100 Strong Productions Student Film Festival

Article Shoutouts

Our second annual Student Film Festival will take place on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at The Cary Theater in Wake County from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm. Register here for free!

Any questions? Email 100strong@ncacc.org

Meet our 2026 Keynote Speaker:

Deborah Holt Noel

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.

Meet Our 2026 Film Festival Judges!

Beth Davison, PhD

Beth Davison (PhD) is a sociologist turned documentarian whose work explores the layered stories of the Appalachian South and beyond. As co-director of AppDocs at Appalachian State University, she fuses academic insight with creative storytelling, producing award-winning documentaries that spotlight community, history, and social justice. Her films have screened at film festivals, on PBS stations, and in a local National Park Service visitor center. Whether in the classroom or behind the camera, she’s committed to telling stories that matter and mentoring the next generation of ethical storytellers.

Sarah H. Nixon, MA

Sarah H. Nixon is a Raleigh, NC–based documentary filmmaker whose work explores social justice, memory, and overlooked Southern histories. She holds a Master of Arts in Documentary Film from Wake Forest University and is an alum of the PBS NC Producers Lab and a former Southern Studies Fellow with the Watson-Brown Foundation. Nixon is co-director and producer of The Benson Five, currently in production, which received a Research and Development grant from the Southern Documentary Fund. She is passionate about preserving community stories and encouraging the next generation of filmmakers.

Adam Carroll

Adam Carroll is the Public Information Director for Johnston County. He helped establish the office in 2021 and now leads an award-winning team of communication professionals in video production, editing, graphic design, writing, and live-streaming. Mr. Carroll graduated from NC State University with a bachelor's degree in Media- Communications. He also spent five years working in production at WRAL- TV.

The NCACC's 100 Strong Productions Student Film Festival Schedule

10:30 a.m. — Doors Open

11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. — Filmmaking Workshop led by Blake Kinsey

12:15 - 2:00 p.m. — Intermission Break

2:00 - 2:50 p.m. — Festival Kickoff with Keynote Speaker, Deborah Holt Noel

2:50 - 3:00 p.m. — Break

3:00 - 4:15 p.m. — Student Films Block and Q&A with Filmmakers

4:15 - 4:30 p.m. — Break

4:30 - 5:00 p.m. — Awards Ceremony

Meet our 2026 Workshop Facilitator!

Blake Kinsey is a filmmaker, video producer, & avid tea-drinker hailing originally from the beautiful mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. In 2022 he completed a BFA degree in Film & Television Production at Western Carolina University. His narrative work has since been recognized at the Rome International Film Festival (RIFF), Raleigh Film & Art Festival, Reedy Reels: The Greenville Film Festival, and Stranger Days Independent Film Festival. He now lives in Durham, NC where he runs his company, Back Porch Films, producing projects both in the artistic & client space. Blake is also the co-founder of the New Carolinas Film Collective, an initiative meant to stimulate local filmmaking in the Triangle region of North Carolina through events, workshops & career-boosting opportunities.

2026 Selected Student Films

Economic Growth

Johnston County; created by Tyler Goodson, Lucien Rattray and Kamarri Justice

Heart of Rock

Rutherford County; created by Nikhil Mehta and Grant Sizemore

Helping the Hungry: Food Insecurity Among Students in the Wake County Public School System

Wake County; created by Eva Awasthi

Highway 251

Buncombe County; created by Grace Ellen Callihan and Brooke Darby

Robotics

Johnston County; created by Evelyn Pascucci and James Anderson

The Story of George Moses Horton