Beaumont, CA – Hundreds of excited fans gathered around the red carpet to catch a glimpse of local celebrity filmmakers on Thursday night April 10th. The well-dressed crowd included students and employees from the Beaumont Unified School District who submitted an entry to the Film Festival Awards Night.
First-place Beaumont Film Festival winners were––
“Ball Adventure,” by student Logan Williams from Tournament Hills Elementary School
“The Case of the Missing Books,” by students’ Joyce Gallup, Camila Vazquez, Ruben Granados, Keira Syahid, and Yareli Avila from Three Rings Ranch Elementary School
“A 100 Years Through Time,” by student Emsley Garza from Tournament Hills Elementary School
“How to Be an AVID Kid of Good Character,” by students’ Andrew Jorn, Caleb Tetteh, Angel Sanchez, Kinsley Williams, and Vennice Samson from Three Rings Ranch Elementary School
“Alien,” by student Kennedy Meader from Summerwind Trails School
“Intoxicating Stick,” by students’ Autumn Bradbury, Yellena Alderete, Scarlett Lobo, and Jayden Palmer from Mountain View Middle School
“The Mighty Amazon Rainforest,” by student Christopher Estrada from Mountain View Middle School
“How to Survive a Horror Movie,” by students’ Ryan Fragoso and Aythen Castillo from Beaumont High School
“Wear Your Helmet,” by students’ Ella Karras and Alana Alva from Mountain View Middle School
“School Alone,” by teacher Lindsay Hill from Starlight Elementary School
A miscellaneous category includes a competition for the festival’s poster design, which is used to promote the next film festival. Student Roxanne Vanderwalker from Mountain View Middle School placed first in this category.
The annual film competition was founded in 2021 by Beaumont Unified School District employee Instructional Technology Coordinator Lani Gauntlett and Executive Assistant Aprylle Larson. Gauntlett explained the initial idea for a film festival stemmed from a desire to challenge students academically. “It became a powerful way to combine storytelling, technology, and student voice, all while having fun and showcasing their creativity,” she added.
To participate, students and employees may submit a film that fits into one of several categories––animation, documentary, public service announcement, how-to, or short-film. The films are then screened and judged by a team of volunteers from the Beaumont community.
This year’s event was held at the Beaumont High School Performing Arts Theatre. Student’s from the Beaumont High School Career Technical Education video production class played paparazzi for the evening––recording interviews as filmmakers walked the red carpet in their Oscar worthy attire.
Once seated, a brief 30-second reel was played for each of the 59 films submitted for consideration . Suspense filled the room as two high school students, serving as the night's hosts, opened the envelope holding the first place winner’s name.
This year’s Film Festival Awards Night was sponsored by Altura Credit Union, Cane’s Chicken Fingers, HCN Bank, Skin Solutions, and Sports Clips.