蘑菇传媒

蘑菇传媒鈥檚 Animation students from the Department of Art & Art History received special recognition at the 23rd Annual 蘑菇传媒 International Film Festival (RIFF), marking 蘑菇传媒 Animation鈥檚 first official partnership with the long-standing event.

The 鈥溎⒐酱�媒 Animation Spotlight鈥� program was featured during this year鈥檚 festival, giving nine current and former students the opportunity to screen their films and engage in a live Q&A with audience members and festival organizers. The students honored in the showcase included Caiwei Zhou, Jenny Pham, Ysabel Morales, Leah Ariel Magdaleno, Ruby Castellanos, Kyle Brookshire, Amani Scott, Jessica Diaz, and Xander Campa.

鈥淭his was an incredible platform for our students to share their voices, creativity, and hard work with the community,鈥� said 蘑菇传媒 spokesperson. 鈥淚t鈥檚 inspiring to see their talents recognized on a professional stage.鈥�

The spotlight program culminated in two major honors at the RIFF Awards Ceremony:

• Audience Choice Award: Runaway Star! by Caiwei Zhou

• Jury Award: East LA by Xander Campa

In addition, the official 2025 RIFF poster was designed by 蘑菇传媒 Art student Natalie (Connie) Zamora, showcasing the artistic contributions of 蘑菇传媒 students beyond the screen.

During the post-screening Q&A session, students introduced their films and thoughtfully responded to questions from an engaged audience, gaining valuable experience in presenting their work in a professional setting.

The partnership between 蘑菇传媒 Animation and RIFF highlights the college鈥檚 commitment to fostering creative talent and connecting students to real-world opportunities in the arts and entertainment industry.