A total of fourteen films will premiere Friday night at the Paramount Theatre as students compete in the 2026 FilmFest Gala. The event will begin at 7 p.m., and admission is free.

FilmFest is a student short film festival where students interested in film production and the motion picture and entertainment industries can participate and gain field experience. Students spend the year following guidelines and a schedule for submission deadlines. Judges evaluate the films and the top films are honored at a gala red-carpet event.

Melissa Henderson, FilmFest Director, has worked with the FilmFest & Learning Studio since 2015.

“The goal is to celebrate student work and to honor the time and effort,” said Henderson in an email. “Think ‘the Oscars for ACU.’”

Three judges will select the winner after reviewing and evaluating the films based on different categories.

Kyle Dickson, Learning Studio director and faculty sponsor, said that this year’s FilmFest Gala will feature narratives, animated and documentary films.

“We won’t know until Friday which awards [the judges] will be giving this year,” Dickson said.

Last year, the judges gave awards in 15 different categories, including best picture, best animated film, best director and best editor.

This year’s judges are Sommerly Simser, Amy Teague and Nate Corrona.

Simser (’10), ACU alumna, participated in the FilmFest as a student. She has worked at Paramount Pictures, Image Entertainment and Netflix for eight years.

Teague, set decorator and production designer from Tulsa, Oklahoma, has worked on films such as “Twister,” “The Low Down” and “Reservation Dogs.” Her latest film, “The Great Awakening,” just opened in theaters.

Corrona is the Atlanta filmmaker behind Dustbrand Films. He has produced over 200 music videos with Grammy-winning artists such as Crowder, PJ Morton and Lecrae. His recent work includes ACU commercials for online programs and social media.

“It’s always a pleasure to see many students get connected and mentored by professional filmmakers,” Henderson said.

Eva Arriola, sophomore multimedia major from Bulverde, participated in this year’s FilmFest. This year, she edited two films, “Maia” and “Killing Darlings,” and appeared in the comedy “Griefer’s Rehab.”

Arriola wants to pursue a career in the film industry, and she said that the FilmFest is a great opportunity for students interested in storytelling.

“I am here to tell stories and help people to tell stories,” Arriola said. “One of the greatest joys in life is seeing the reaction of people, whether it is tears or pure joy from experiencing entertainment.”

The following films are competing at the 2026 FilmFest: