At the 28th Annual Palm Beaches Student Showcase of Films, which was held on Friday at the Maltz Jupiter Theater, awards, and scholarships were given to students from Florida.
The event was put on by the Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission. They said their goal is to get TV and film workers to come to the Palm Beaches to make their work.
The new Palm Beach County Film Commissioner, Michelle Hillery, said, “In 2022, we had a record number of productions. Over $128 million is being spent here in the county because of [film and TV production].”
“Florida is one of the few states that doesn’t offer a film or TV reward to keep talent in the state. Hillery said, “There’s a lot of competition out there.”
“So, what we really want to do is keep the students here in the state, keep them working here in Palm Beach County, and show them that we do have an industry here—over 150 production companies call Palm Beach County home.”
The nominees are film and TV students in high school and college. On Friday, they walked the red carpet and had their pictures taken by a pro. Awards and grants worth $20,000 were given out. Tynndall Dickerson, who goes to the G-Star School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, was given the $5,000 Burt Reynolds Scholarship.
Moses Lauriston, a high school student from Haines City, said, “No one really gets these kinds of chances where I’m from.” “So, just the fact that you can be here at all. I just think it’s great.”
In the category for Vanilla Ice music videos, Lauriston was one of the nominees.
