Floyd County students’ work chosen for All American High School Film Festival

The work of three Floyd County College and Career Academy students won coveted spots in the prestigious All American High School Film Festival, scheduled for Oct. 21-23 in New York City.

Just 700 of the 2,500 entries were accepted to compete for a Tindie (teen indie) award and over $500,000 in prizes and scholarships. The festival offers a grand stage for the next generation of filmmakers from all over the world in categories including comedy, drama, horror, experimental, podcasts, tutorials, and video web blogs.

The Floyd County Schools students are following the FAME — Film, Art, Media and Entertainment — pathway at the Floyd County CCA.

• Kevin Morales, a 2022 graduate of Coosa High School, had his podcast, “101 Talk with the Boys,” chosen as one of 10 official selections in the podcast category. Submitted in the spring of 2021, it was about the effects on students’ mental health due to attending school during the covid pandemic.
• Model High’s class of 2022 graduate Isaiah Girgis also submitted his podcast last spring. “Living Our Best” covers taking mental breaks and how to deal with the stress of being a high school teenager in a healthy way. “It makes me feel very proud and happy to be selected into the festival,” said Girgis. “I want to be able to keep learning and creating to inspire others, to bring hope to them.”
• HenRinesha Coalson, a current senior at Model, produced a make-up application video accepted for the tutorial category. The second year film student said, “It created a new passion for me because I never knew that I was worthy enough to be great at something like this.”

In addition to a Tindie and scholarship money, winners will receive editing and scriptwriting software.

“Being an official selection for the festival has given me a chance to actually have hope in a real future,” Coalson said.