BEA2026: Full Schedule

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10:15am PDT

How to Successfully Include Non-Majors in a Study Abroad Documentary/Multi-Media Project

Monday April 20, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am PDT

Tackling a study abroad short documentary-video project can be challenging if the student participants are skilled, but what if they have little to no experience? Hear how to harness the non-majors’ best assets and make them feel equally part of the project. We hear from panelists who have learned valuable lessons on what to do and not do overseas on recent projects with non-majors ranging from short documentaries to multi-media.

Moderator: Melissa Jackson, Chair, BEA Writing Division & Former Associate Professor, Piedmont University,
Panelists: LaDonna Aiken, of Practice, University of Texas at Arlington
Dwayne Cheddar, Associate Professor, Oakwood University
Melissa Jackson, Chair, BEA Writing Division & Former Associate Professor, Piedmont University,
Kyle West Hufford, Goshen College

Moderators

Melissa Jackson

CloudCatcher Productions

Speakers

Kyle Hufford

Associate Professor of Communication, Goshen College

Love to teach and mold young film and media production students. I teach film and advanced media production classes at Goshen College in Goshen, IN. I also manage our Video Production company where we hire students to work on video for clients.

LaDonna Aiken

Broadcast Specialist, University of Texas - Arlington

I am an assistant professor of practice in broadcast communication at the University of Texas at Arlington, where I teach broadcast production classes, as well as my faculty-led Study Abroad to Japan.

Dwayne Cheddar

Professor of Communication,, Oakwood University

Monday April 20, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am PDT
W306

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

11:30am PDT

Festival of Media Arts: Faculty Showcase Session & Awards - News, Film & Video and Audio Competitions

Monday April 20, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT

W311

Please join us as we recognize all of the Faculty Festival winners from News competition.

After the awards are handed out, we will hear from our Best of Competition winners from News, Film & Video and Audio.
Confirmed Presenters

Faculty Film & Video
Commercial or PSA Category
House of Honey; Jonathan Vinson, Huntington University

Mixed/Pedagogical Category
ALL ONE; Rodrigo Gómez Claros, Skye Baxter, Cooper Rogers, Seth Savage & Stacey Teves, Middle Tennessee State University

Faculty News
Television Feature News Reporting Category
From Denver to Mecca: A CNN producer’s personal pilgrimage to Islam’s holiest site; Kareem El Damanhoury, Muhammad Darwish, Angelica Pursley & Matog Saleh, University of Denver

Faculty Audio
Radio Station Promo, PSA, Commercial Category
Universal Electric Scooter and Skateboard Life Insurance; Don Connelly, Western Carolina University

Moderators

Heather Dunn

Arizona State University

Speakers

Don Connelly

Professor, Faculty Advisor 95.3 WWCU, Western Carolina University

Throughout a 23 year broadcasting career and now 24 years in academia, Connelly has always maintained a keen interest in production. He is a five-time recipient of the Broadcast Education Association’s Best of Competition Award and a five-time recipient of the Best of Festival Charles... Read More →

Jonathan Vinson

Huntington University

Rodrigo Gómez Claros

Associate Professor of Animation, Middle Tennessee State University

Rodrigo Gómez-Claros, a Colombian native and US citizen, is an award-winning graphic designer and animator. He holds degrees from the National University of Colombia and the Rochester Institute of Technology. With over 14 years at Mattel/Fisher-Price, he produced and directed numerous... Read More →

Kareem El Damanhoury

University of Denver

Monday April 20, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT
W311

BEA, Festival of Media Arts | News, Festival of Media Arts | Production Aesthetics & Criticism, Festival of Media Arts | Radio & Audio Media, Festival of Media Arts | Filmmaker Spotlight, Festival of Media Arts

11:30am PDT

How to navigate the Film Festival World

Monday April 20, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT

W306

The film festival world is opaque, complex, expensive, and changing. This workshop will go over how to develop a festival strategy, where you select festivlas that are right for your film. It will also cover how to effectively submit your film on Film Freeway, including what to do and what to avoid. This workshop will also go into what you need to do once you get into a festival, including creating a DCP, a Press Kit, and other materials. It will go over promoting your film and also talk about how much it costs to attend the festival.
Moderator: Robb B. Montgomery, Visual Editors, NFP

Moderators

Bart Weiss

Associate Professor, UT Arlington

Bart Weiss is an award-winning independent film and video producer, director, editor, and educator who has lived in Dallas since 1981.
He is mostly known as the director and founder of the Dallas VideoFest. He produces the TV show “Frame of Mind” on KERA TV in Dallas and is the Artistic Director of 3 Stars Cinema. He has traveled to Nigeria, Pakistan, and China to show American Documentaries for the US State... Read More →

Speakers

Robb Montgomery

Author, Mobile Journalism

Robb Montgomery is a Berlin-based journalism educator, documentary filmmaker, and visual media anthropologist known for his contributions to mobile journalism and media development programs. He is a former Chicago newspaper editor who builds immersive cultural heritage experiences... Read More →

Monday April 20, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT
W306

Documentary, Workshop | BEA, Workshop | Filmmaker Spotlight, Workshop

12:45pm PDT

Screenwriting Plus Production: How the Mixture Can Benefit Students

Monday April 20, 2026 12:45pm - 1:45pm PDT

W305

This panel is focused on how to get a better narrative screenplay written and produced in the same classroom. We invite you to hear different approaches to mix screenwriting and simple film production together (instead of as separate entities) to develop a richer storyline and better final product.

Moderator: Melissa Jackson, Chair, BEA Writing Division & Former Associate Professor, Piedmont University,
Panelists:
Jason Brown, Valdosta State University,
Nathan Gibbs, Point Loma Nazarene University
Andrew Millians, Lindenwood University
Theresa Coronado, University of the Incarnate Word
Melissa Jackson, Chair, BEA Writing Division & Former Associate Professor, Piedmont University

Moderators

Melissa Jackson

CloudCatcher Productions

Speakers

Jason Brown

Assoc Prof / Festival Director, Valdosta State University

TV - Movies - Teaching - Traveling

Theresa Coronado

Media Production Instructor, University of the Incarnate Word

Nathan Gibbs

Professor, Point Loma Nazarene University

Gibbs has taught media production and journalism courses at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California, since 2022. Prior to joining PLNU, he served as the general manager of an on-campus NPR station, oversaw ESPN+ streaming, build out podcast studios, and ushered in... Read More →

Andrew Millians

Associate Professor, Lindenwood University

Department Head - Media, Communications, and Cinema

Monday April 20, 2026 12:45pm - 1:45pm PDT
W305

Writing, Teaching Techniques/Tips & Educational Programs | BEA, Teaching Techniques/Tips & Educational Programs | Filmmaker Spotlight, Teaching Techniques/Tips & Educational Programs

4:30pm PDT

Film & Documentary Production Technologies Tour

Monday April 20, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT

West Hall - 3rd Floor Lobby

Join Richard Crudo, ASC and take a look at current tools and workflows used in documentary and nonfiction production, including camera, audio, editing, and post-production technologies used in professional and educational settings.

Monday April 20, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
West Hall - 3rd Floor Lobby

Documentary, Special Event, Tour | BEA, Special Event, Tour | Filmmaker Spotlight, Special Event, Tour

10:15am PDT

11:30am PDT

11:30am PDT

12:45pm PDT

4:30pm PDT

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