2025 Winners

Filling the Gaps: Hope Through Simple Needs GA

Best Micro Work Award

2025 Kennesaw Film Festival

Our Lita

By Sebastian Soler

Best Documentary Award

2025 Kennesaw Film Festival

Taking it to the Streets

By Sophia Mimoso & Rachel Locke

Documentary Award of Excellence

2025 Kennesaw Film Festival

Hunting Foot

By Sean McEntire Hatten

Best Narrative Award

2025 Kennesaw Film Festival

Level 1

By Luke Robert Valladares

Narrative Award of Excellence

2025 Kennesaw Film Festival

21 Coals

Directed by Holden Levy

Audience Award

2025 Kennesaw Film Festival

2025 Program

Hunting Bigfoot

7:06 minutes, PG-13

Directed by Sean Hatten

SYNOPSIS:

While on a hunt to capture evidence of the elusive bigfoot, three college filmmakers travel into the forest only to find something they could not have planned for.

DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY:

My name is Sean Hatten, I am 22 years old, and I am from Decatur, GA. Due to my interest in video editing, I attended Kennesaw State University for a major in Media and Entertainment. I have a YouTube channel which I use to share personal projects, and I plan to work professionally as a video editor going forward.

Cold Feet

4:33 minutes, PG

Directed by Tucker Jennings

SYNOPSIS:

After Guy gets cold feet when his crush calls, Angel and Devil appear in order to guide him through calling her back, but their advice proves disastrous for Guy.

DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY:

My name is Tucker Jennings. I am a Media & Entertainment major in my senior year. I am a writer, musician, songwriter, and filmmaker. Above all, I am a storyteller, and I enjoy making films with my friends, especially those who I have met through KSU's Filmmaking club, For Film's Sake.

The Butcher

4:20 minutes, G

Directed by Jack Scott

SYNOPSIS:

Nate is a butcher. A good one too. For nearly half a decade he has worked to hone his skills. However, his professions is often misunderstood

DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY:

My name is Jack Scott. I am a senior at Kennesaw State University and I will be graduating with a degree in Media and Entertainment.During my tenure at KSU I have learned a lot about myself and what motivates me. I find that I am passionate about anything to do with documentary filmmaking and Live Broadcasting. There is something about capturing a moment in time, or telling someones life story that intrigues me. Though I am graduating this spring, I know that my education is only beginning.

21 Coals

6:37 minutes, R

Directed by Holden Levy

SYNOPSIS:

A perfect record prodigy detective has his Christmas Morning ruined when he’s called in to investigate Santa’s murder.

DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY:

Rachel's About You

2:54 minutes, G

Directed by Sophia Mimoso

SYNOPSIS:

Short documentary about Documentary Filmmaking student Rachel Locke.

DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY:

Sophia Mimoso is a Junior at Kennesaw State University and the president of the "For Film's Sake" organization on campus. She is passionate about all things video production.

Clue

5:20 minutes, PG-13

Directed by Aly Neill

SYNOPSIS:

A friend group plays CLUE, but when the lights come back on after a blackout, one of the friends is discover to have been murdered! The worst part? It was one of them... and no one knows whodunit!

DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY:

Aly Neill is an Atlanta screenwriter currently pursuing her Master's in Professional Writing at Kennesaw State. Her favorite genre to write is dark comedy, however, she also enjoys fantasy. When she's not busy being a grad student, she loves concerts, nature, thrifting, and creating relatable content. She hopes to work on an A24 flick, series, or video game in the near future.

Filling the Gaps: Hope Through Simple Needs GA

9:48 minutes, G

Directed by Sadie Hixon and Ella Hartrampf

SYNOPSIS:

This PSA video was created by Charitable Media Productions, a student organization at Kennesaw State University that creates impactful media for local nonprofits. “Filling The Gaps: Hope Through Simple Needs GA” details the goals, principals, and important figures of nonprofit Simple Needs GA. Simple Needs GA is a charity organization founded by Brenda Rhodes that seeks to provide both necessary and extended needs of those transitioning out of homelessness through supplying furniture, cleaning kits, birthdays gifts, and so much more.

DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY:

Charitable Media Productions co-founders, Sadie Hixon and Ella Hartrampf are both Media and Entertainment Majors who are minoring in Music and Entertainment Business. Utilizing their love of helping others through their passion of media and film production, they both are passionate about working directly in all aspects of the film industry as well as teaching and empowering others. Closing out their first semester creating media for two nonprofits, the co-founders plan to transition Charitable Media Productions into a business and help nonprofits around the world share their story.

Road Trip

7:42 minutes, PG

Directed by Haley Farrell-Kissun

SYNOPSIS:

Stuck on the side of the road, a group of cousins make the most of their "ruined" Thanksgiving.

DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY:

Taking it to the Streets || “How to make the world a fairer place”

2:49 minutes, G

Directed by Sophia Mimoso & Rachel Locke

SYNOPSIS:

Man on the street style questionnaire where two students asked strangers the following question: "How to make the world a fairer place?"

DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY:

Sophia Mimoso and Rachel Locke are two Juniors from Kennesaw State University. They are both in leadership for the club "For Film's Sake" and are passionate about video production and storytelling.

Our Lita

6:06 minutes, G

Directed by Sebastian Soler

SYNOPSIS:

A dynamic narrative spanning over eight decades about one woman’s lifelong journey through four cities.

DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY:

Sebastian Soler is an actor, writer, and director from Atlanta, GA, majoring in Media & Entertainment and minoring in Music & Entertainment Business. He is currently pursing his certification from the Georgia Film Academy, and is an Adobe Certified Professional for Adobe Premiere Pro.

Hawk’s Pass

7:43 minutes, PG

Directed by Jacob Scarborough

SYNOPSIS:

When a string of murders terrorize a small town in 1990s Georgia, two state detectives interrogate a peculiar suspect.

DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY:

I am a sophomore at Kennesaw State University studying English. Like many, I started making films as a kid, using my legos to make over-complicated storylines with a stop-motion app, until I watched a YouTube video breaking down the writing in the opening of Inglourious Basterds, and I was forever hooked. That moment was almost eight years ago now, and since then, I have fully indulged myself in screenwriting, sinking every moment I can to be the best writer I can be

Level 1

1:22 minutes, G

Directed by Luke Valladares

SYNOPSIS:

A man lost in a labyrinth of cars discovers his desperate goal is repeatedly escaping his grasp, before finally succumbing to the insanity.

DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY:

Luke Valladares, a 19-year-old first-year at KSU, is currently majoring in Media and Entertainment. He hopes to become a future videographer and/or editor when he graduates. He has been infatuated with the filmmaking process since he was 11 years old thanks to the movie La La Land. Never before had he felt such a rush from a film and intrigue on how it was made and how each piece molded it into such a beautiful piece of art. He has been hooked on the process ever since, having created many different shorts and skits, as well as other YouTube videos either for clients or personal usage