El Dorado High School Advanced Video Production Students Shine at Film Festivals Across Orange County

El Dorado High School’s Advanced Video Production students have experienced an outstanding film festival season, earning numerous accolades and recognition for their creative and technical achievements.

On Wednesday, March 5, students from El Dorado High School’s Advanced Video Production program attended the FilmED Academy of the Arts 48-Hour Film Festival Screening at Beckman High School. During the event, their film, The Telltale Camera Part, was showcased.

On Thursday, March 6, two short films produced by El Dorado High School students were official selections at the prestigious SCREEN Film Festival, held at the historic Aero Theater in Santa Monica. The films included “Monster Hunters,” created by Kale Wood (‘25), Jaston Lopez (‘25), Ruby Schultz (‘25), River Santiago (‘25), Karina Bier (‘25), and Josh Eady (‘25), as well as Dear Mom and Dad directed by Tahlia Pompel (‘24)

Furthermore, the most significant announcement of the week came from the 2025 Orange County Film Festival (OCFF), which revealed its official nominees and selections. The following productions from El Dorado High School received nominations:

Best Independent Film:

• “Beer Pressure” – Jaston Lopez
• “Thief” – Ruby Schultz & River Santiago

Best Commercial:

• “A Night At Sadies” – Zoey Rodriguez

Best Documentary:

• “Impact” – JD Cavalluzzi
• “The Hill Climber” – James Conlee
• “Colleen Picou’s Sacred Table” – JD Cavalluzzi & James Conlee

Best Short Film:

• “The Bottle Spin” – Autumn Treister & Zoey Rodriguez
• “Intake” – James Conlee, Katelyn Marshall (Irvine), Benjamin Loy (Irvine), & Sienna Perez (Valencia)

Best Music Video:

• “April Come She Will” – JD Cavalluzzi

Best PSA (Public Service Announcement):

• “Seasons of Hope” – Claire Ng, Ciana Gonzales & River Santiago
• “Reflect” – Kaia Resell & Skylar Snyder (Yorba Linda)

Best Cinematography:

• Jaston Lopez & Kale Wood (“Beer Pressure”)
• James Conlee (“Intake”)
• James Conlee (“April Come She Will”)
• Tahlia Pompel (“The Bottle Spin”)

Best Story:

• Zoey Rodriguez (“The Bottle Spin”)

Best Editing:

• James Conlee, River Santiago & Tyler Tran (Irvine) (“Intake”)
• JD Cavalluzzi (“April Come She Will”)
• Zoey Rodriguez (“The Bottle Spin”)
• Jaston Lopez, Kale Wood, Cooper Cuya (“Beer Pressure”)

Best Score:

• James Conlee & Avalina Thomas (“April Come She Will”)
• James Conlee (“Intake”)
• James Conlee (“The Hill Climber”)

Best Sound Design:

• Zoey Rodriguez (“The Bottle Spin”)
• Jaston Lopez & Kale Wood (“Beer Pressure”)

Best Actor:

• Barron Syams as Leo in “The Bottle Spin”
• Autumn Treister as Abrie in “The Bottle Spin”
• Akila Rao as Callie in “April Come She Will”

Best Production Design:

• JD Cavalluzzi (“April Come She Will”)
• Zoey Rodriguez (“A Night at Sadies”)

Best Producer:

• James Conlee, Ben Loy (Irvine), Sienna Perez (Valencia) (“Intake”)

Best Director:

• Zoey Rodriguez (“The Bottle Spin”)
• JD Cavalluzzi (“April Come She Will”)

Best Broadcast:

• “Hawk Talk” (El Dorado High School Advanced Video, News Directors – Zoey Rodriguez & Kale Wood)

The Orange County Film Festival continues to recognize outstanding achievements in student filmmaking, and the accomplishments of El Dorado High School’s Advanced Video Production students underscore their dedication and talent in the field of cinematic arts.