WSU Department of Communication film students win BEA Award of Excellence

January 31, 2024

Wayne State University film student Lydia Bonney in the film "The Locked Door." The piece, co-directed by WSU’s Sol Everett and Christian Pernicano, earned a Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Award of Excellence.

A team of Wayne State University student filmmakers have earned top honors from the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) after competing in its most recent 48-hour Film Competition.

Last October, within the span of 48 hours, students from the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts’ Department of Communication were required to write, produce and edit a short film. The competition was open to BEA member institutions and included submissions from across the country, with two teams from Wayne State successful in completing all the project requirements.

“The Locked Door,” co-directed by WSU’s Sol Everett and Christian Pernicano, won a BEA Award of Excellence. Additional members of the production team included Jaxen Klein, Kristopher Rufin, Zoe Witt-Michalski, Emma Herzig, Michael Sheaves, Jacob Bloom and Lydia Bonney.

Sol Everett (pictured above), co-directed "The Locked Door" along with fellow Wayne State University undergraduate film major Christian Pernicano (pictured below).

“Winning an award of excellence from the Broadcast Education Association feels amazing," said Everett, who is working on an undergraduate degree in film, cinema and video studies in the Department of Communication. "My team and I are honored and incredibly happy to be recognized alongside the other talented filmmakers from across the country.

"Our goal is to keep bringing attention to the Detroit film industry and changing the widespread narrative of our beautiful city for the better. As a Detroit native, it’s easy to feel overlooked, but being recognized for your hard work beats any feeling in the world.”

Another Wayne State entry was submitted by TLJK productions. The short film, titled “Crossed,” was created by Tess Cowles, Julia Ciccone, Kaitlyn Williams, and Logan Anderson. A full list of awarded films can be accessed at beaweb.org. The next BEA 48-hour Film Competition will take place in October 2024.

“The College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts and the Department of Communication would like to congratulate all of our students who participated in the competition,” said Professor Paul Echeverria, who also served as the team’s faculty advisor. "We are so proud of their accomplishments and hard work. We look forward to participating in more BEA events and can't wait until the next competition."

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