Hundreds of young filmmakers gathered in California for the 2026 Sonscreen Film Festival, held at the Loma Linda University Church from April 9 to 11. The event brought together students, professionals, and educators who are passionate about making movies with emotional meaning.
Out of 72 film submissions, "Ancestor," a project by Sienna Escobar and Jhared Tula from Southern Adventist University, won the Best in Festival award. The film tells the story of three Ukrainian students and their families. Escobar, who also won Best Art/Experimental Short, said that caring about someone means caring about their family too.
The festival, supported by the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists, is a place for Christian filmmakers. Julio C. Muñoz, the executive director, encouraged attendees to share their stories. Jacob Capiña, a student from Pacific Union College, won an award for his musical film and said that filmmakers should focus on telling good stories rather than just preaching.
Fifty-six student films were shown, representing many Adventist schools and some non-Adventist ones. Southern Adventist University students won many awards, including Best Animated Short, Best Micro Short, Best Narrative Short, and Best Documentary Short.
The festival also offered grants for new film ideas. Matheus Valente won first place and $3,500 for his project "Pantanal." Other students also received funding for their film concepts. Judges, who were industry experts, gave feedback on all the films and recognized movies that supported specific communities.
Educators noted that the students' work had a strong purpose. Professor Nick Livanos mentioned that Christian artists have a duty to bring new life to their art. Kenneth Chang from Uncommon Voices Collective called filmmaking "sacred work."
As technology changes, these young filmmakers are focusing on the human side of stories. Emily Livergood believes that artificial intelligence cannot replace real creativity. The festival showed that filmmaking can be both a career and a spiritual calling.