Sam Houston State University held its seventh annual Heatwave Media and Film Festival Award Ceremony on April 30 in the Orange Ballroom of the Lowman Student Center.

The festival, which aims to showcase work done by College of Arts and Media students, awarded numerous accolades for student film, journalism and other forms of media.

The event was hosted by students Brianna Flores and Ryan Hughes. The pair said that their favorite part of Heatwave is the outlet it gives students to showcase their talents.

“Whether it be film or photography or PR, we cover such a wide range of creative arts, and I just think it’s really cool that we can give people that outlet,” said Hughes.

The night’s award-winners include Jawairya Ghariv, who won two awards for Best Graphic Design and Best PR/Advertising Campaign, Emily Lara for Best Journalism and Xavier Alexander for Best Student Film.

Shea Clews, the runner-up for Best Artistic Expression for “Check Your Insides,” noted the opportunity to make the film as a great way to explore other creative outlets.

“It was really great to be recognized for something I did for class,” said Clews. “It really makes me feel passionate about making more things outside of graphic design.”

Houstonian members Avery Wheelock and Christian Ekpenike were awarded Best Podcast for Episode 8 of their podcast “You Hate Me ‘Cause You Ain’t Me Sports Talk.”

Stephen Langlais, another Houstonian member, received third place for his article “The Zen of Animal Crossing.

Jesikah Cox, winner of Best Artistic Expression for Film Noir, and Spencer Hancock, finalist for Best Student Film, emphasized the importance of students seeing other students’ work and the community that comes with a student film festival.

“I love seeing everyone’s work,” said Cox. “I think it’s a great way to exemplify other artists and to get people more excited about creating.”

Below is the full list of winners and finalists:

Best Graphic Design (University) 

Winner: Roc Grotesk,  Juwairya Gharib 

2nd Place: The Five Knightly Virtues, Bailee Jackson 

Best PR/Advertising (University) 

Winner: Tad’s Louisiana, Juwairya Gharib  

2nd Place: Dead to Me, Robert Thomas Swartley Jr. 

Best Journalism (University) 

Winner: “Recent events at Texas universities could lead to ‘self-censorship’ on campus,” Emily Lara 

2nd place: “Is rodeo animal cruelty,” Teigan Poston  

3rd place: “The Zen of Animal Crossing: The Importance of Playing Without Ambition,” Stephen Michael Langlais  

Best Photography (University) 

Sports: A Cowboy’s Grit, Teigan Poston  

News: Roped Up, Teigan Posten  

Feature: Amber Stillness, Teigan Poston 

Creative: Dad/Son U.S. Veteran Duo, Derren Hall 

Best Podcast  

Winner: You Hate Me Cause You Ain’t Me Sports Talk, Episode 8, “Two Texans, One Room,” Featuring Avery Wheelock: Christian Ekpenike, dir. 

2nd Place: Hear Me Out, Aliah Moore, John Epperson, Madalyn Gray, Amanda Foster 

Best Emerging Media Film 

Winner: Escapism, Christopher Demond Jordan, dir.  

Best Artistic Expression 

Winner: Film Noir, Jesikah Cox, dir. 

2nd Place: Check Your Insides, Shea Clews, dir. 

Best Music Video 

Winner: Rocket, Jahsoulii Blain, dir. 

2nd Place: Veridis Quo, José Aaron Lumbreras  

3rd Place: Pretty Bolt Nori, Christian James Alexander Brooks, dir. 

Best High School Yearbook 

2024-2025 yearbook, Caney Creek High School 

“it’s OUR thing” yearbook, New Braunfels Christian Academy 

Best High School Journalism 

Winner: “Mommy,” Logan Day 

Best High School PR/Advertising 

Winner: Bloom, Ethan Jackson 

2nd Place: Broken, Jaxon Olalde 

3rd Place: In The Eyes of The Beholder, Kaia Langhorn 

Best High School Photography 

Winner: Final Bow, Full Heart, Audrey Heebner 

2nd Place: Wildcat Pride Bump, Elizabeth Dean 

Best  High School Graphic Design 

Winner: Naiad, Kaia Langhorn 

Best Documentary Film 

WINNER: The Botanical Garden: A Reflection of the Soul, Logan Michael Kord., dir. 

2nd place: Tatum Tough, RJ James Brummett, Addison Frances Sandifer, Maddie Marie Myles, dirs.  

3rd place: The CIT Chronicles: Turning Crisis into Connections, Brooke Danielle Ellis, dir. 

Independent Texas Filmmaker 

Winner: It Came from Studio A, Marshall Wright, dir. 

2nd Place: Patch, Meg Cook, dir. 

Beyond Texas 

Winner: A Lovely Uncontrollable Thing, Ashley Seering, dir. 

Narrative Student Film 

Best Cinematography: Gunslingin’ Grandpa, Madden Stahlecker, dir. 

Best Editing: Dungeons & Drama, Grey Ortiz, Tony Torrez, dirs. 

Best Sound Design: Hollow, Isabella Huczek, dir. 

Best Performance: Hollow, Taelyr Beely as Dylan 

Best Art Direction: Grief, Rae Murphy, dir. 

Best Screenplay: Gunslingin’ Grandpa, Madden Stahlecker, dir. 

Best Directing: Without their Dreams, Xavier Alexander, Alice Hakalenko, dirs. 

Best Student Film: Without their Dreams, Xavier Alexander, Alice Hakalenko, dirs.