Student works
8:00 - 9:15 pM
The Bloch Learning & Performance Hall
A Giant of Limitless Power at Man's Command
Shelby Blair
Year: 2026
Run Time: 2:52
Country: United States
Synopsis: Experimental short about the evolution of technology as a tool and the dangers of limitless image generation. Dives into the consequences of Grok’s “spicy mode” and criticizes modern acceptance of such tools.
Bio: Shelby Blair Littlejohn (she/her) is a filmmaking student at Marshall University. Since 2021, she has been a freelance photographer and videographer for punk music shows, studio portrait photographer, and works as a seasonal photographer and manager for Cherry Hill Programs. She specializes in creating abstract photography through the use of unique props, locations, and editing style. She also creates multimedia art (oil, acrylic, colored pencil, and digital) and uses Adobe programs such as Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, and After Effects for show posters, band logos, album covers, and other projects.
She is very connected to the local music community and most of her work reflects that by including and/or focusing on local artists and music. She utilizes nostalgia and childlike wonder in contrast with heavier topics in her projects to represent her own personal struggles, and the overall concept of growing up and dealing with more adult issues. Shelby has been nominated for a Maier Award at Marshall for a screenplay and has had her work shown in several venues and a film festival. She is currently interested in learning animation and hopes to have a lifelong career in concert photography and creating music videos.
Black Saturday
Alexander Colt Young
Year: 2025
Run Time: 9:54
Country: United States
Synopsis: Black Saturday follows two guys who "clash" at a shopping mall in Lexington, Kentucky, when they both go after the same item, leading to a very one sided, clever, comedic showdown with unexpected twists
Bio: Alex Young is a student filmmaker studying film production at Asbury University in Kentucky. He is interested in telling visual stories derived from unique perspectives. His work focuses on pacing, tone, style, and character-driven moments.
The Carnival
Paul Lilyea
Year: 2026
Run Time: 5:27
Country: United States
Synopsis: After a chance encounter with a mysterious driver, two friends, a rabbit and pig, find themselves entangled in a nightmarish adventure..
Cliffs & Beyond
Ada Chen
Year: 2025
Run Time:
Country: United States
Doomstroll
Taylor James Arnett
Year: 2025
Run Time: 7:03
Country: United States
Synopsis: A commentary on how smartphones and social media take over our lives and warp our view of the natural world.
Flash Forward
Madison LaVigne
Year: 2025
Run Time: 5:52
Country: United States
Synopsis: While tinkering in his laboratory, Dr. Martin invents a remote that fast-forwards time. His newfound power consumes him. The crazed scientist must choose between his pregnant wife and his invention before he loses everything.
Bio: Madison LaVigne is a student at Belmont University, pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Motion Picture Production. She grew up in rural West Virginia and strives to make her home state proud. She enjoys writing, filmmaking, playing drums, and dancing. After she graduates from college, she hopes to work in location and post-production sound.
Forever Fetch
Evangeline Van Meter
Year: 2025
Run Time: 2:31
Country: United States
Synopsis: A girl struggling with pet loss has a dream that calms her nerves.
Bio: Hi, I'm Eva! I’m a junior at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, and I'm majoring in Video Game Development with a minor in Animation. Whether I’m developing interactive worlds, creating compelling narratives, or playing music, I’m driven by a passion for bringing imagination to life.
Hunger
Taylor Bellah
Year: 2024
Run Time: 2:12
Country: United States
Synopsis: A woman begins a strict new diet in hopes of finally "getting herself together." Instead, she begins to develop a hunger that grows increasingly insatiable, and impossible to ignore. As her habits spiral and her behavior takes a strange turn, her husband watches with mounting confusion. Told through vintage-inspired paper cut-out animation with a few modern touches, the film is a darkly comedic look at self-control, and obsession.
Mephisto
Abhigyan Ravichandran
Year: 2025
Run Time: 2:31
Country: Malaysia
Synopsis: A young man sells his soul to the devil in hopes of attaining what he desires.
Bio: Abhigyan Ravichandran, 16 year old, currently goes to the International School of Kuala Lumpur and was born and raised in Malaysia. Discovering his love of film within the past year, Abhig enjoys serving in all major roles of the filmmaking process and often serves as an auteur in his creative projects. He hopes to continue developing his skills as a filmmaker and is considering going to university for Film upon graduation from high school.
