Students Shine at Film Festival
Posted on November 17, 2025 by Sarah Waddell
Eleven undergraduates and three graduate students in the Art and Art History Department's animation program represented USA at the 2025 48-Hour YellowHammer Film Festival Competition, a fast-paced contest that challenges creativity, collaboration and endurance.
The team completed a thrilling two-and-a-half–minute 2D animated film in just 48 hours, in the randomly assigned genre of ‘crime.’ Meanwhile, the graduate students from the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Technologies and Practice program brought history to life with a two-minute, 45-second 3D animated short in the ‘historical drama’ genre. Both films were officially selected to screen at the festival, a remarkable recognition of the students’ dedication and artistry.
Creating an animated film under such tight constraints is no small feat. Every frame, character and scene must be developed from scratch, from concept and storyboard to final rendering, often requiring late nights, teamwork and lightning-fast problem-solving. For the students, the 48-hour window tested not only their technical skills, but also their ability to collaborate efficiently under pressure.
Despite the challenges, the experience proved to be a triumph of creativity and perseverance. Faculty mentors praised the students’ commitment to storytelling and innovation, noting how each team transformed their assigned genres into polished, emotionally-engaging films. The undergraduates’ dynamic approach to crime storytelling and the graduates’ nuanced portrayal of historical themes both highlight the depth of talent emerging from the University’s animation programs.
As the YellowHammer Film Festival celebrates another year of cinematic creativity, these students stand as a testament to what can be achieved through passion, teamwork and artistry. Their success in producing two fully-realized animated films in just 48-hours is not only an outstanding achievement, but also a shining example of the future of animation and creative technologies.