Redlands Unified Celebrates Student Creativity at 2026 FilmFest
Photos by Rebecca Maschack
Guests queue for the RUSD FilmFest at Harkins Theatres.
Courtesy Redlands Unified School District
Redlands Unified School District hosted the fourth annual RUSD FilmFest at Harkins Theatres at Mountain Grove on April 29. The event showcased 59 media projects across fiction and nonfiction genres, representing the work of more than 100 students from elementary through high school.
Submissions were evaluated on creativity, storytelling, impact and polish. The top 10 entries in each category premiered for audiences of students, families and staff during two evening showings, drawing more than 550 attendees.
This year’s top-scoring entries in each category included:
Elementary Fiction: "Into the Forest" – Paloma Resquites, Catherine Dickerson and Sadie Cross
Elementary Nonfiction: "Ready, Set, Swim" – Emma Sapp
Middle School Fiction: "Lost in the Bamboo" – James Knapp
Middle School Nonfiction (Tie): "Kindness in Action" – Evie Simmons; and "Finding Forever Homes" – Eesha Pillai, Shriya Shodhan and Amy Zhou
High School Fiction: "The End: ASL Music Video" – Graeden Airell Espelita
High School Nonfiction: "Emotional Regulation PSA" – Brenden Medina and Marcos Rodriguez
Screenshots from “Kindness in Action,” a student-produced film by Moore Middle School sixth grade student Evie Simmons (bottom right), which earned top honors in the Middle School Nonfiction category
"FilmFest represents an opportunity for students across our district to demonstrate their creativity and have fun," said Jamie Cortz, senior director of TK-12 education, secondary. "We see students take on roles as scriptwriters, actors, camera operators, directors and special effects designers. Each year, students tell us this experience inspires them to come to school and learn more about storytelling through multimedia, and the films continue to improve every year."
The festival serves as a platform for nurturing young talent and exposes students to careers in the entertainment industry. Seeing their work premiere on the big screen alongside Hollywood blockbusters empowers students to pursue their passions with confidence.
Among this year’s standout projects was "Into the Forest," created by fifth-grade students Paloma Resquites, Catherine Dickerson and Sadie Cross from Kimberly Elementary School.
Paloma, who wrote and directed the film, said the project was inspired by themes of friendship and nature, beginning with a specific visual she wanted to bring to life.
"I had this shot in mind of a girl and a forest spirit just looking at each other from far away," Paloma said. "That’s what inspired the story."
Working from a shot list and script, the team filmed the project in only 90 minutes. Paloma said the experience was "a glimpse into the future" as she pursues a career as a director.
Sadie, who portrayed the forest spirit, said participating in the film was "a dream come true" as she also hopes to work in the industry as an actress.
Catherine, the camera operator, said she enjoyed creating something alongside her friends. "We had a lot of fun and were just silly sometimes, but it was exciting to win. It made me feel proud and happy."
Moore Middle School sixth-grade student Evie Simmons poses with her award alongside her parents Kevin and Dawne Simmons.
Returning participant Evie Simmons, a sixth-grade student at Moore Middle School, earned top honors in the Middle School Nonfiction category for "Kindness in Action." Her film explores how acts of kindness can positively impact a community.
"I wanted to share the message with Redlands that kindness can come back around," Evie said. "You just have to show it in the best ways you can, as often as you can."
The continued success of RUSD FilmFest reflects the district’s commitment to its EMPOWER framework, which supports the development of communication, collaboration and creativity across all grade levels.
To view all student films featured in this year’s festival, visit the Redlands Instructional Technology YouTube channel at youtube.com/@redlandsintech.