MAGNOLIA—-The Southern Arkansas University digital media program hosted its first annual Magnolia Student Film Festival Thursday, and SAU sophomore Melissa Heard won first place with her video, “Let Go.”

Twelve students participated in the Festival, entering a total of 18 videos in five different categories. The categories were: commercial, motion graphic, narrative, documentary and music video. Students from SAU, John Brown University, and area high schools participated, but in the end, Southern Arkansas University Students rose to the top.

Heard’s experimental music video titled “Let Go” won the grand prize of $300. Second place, $200, and the McNeill Family Prize for Best Documentary Film worth $100 went to Jameson Sheppard of John Brown University for his film, “Rush,” a documentary following the progress of two teens in dirt track racing. Third place and $100 went to Matt Taylor of SAU for his motion graphic “Celestial Prison.” Matt also received the People’s Choice Award for his narrative film, “Unscripted,” an improvisational horror film set in downtown Magnolia. “Yellow Rock,” a documentary by Gina Caylor of Fayetteville High School, won Honorable Mention.

Judges for the festival were David Murphy, SAU Theatre and Mass Communications department chair, Daehwan Cho, assistant professor of digital media, and Aaron Street, director of the SAU Communications Center.

Plans are already in the works for the festival to take place again next year sometime in April. For more information, contact Daehwan Cho at 870-235-4260.