Huntington University Stands in Top 5 for 6th Consecutive Year

With the 2022 Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Festival of Media Arts underway, Huntington University has emerged as the top private digital media arts program in the country — for the sixth year in a row. Earning 23 awards total (up four from 2021), the HU digital media arts program ranks third in the nation among both private and public universities. Huntington University also took home a Best of Fest award in the Animation/Experimental/Mixed category.

“Ranking in the top five colleges and universities in the nation now for the 6th year tells me we have something pretty special happening in our film, television and film production programs at HU, both in Indiana and at our HU Arizona center,” said Dr. Lance Clark, dean of the School of the Arts at Huntington University.

With half of the awards earned by HU students and faculty coming from the University’s Indiana location and the other half coming from the Arizona location, it’s clear that the University’s film, television and animation pedigree is strong. The program was founded over a decade ago and has grown to be one of the largest majors for the University. And when looking at the other schools in the top five, Huntington University is clearly the one breaking the mold.

“It really is a David and Goliath modality in terms of university sizes. There are nearly 15,000 undergraduate students at Syracuse [the other private university in the top five], and for our 1,000 headcount at HU, that’s amazing to see how well we compete,” said Clark.

“We’re small but we’re focused,” said Phil Wilson, Arizona digital media arts program director. “Our hands-on curriculum works. Many of the major universities on this list make students wait until they’re juniors to work with cameras. I have freshmen using cameras week one. I tell the students that they will have made at least 100 projects by the time they graduate, and that’s not hyperbole. With that level of productivity, growth happens, and recognition like this happens.”

Huntington University’s award winners include the following:

Student Documentary Competition

Micro-Documentary Category

- Award of Excellence: “Becoming”; Pepe Sifuentes, Huntington University Arizona 

Faculty Film & Video Competition

Commercial or PSA Category

- Best of Competition: Show Trailer: “A Curiouser Nutcracker”; Phil Wilson, Huntington University Arizona

- Award of Excellence: Show Trailer: “Curiouser & Curiouser Too”; Phil Wilson, Huntington University Arizona

Promotional Category

- Best of Competition: “Glenn Frank Music Video”; Matt Webb & Lance Clark, Huntington University

- Award of Excellence: “Gives Day Video – Theaterworks”; Phil Wilson, Huntington University Arizona

- Award of Excellence: “Glenn Frank Promo”; Phil Wilson, Huntington University Arizona

Student Film & Video Competition

Animation/Experimental/Mixed Category

• 1st Place (Best of Festival): “Cupidella and the Rainbow”; Sean Eitniear, Chloe Jacobson & Kayla Knopp Huntington University
• Award of Excellence: “Paddle Battle”; Cameron Elliot, Huntington University Arizona

Instructional/Educational Category

• Award of Excellence: “Spiderman Homecoming Scene Recreation”; Megan Hostetler, Ella Nosek, Jonathan Young, Matt Foutz & Joseph Soundara, Huntington University

Narrative Category

• 2nd Place: “Rocket Science”; Kenny Gondales, Chris Blackford & Tommy Pascale, Huntington University Arizona
• 3rd Place (tie): “Scorn”; Xander Williams, Frank Rojas, Alex Kennedy & Emily Bird, Huntington University Arizona
• 3rd Place (tie): “Toho”; Brady Doorn & Kayla Knopp, Huntington University
• 3rd Place (tie): “Upside Down”; Anika Sorum, Huntington University Arizona
• Award of Excellence: “Buried”; Stephen Donley & Carlos Hermosillo, Huntington University
• Award of Excellence: “Captain”; Rachael Berggren & Jared Weber, Huntington University
• Award of Excellence: “Standbye”; Pepe Sifuentes, Graham Young, Alex Payan & Tatyana Keller, Huntington University Arizona

Spots Category

• Award of Excellence: “World Ocean Day”; Sydni Wolpert, Matthew Raman & Nicholas Robinson, Huntington University

Studio Category

• Award of Excellence: “The Treehouse Christmas Finale”; Brody Bowman & Sam Delagrange, Huntington University

Student Scriptwriting Competition

Short Narrative Film/Half-Hour Television

• 2nd Place: “Prom Night”; Brody Bowman, Huntington University

• 3rd Place (tie): “Give No Quarter: Pilot”; Rebekah Karp, Huntington University
• Award of Excellence: “Jack of All Trades: Science Fair Showdown”; Jared Weber, Huntington University

The Broadcast Education Association is the premier international academic media organization, driving insights, excellence in media production, and career advancement for educators, students and professionals. Over 2,500 professors, students and media professionals are currently individual members, and approximately 275 college and university departments and schools are institutional members. Each year, there are over 1,300 submissions from schools around the world, with only around 22% of entries receiving awards.