BEA2026: Full Schedule

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10:15am PDT

Festival of Media Arts: Faculty Showcase Session & Awards - Audio & Documentary Competitions

Saturday April 18, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am PDT

Please join us as we recognize all of the Faculty Festival winners from Audio, Documentary & Scriptwriting competitions.

After the awards are handed out, we will hear from our Best of Competition winners.
Confirmed Presenters

Faculty Audio
Short-Form Production Category
Haitian Church in Pine Hills Fights Fear with Faith; Rick Brunson, University of Central Florida

Faculty Documentary
Short-Form Documentary Category
Chicken Ghetto; Sangsun Choi & Paul Lee, Kennesaw State University

Moderators

Heather Dunn

Arizona State University

Speakers

Sangsun Choi

Assistant Professor, Kennesaw State University

Sangsun Choi is a visual storyteller who focuses on discovering the unique meaning behind ordinary life. He believes that this value can be revealed through exquisite observation and artistic representation. Originally from South Korea, he has created dozens of works about child labor... Read More →

Rick Brunson

Senior Instructor, University of Central Florida

Saturday April 18, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am PDT
W308

BEA, Festival of Media Arts | Radio & Audio Media, Festival of Media Arts | Documentary, Festival of Media Arts | Filmmaker Spotlight, Festival of Media Arts

10:15am PDT

The BEA Oral History Project

Saturday April 18, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am PDT

W313

The BEA Oral History Project is gathering the life histories of BEA members to help celebrate the 75th anniversary of the organization. In this session, BEA members who are interested in oral history, either to help with this particular project or in general, will learn about the project and how the oral history interview is different from the traditional journalistic interviews. We'll discuss oral history best practices, including release forms, how to develop questions, online v. in person interviewing, archival practices, and also include an interviewee from the project.

Moderator: Kathleen M Ryan, University of Colorado Boulder
Panelists: Kim Fox, American University in Cairo (interviewee)
Michael Dale Bruce, University of Alabama (interviewee)
Glenda R. Balas, University of North Texas - Dallas
Stacey O. Irwin, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Moderators

Kathleen M. Ryan

Associate Professor, University of Colorado Boulder

Speakers

Kim Fox

Professor of Practice, American University in Cairo

The first and only double BEA Best of Festival Winner in the same year; podcaster (Ehky Ya Masr Podcast) and executor of the podcasting trifecta: teaching, researching and producing podcasts.
https://soundcloud.com/ehkyyamasr

Founder and organizer of PodFest Cairo, Egypt and Africa... Read More →

Michael Bruce

Dept. Chair, Associate Professor & Director of Digital Media Center, University of Alabama

Glenda Balas

Professor, University of North Texas - Dallas

Dr. Glenda Balas is a Professor in Communication and Technology at the University of North Texas at Dallas. She was formerly Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UNT Dallas; Professor and Chair of the Communication and Journalism Department at the University of New Mexico; and Chair... Read More →

Stacey O. Irwin

Professor, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Current Alpha Epsilon Rho National Chair, Past President of the BEA Board of Directors (2022-23); past Convention Chair.

My most recent book is the textbook through Taylor & Francis titled Survey of Media: Screens, Sounds, Synergies. I also authored the Choice Review recommended D... Read More →

Saturday April 18, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am PDT
W313

History, Teaching Techniques/Tips & Educational Programs | Documentary, Teaching Techniques/Tips & Educational Programs | Production Aesthetics & Criticism, Teaching Techniques/Tips & Educational Programs | BEA, Teaching Techniques/Tips & Educational Programs

12:00pm PDT

From Challenge to Creativity: International Documentary Production in Low-Resource Environments

Saturday April 18, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT

W304

Making an international documentary in low-resource settings requires creativity amid unpredictable conditions. Filmmakers may work alone in unfamiliar cultures, face ethical questions about representation, and confront how their own experiences shape the narrative. While such challenges can be disorienting, they often open unexpected possibilities for deeper reflection and more innovative documentary storytelling.

Moderator: Sangsun Choi, Kennesaw State University
Panelists: Larry Tung, Fashion Institute of Technology
Jiachun Hong, Utah Tech University
Robin Canfield, Actuality Abroad
Tynymgul Eshieva, Assistant Professor, American University of Central Asia

Moderators

Sangsun Choi

Assistant Professor, Kennesaw State University

Speakers

Tynymgul Eshieva

Assistant Professor, American University in Central Asia

Robin Canfield

Director of International Programs, Actuality Abroad

Robin Canfield is an accomplished storyteller, photographer, and documentary filmmaker. He co-founded Actuality Abroad and leads documentary workshops around the world, producing films that highlight the efforts of local changemakers. Under his guidance, Actuality Abroad has mentored... Read More →