Miracles Happen Everyday
Sloane Ren
Year: 2026
Run Time: 11:38
Country: United States
Synopsis: Tired of his mundane, newly adult life, Andrew Gadd is determined to get on a better track. But while eating out before an Iggy Pop concert, his friends have a different plan.
Ohio River Bridge Crossing
Braden T. Burnside
Year: 2025
Run Time: 5:32
Country: United States
Synopsis: A woman on the edge.
Bio: Braden Burnside is a visual artist based in Huntington, West Virginia. He is currently pursuing a BFA in Filmmaking at Marshall University while also studying creative writing and jazz composition. He works in a variety of artistic mediums including dark room photography, free-verse poetry, sound recording and design, theatrical acting, and avant-garde music performance. This diversity is a key tenet of Burnside's practice, as he firmly believes that a work's message is highly influenced by the method it is communicated. Burnside hopes to positively impact a wide audience with experimental and introspective art in many forms and to make a career out of doing so.
Petty People
Yang Yi
Year: 2026
Run Time: 9:52
Country: United States
Synopsis: A college dropout struggling through fate and life in a world that progressively rejects creativity.
Bio: Xiaoyang Yi is an artist and filmmaker currently studying at the Rhode Island School of Design. Before turning to art, he spent years as a competitive skier, an experience that shaped his sense of discipline, and attention to movement and philosophy. His work seeks to grows out of personal reflection through interest in emotional and physical states in storytelling.
Picture Me Better
(10 Minute Cut)
Xavier Alexander
Year: 2025
Run Time: 10:29
Country: United States
Synopsis: Marcus, a suicidal teen seeks to fix his past regrets. Faced between his past and the present, as his perception of true reality blurs.
Bio: Xavier Alexander, born and raised in Houston, TX is an independent student filmmaker.
Prophecy
Sol Kim
Year: 2025
Run Time: 1:05
Country: United States
Synopsis: The performer writes a self-contradictory sentence on a sheet of paper.
Rotten
Marilyn Bell
Year: 2025
Run Time: 3:52
Country: United States
Synopsis: A sweet, pink tea party begins to sour; perhaps nothing is as it seems? This project illustrates a self-written poem about manipulative family ties through innocent child-like eyes, using animated text.
Serenity
Snow Chen
Year: 2025
Run Time: 2:16
Country: United States
Synopsis: A hand-drawn digital 2D animation about a boy struggling with social anxiety at school.
Snow Day
Olivia Nestor
Year: 2026
Run Time: 2:10
Country: United States
Synopsis: A high school student is determined to spend his snow day wisely. What better way to spend it than in the snow, of course.
Bio: Olivia Nestor is a senior studying Journalism and English with a concentration in Creative Writing at WVU. She enjoys all aspects of storytelling, including bringing ideas to life on the screen. She is drawn to stories that capture nostalgia and the beauty of everyday moments.
The Bunny
Isaiah Supadi & Oscar Smith
Year: 2026
Run Time: 9:58
Country: Australia
Synopsis: Five years after his sister vanished on Easter night, sixteen-year-old Johnny lives in a town still scarred by her disappearance. When chocolate eggs begin appearing again and whispers of the Easter Bunny resurface, Johnny is forced to confront a truth no one wants to believe. As grief, guilt, and childhood myth collide, The Bunny descends into a chilling exploration of the unknown, innocence, and the cost of keeping ancient horrors alive.
Bio: Isaiah Supadi and Oscar Smith are teenage, aspiring West Australian directors, writers, and editors who specialise in psychological thrillers, action-driven crime, mystery, and extreme horror. They have collaborated on multiple projects across genres they are equally passionate about, including action, mystery, psychological thrillers, and horror. Together, they have co-written and directed several short films, including Trust the Killer: Chapters 1–3, Crime Rival: Chapters 1–3, 2 FACE, Nolan, Nolan: Chapter 2 – Bloodshed, and The Bunny. Their collaboration began in July 2023, after meeting through Filmbites Talent Agency in 2022, and has since allowed them to continually expand and refine their filmmaking skills.
The Red Thread
Peyton Rhian Fitz
Year: 2025
Run Time: 11:46
Country: United States
Synopsis: Émile Dufour is a talented, reclusive tailor in a quiet European town. His fame stems from the exquisite, hand-sewn suits he creates, each finished with a single strand of a strange red thread. The thread is his secret signature, and while some customers claim it brings good fortune, others whisper of inexplicable misfortunes that follow them.
