film itself can be transformative.
“As someone planning to go into writing professionally, I want to take all the chances I can for my work to be seen,” said Abby Reeves, winner of “Best Screenplay.” “I get opportunities to share my work with friends and classmates but having actually experienced people see my work was really something else.”
Abby’s screenwriting partner Daniel Sanders highlights the importance of cultivating a local film community. “Storytelling is important because it has been the main way we as humans have been able to artistically communicate with each other and express ourselves,” said Daniel. “That emotional and human connection is what makes storytelling so important to me.”
AVTF educators collaborate with COED year-round to prepare for the summit and festival.
“We greatly appreciate the valuable partner we have in the Cherokee Office of Economic Development and its collaboration with our Career Pathway film and video program teachers to make this festival happen,” said Superintendent of Schools Mary Elizabeth Davis. “Our students are learning more, growing more ad achieving more in our classrooms than they could anywhere else through amazing opportunities like this competition.”
“Our partnership with CCSD focuses on helping students refine their craft and enhance their skills,” said Heath Tippens, President of COED. “We aim to challenge them while also linking them to potential career opportunities in film and media.”
To learn more about film in Cherokee, visit cherokeega.org/film-media. Watch the winning entries at youtube.com/@CherokeeOED.