LARRY TUNG

Assistant Professor, Fashion Institute of Technology

Assistant Professor
Department of Marketing Communications
FashionInstitute ofTechnology
Documentary filmmaker

Jiachun Hong

Assistant Professor of Digital Media, Utah Tech University

Saturday April 18, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
W304

Documentary, Research/Theory | BEA, Research/Theory

3:00pm PDT

A Conversation with Lifetime Achievement in Creative Scholarship recipient John Woody

Saturday April 18, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT

W310

Steve Anderson & John Woody are the first recipients of the BEA Lifetime Achievement in Scholarship Award. In this session, we'll have a conversation with John about his career progression alongside the rise of technological innovations that have defined modern storytelling. We will discuss key moments in the growth of the field while offering some insights he has gleaned about academia and BEA over the course of his long and successful career.

Moderators

Michael Bruce

Dept. Chair, Associate Professor & Director of Digital Media Center, University of Alabama

Speakers

John Woody

Emeritus Professor, James Madison University

John M. Woody dedicated thirty years to James Madison University, where he served as a full professor of Media Studies until his retirement in 2015. Specializing in advanced video post-production, he built a reputation for combining creative storytelling with emerging technology... Read More →

Saturday April 18, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
W310

4:15pm PDT

Off Script: Students Take the Lead on Creative Media Education

Saturday April 18, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm PDT

W304

This panel discussion between current creative media production students and professors will talk about what works in the classroom. Students will lead the conversation, sharing what assignments, teaching methods, and feedback have pushed them to do their best creative work, and the professors will respond and discuss how to put these ideas into practice. The discussion will cover what kinds of projects get students excited, how critique sessions can be helpful instead of discouraging, creating environments where creativity thrives, and mentoring approaches that help students find their own creative voice.

Moderator: Ralph Beliveau, University of Oklahoma
Panelists: Scott Hodgson, University of Oklahoma
Traci Easley Williams, University of Oklahoma
Molly Horn, University of Oklahoma
Keaton Schallhorn, University of Oklahoma
Nathan Pooler, University of Oklahoma
Kate Needham, University of Oklahoma
Kevin Hahn, University of Oklahoma

Moderators

Ralph Beliveau

Professor, University of Oklahoma

Dr. Beliveau is the Area Head for Creative Media Production and Professional Writing at the University of Oklahoma and affiliate faculty in both Film and Media Studies and Women and Gender Studies. He writes and teaches about media education and literacy, race, horror media, documentary... Read More →

Speakers

Kevin Hahn

Instructor, University of Oklahoma

Accomplished educator and digital media professional with 20+ years of combined experience in video production and higher education instruction. Master's degree in Journalism with Creative Media Production focus from the University of Oklahoma with extensive graduate teaching experience... Read More →

Molly Horn

University of Oklahoma

I am a senior majoring in creative media production with a minor in film and media studies. I am set to graduate in May of 2026 with my Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oklahoma. At the University of Oklahoma, I serve as the Director of Special Projects for Gaylord College's... Read More →

Kate Needham

Senior Producer, University of Oklahoma

Hello! My name is Kate Needham, and I am a senior majoring in creative media production with a minor in entrepreneurship at the University of Oklahoma, graduating in May of 2026. I serve as Senior Producer for Gaylord Hall Productions, a client video-production company at Gaylord... Read More →

Keaton Schallhorn

University of Oklahoma;

Nathan Pooler

Director of Project Development - Greenlight, University of Oklahoma

Hi, I'm Nathan Pooler, a student in broadcast and film. Whether I'm behind the camera, in the control room, or in the producer's chair, I live for the craft of bringing compelling content to life.
I will be graduating from the University of Oklahoma's Gaylord College of Journalism... Read More →

Scott Hodgson

Professor, University of Oklahoma

Storytelling that makes an impact is my passion. Helping other do the same is my career. Since 2006 I have been teaching in Creative Media Production at the University of Oklahoma. My focus is documentary, corporate and commercial production.

Traci Williams

Assistant Professor, University of Oklahoma

I've spent more than 25 years doing what I love — teaching students how to tell stories that matter. My work sits at the intersection of film and television production, scriptwriting, visual media, and Africana studies, and every course I teach is built around one core belief: representation... Read More →

Saturday April 18, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm PDT
W304

Documentary, Teaching Techniques/Tips & Educational Programs | BEA, Teaching Techniques/Tips & Educational Programs | Production Aesthetics & Criticism, Teaching Techniques/Tips & Educational Programs | Student Spotlight, Teaching Techniques/Tips & Educational Programs | Filmmaker Spotlight, Teaching Techniques/Tips & Educational Programs | New Faculty & Graduate Student Spotlight, Teaching Techniques/Tips & Educational Programs

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