Unbeknownst to most, Émile didn’t choose this thread; it was forced upon him through a chance encounter with a woman named Seléne, whose ominous warning has haunted him ever since.
You've Got a Mothman in Me
Akira Jakkson
Year: 2026
Run Time: 9:15
Country: United States
Synopsis: A young girl finds friendship in the man, the myth, the legend: Mothman.
Bio: Akira Jakkson is a Toronto based filmmaker, holding a Bachelor's of Integrated Media Production from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. He has worked as a professional videographer and photographer for 5+ years and has training in practical and special effects. During his undergrad, Akira wrote, directed, and produced over 15 short films with film collectives AVW Productions and Rough Cut Collective. He was President of AVW Productions between 2021-2023. His areas of focus are practical effects, horror and thriller, transgender experience, Middle Eastern diaspora, and animation.
The Cluckening
Thee Bosley
Year: 2024
Run Time: 1:41
Country: United States
Synopsis: The Cluckening is an experimental pseudohorror short film centered on a chicken coup and its inhabitants. Get up close and personal with this group of terrible, awful, no good creatures!
Bio: A video game designer and mixed media artist who focuses on abstract and colorful art pieces with an emphasis on social commentary and humor. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Thee was raised in a family of artists and grew up appreciating and creating all sorts of art. While not primarily a video or film maker, Thee enjoys creating experimental and uncomfortable art pieces.
Only U - A Virtual Skate. Boarding Montage
Anonymous
Year: 2025
Run Time: 3:12
Country: United States
Synopsis: A collection of clips from the 2025 video game Skate. Edited and altered to look like a real life skateboarding video.
I fear what's in my cells
Aiden Crawford
Year: 2025
Run Time: 1:28
Country: United States
Synopsis: They're in the water we drink, the food we eat, the clothes we wear and in the air we breathe. They've pervaded every ecosystem in the world, from coral reefs to Antarctic ice. And they've infiltrated the human body. Microplastics link us directly to our weakened ecosystem. I fear what will happen to the bodies of both.
Bio: Aiden Crawford is a senior Digital Art and Animation major who is interested in mixed narrative and experimental video art.
Year of the Fire Horse
Nancy Parshall
Year: 2026
Run Time: 2:22
Country: United States
Synopsis: A series of clips shot of my closest friends over the past 2 years. Dreamy, feminine, reflective and electric.
You Look Familiar
Brooke Haller
Year: 2025
Run Time: 0:34
Country: United States
Synopsis: This piece is meant to represent the idea that everything is connected- specifically using the example of the human body and the physical world around us. I wanted to explore how the different textures of skin, hair, and other areas of the body could be compared to physical materials such as wood, fabric, and more.
Bio: I am currently a sophomore study digital art and animation here at WVU. I was originally a forensics student my first semester freshman year, but found that my true calling was to pursue art. I chose this area of emphasis out of pure interest in the subject. Before taking courses here, I had never made any sort of digital media so I am still very much in the learning process. I hope to continue my next two years happily enhancing my skills in audio production and working with the required software.
Ballzingers Pilot! Pt. 1 & 2
Gabriel Marcum
Year: 2026
Run Time: 12:52 & 14:34
Country: United States
Synopsis: The surrealish sitcom of the absurd generation. Ballzingers is one of those projects for a very specific sense of humor. Both an homage to and scathing satire of American TV, Ballzingers follows a scandalous CIA experiment to produce a full fledged comedy show using the minds of their most deranged subjects at their disposal. Ballzingers as a project is a challenge to both the viewer and to our understanding of modern entertainment. Taking major inspiration from niche modern internet culture and classic sitcom tropes, we promise you have never seen anything quite like Ballzingers.
Bio: My name is Gabriel T Marcum, founder of Big Ugly Productions. I am a writer, actor, filmmaker, game designer, and comic from the hollers of Boone County in southern West Virginia. I am pursing a double major: BFA Acting and a BA in Political Science. I am an active performer and playwright within the WVU community, while also being the Vice President of the WVU Game Developers Club (GDC). I pursue the eccentric side of life. Adventure, volunteering, and creation are all core aspects of my identity. I do not tend to compromise my vision, and have always pursued to be authentic in all of my exploits. Even if it is Big and Ugly.
Cradle
Elliot Bloniarz
Year: 2025
Run Time: 0:42
Country: United States
Synopsis: An exploration of the movement of hands, the variability of flow using frame by frame, and the layering of imagery.