Asbury students earned a prestigious Silver Telly Award for a collaborative film project that competed alongside thousands of entries from around the world.
Asbury University has earned another national honor for student media excellence, receiving a Silver Telly Award in the General–Student category for the 2025 Highbridge Film Festival Awards Show Intro Video.
Students produced the award-winning project through a collaboration between Asbury’s Special Events class and Intro to Film Production course, demonstrating the creativity, technical skill, and teamwork that define the University’s media programs.
The introductory video opened the 2025 Highbridge Film Festival, setting the stage for an evening celebrating student storytelling, filmmaking, and cinematic achievement.
Producer Sam Curry ’25, assistant producer William Edgar ’26, and director Sam Santrock ’25 led the project, while Asbury faculty members Prof. David Whitaker and Dr. Todd Wold provided guidance throughout the production process.
This national recognition demonstrates that Asbury students gain hands-on experience producing award-winning media that competes successfully on a global stage before they graduate.
It's gratifying to see the students' hard work recognized by such a high-profile award. Professional production agencies brag about winning Telly Awards. This is one of several that have been won by Asbury students and alumni over the years."
Now in its 47th year, the Telly Awards recognize excellence in video and television across all screens. The competition received more than 13,000 entries from around the world, with a judging council of more than 250 industry leaders representing organizations including HBO, Google, Netflix, and the WNBA. By earning a Silver Telly Award, Asbury students placed their work alongside productions created by leading studios, agencies, and media companies.
Celebrating its 22nd year in 2026, the Highbridge Film Festival continues to serve as a cornerstone of Asbury’s storytelling culture by giving students opportunities to write, produce, direct, collaborate, and showcase original work for campus and community audiences. This latest honor reflects the strength of Asbury’s hands-on approach to media education and the dedication of both students and faculty who continue to pursue excellence in visual storytelling.
The Asbury University School of Communication Arts offers Traditional Undergraduate programs in Communication, Media Communication, Multimedia Journalism, and Theatre. Graduate programs include the M.A. in Communication; M.A. in Digital Storytelling; M.A. in Instructional Design, Innovation & Leadership; MFA in Film/TV Production; and MFA in Screenwriting.