Our Second Annual 100 Strong Productions Student Film Festival took place on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at The Cary Theater in Wake County. The event featrued a student film block, a keynote speaker, a filmmaking workshop, a VIP filmmakers lunch, and an Awards Ceremony. Congrats to all of the filmmakers and award winners!

Article Shoutouts

Deborah Holt Noel is a journalist, media producer, and storyteller who has spent more than three decades building a career rooted in the belief that every community deserves to see and hear its own stories told with understanding, integrity, and a genuine respect for what people hold most dear. A graduate of Saint Augustine's University (Radio Broadcasting) and the University of Maryland at College Park (Video Production), she brought both her training and her family's history to the screen when, as a graduate student, she produced Exhausted Remedies: The Joe Holt Story — a documentary about her family's efforts to integrate the Raleigh public schools. That film changed the conversation about civil rights history in Raleigh, and its impact continues to be felt today.

Deborah joined PBS North Carolina as a producer and steadily expanded her reach — developing content across a wide range of topics including education, racial disparities, health, business and finance, life skills, arts and entertainment, technology, and community profiles. That growth eventually led her in front of the camera, where she found a natural home. Today she serves as executive producer of Black Issues Forum, one of the network's longest-running programs dedicated to African American life and affairs, and as host of the Emmy-nominated North Carolina Weekend, PBS NC's highest-rated travel series — a role that has taken her across the state to meet people in communities large and small and share their stories with the world. She is honored to join the 100 Strong Productions community for this celebration of filmmaking.