Southern Adventist University’s School of Visual Art and Design was well-represented at the North American Division’s annual Sonscreen Film Festival, at the Loma Linda University Church in California.

Film production major and now 2025 graduate Ashelen Rojas won the Best in Festival and Best Documentary Short categories for her film Papaviejo.

Jhared Tula, junior film production major, also won awards in two categories: Best Narrative Short for The Field Between Stories and Best Art/Experimental Short for Senses.

Special Jury awards were earned by three students in four categories. Ruslan Zavricico, senior film production major, was awarded for Achievement in Narrative Directing for his film On Hold and for Social Impact in Storytelling for Asylum Seeker; Zane Taitano, senior animation major, won for Advancement in Technical Animation; and Connor Nelson, junior film production major, was awarded Best Original Score.

In the pitch competition, Sophia Schwartzrock, senior film production major, won first prize of US$3,500 to create her film The Ice Cube Movie.

Attendees also enjoyed a special screening of a project by 2023 pitch competition winner and 2025 Southern alum Ashton Weiss. Titled Last Light, the project was directed by Zach Gray, dean of the School of Visual Art and Design.

“We’re grateful for awards, but we’re even more grateful for the community found at Sonscreen and the growing sense that creative filmmaking is valued within the Adventist church,” says Nick Livanos, associate professor of film at Southern. “Our students find fellowship and future collaborators through the connections made possible by the North American Division.”

The original article was published on the Southern Adventist University news site.