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Two films by recent Snyder School of Cinema & Arts alumni are making their mainstage debut this week. , Southern California’s flagship public broadcast organization, is about to launch its 26th season of the . The showcase features outstanding short films from Southern California colleges and universities, and out of 430 film submissions from over 53 schools, only 33 were selected as finalists. Of those 33, the films Nod and Roman Candle: A Love Story, are Biola student-made. All finalists will be broadcast beginning Wednesday, September 24 on .

The two Biola films came from two schools at Biola, the Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts and the School of Fine Arts and Communications, and represent the rich creativity and collaborative spirit among the two. Nod, directed by Tristan Baumgardner (B.A. ’25), is a musical fantasy about a young woman who is whisked away to a magical land fraught with supernatural peril. Baumgardner co-wrote the film with E.F. Broyles (B.A.’25), drawing from classic fairy tales, particularly those of Andrew Lang and George MacDonald.

Produced by current Cinema and Media Arts major Eliana Henry, Nod was shot in Fall 2024 and features lavish sets by Libby Scott, sumptuous costumes by Birdy Holdridge, resplendent cinematography by Callia Kovacs, and puppetry reminiscent of the Jim Henson Creature Shop, which was a nod to Baumgardner’s internship with The Jim Henson Company during his last year at Biola. Nod will premiere on PBS SoCal Plus on Wednesday, September 24 at 10:00 p.m.

Roman Candle: A Love Story, directed by recent alumni Michael Banke (BFA ’25) and Max Horton (BFA ’25), is an action-packed 2-D animated film about a pizza delivery boy who must ride for his life when he is pursued by a mysterious figure down the dark streets and alleys of his neighborhood. Made under the auspices of Professor Aaron Holmes, Roman Candle is the direct result of Biola’s new concentration in animation within the Biola Department of Art. It premiered in May 2025 as part of Biola’s first-ever screening event for senior animated thesis films. The film will premiere on PBS SoCal Plus on Wednesday, October 15.

Both films being recognized by PBS is a testament to the creativity and collaborative spirit of the Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts and the Art Department. Nod, while predominantly live-action, features several animated sequences created by art students with an Animation concentration. Cinema and Media Arts major Zane Kilani Kuljian wrote Roman Candle.

“Nearly any student project of this scope is a big-team, collaborate effort,” said Aaron Holmes, associate professor of art. “Roman Candle also features contributions from writers, musicians, sound designers, voice actors and a whole slew of folks assisting with the animation labor of drawing and coloring frame by frame.”

Nod and Roman Candle were recognized by a panel whose judges include two-time Los Angeles Emmy® award-winning Director Mary Lou Belli (“Elsbeth,” "NCIS New Orleans,” “Monk”), Director of Photography Doug Emmett (“Sorry To Bother You,” “The Edge of Seventeen,” “Presumed Innocent”), Producers/Founders of Three Frame Media Jaye and Adam Fenderson (PBS’s “The Class,” “First Generation,” “Unlikely”), Writer/Director/Producer Liz W. Garcia (“Space Cadet,” “The Lifeguard,” “Cold Case”), Story Artist/Writer/Actor Michael Herrera (“Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical,” “Zootopia+,” “Encanto”), Starz Vice President Program Acquisitions & Co-Productions Michele Sanchez Arteaga (“This Changes Everything,” “Stranger Fruit,” “What Haunts Us”), Writer/Producer Eileen Shim (“The Acolyte,” “House of the Dragon,” “Light as a Feather”) and Writer/Director Echo Wu (“Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld,” “The Wishgranter”).

As finalists, Baumgardner, Banke, and Horton will be invited to Fine Cut’s Annual Mentoring Workshop on Sat., Sept. 27 at Radford Studio Center. This interactive workshop gives students a chance to select from one of three mentoring tracks: Directing/Cinematography (led by director Tessa Blake, director Marcus Stokes, and cinematographer Felipe Vara De Rey), Writing/Producing (led by writer/EP/ showrunner Vera Santamaria, writer/director Drew Hancock, and showrunner/EP Dailyn Rodriguez), and Animation (led by character designer Elsa Chang, art director Miguel Gonzalez, and artist manager at Warner Bros. Animation & Cartoon Network Studios Jessie Juwono).

This year marks the fourth consecutive year in which Biola films have been selected as Fine Cut finalists. Previous selections include One of My Own, Under Refurbishment, and Amelia (The Twin).

At the Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts, student filmmakers undergo much practice to become studio proficient. Students have access to industry-standard equipment, editing bays and studios as soon as they arrive on campus. Students in the animation concentration in the School of Fine Arts and Communication are taught to create compelling, creative images within the context of a robust fine arts program. Step into the industry and apply to Biola today.

Written by Nate Bell, Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts. For more information, email media.relations@biola.edu.