ORU Students Win 2023 Best Student Film Award At 168 Film Festival

Tulsa, OK, Nov. 29, 2023 – Oral Roberts University (ORU) announced its student film entry, "The Art of Kindness," won the Best Student Film Award at the 20th Annual 168 Film Festival. Ten students, faculty, and staff traveled to Fayetteville, Georgia, to see the film screen at Trilith Town Stage, where the film secured the Best Student Film Award and recieved nominations in seven additional categories. The film’s seven other nominations were named in non-student categories, which were recognized against the entire pool of 54 films screened at the festival. 

“The 168 Film Festival was an incredible experience,” said Michaela Ray, the ORU Cinema & Media Arts senior who directed the film. “Our team wanted to push ourselves creatively, and despite many challenges due to the incredibly tight deadline, we came together and completed it on time with excellence. I’m so honored and humbled we won.”

The winning entry was part of the festival’s speed competition, where filmmakers are tasked with producing an entire movie within just 168 hours (equivalent to one week) based on an assigned Scripture verse. The six-minute story was inspired by Ecclesiastes 3:12-13, and follows a hard-working single mom hungering to escape her lonely limitations, who encounters a gifted young waiter who serves her a creative helping of hope. 

“Our students learn hands-on storytelling from day one,” explained David Ray, ORU Associate Professor of Cinema & Media Arts. “So this group of seniors has produced projects together for four years. My role as advisor on this film was minimal because they’ve learned to write scripts and lead every production role all by themselves. I couldn’t be prouder of their achievement – but given their talent, commitment, and preparation, I’m also not surprised by it.”

A team of seniors from ORU's Media Mastery Institute program helped bring the film to life. 
Credits include:

• Director, Producer, Editor – Michaela Ray
• Producer – Renato Sanchez
• Writer, Gaffer, Composer – Daniel Navarette
• Production Design – Natasha Perez, Kiora Brooks
• Director Of Photography – Cin “David” Sing
• Writer, Director Of Photography - Noë Smith
• Writer, Foley – Kody Mundt
• Production Assistants – Ella Abney, Michaela Nelson, Mark Travis, Dan Ost
• Lead Actors - Dr. Hayoung A. Lim, Jacob Sanders
• Executive Producer/Faculty Advisor - Prof. David N. Ray, MFA
  
  

In addition to the resume-building award and nominations, the festival also offered the winning team the chance to meet industry professionals, who shared their insights and contact information, building network connections beyond the red carpet. ORU’s commitment to the arts has continued to grow with its fourth new addition to the campus, the Peggy V. Helmerich Media Arts Center (MAC), which will house ORU's theatre, dance, music, and digital media departments. Construction on the building is scheduled to be completed in the Spring of 2024 and opened for the Fall 2024 semester.  

Please click here to learn more about ORU’s WLWW campaign.  

UNIVERSITY BRIEF

ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 15 years of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor's level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 150 nations (from 2019 to 2023) to be whole leaders for the whole world.

The Wall Street Journal ranked ORU as the #8 university in the nation for student experience and one of America's Best Colleges (2024). This new category rates the best colleges in the U.S. to have a great experience while attending. This ranking is powered by one of the largest-ever independent surveys of verified college students and recent graduates in the United States. Niche recognizes ORU as one of the top 25 most diverse colleges in America, the #1 best Christian college in Oklahoma, and # 1 in Oklahoma for diversity. Princeton Review ranked ORU as the best regional college, and College Raptor ranked ORU as a Hidden Gem in the Southwest.

ORU has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as:

• #1 in Undergraduate Teaching
• #2 in Most International Students
• #3 in Best Value
• #6 in Best College for Veterans
• #7 in Best Regional Colleges in the West

For more information, visit www.oru.edu.