BISFA Student Earns National Award

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Washington County Public Schools (WCPS) is proud to announce that Liam Pullens, a 2025 graduate of Barbara Ingram School for the Arts (BISFA), has been named the National Best Student Director in the 2025 National Student Production Awards. Liam received his crystal pillar from his teacher, Mrs. Kristen Green, when he visited BISFA on Monday. The honor is one of the most prestigious achievements presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) Foundation, the organization best known for the coveted Emmy® Award.

The Student Production Award is a national recognition that represents one of the highest distinctions a student filmmaker can earn. Liam’s work rose to the top through an exceptionally rigorous, multi-tiered adjudication process. His submission first competed at the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter level, where the chapter received more than 1,700 entries from student creators across the region. Winners from each chapter advanced to national judging, where industry professionals evaluated entries for creativity, technical skill, storytelling, and overall excellence.

Liam’s recognition at the national level reflects not only his outstanding talent and vision as a director but also the strength of BISFA’s media and filmmaking programs, which continue to cultivate young creators ready to excel in highly competitive creative industries.

Liam graduated from BISFA’s Photo and Cinema Department, a Career and Technical Education program. “We are incredibly proud of Liam,” says Dr. Rob Hovermale, principal at BISFA. “This award places him among the top emerging directors nationwide. It’s an impressive achievement for him as a filmmaker and an exciting moment for BISFA and WCPS.”

Liam submitted a short film, SYD, which was developed in the 2023-2024 school year as part of his Elective Filmmaking Class at BISFA. Liam served as the director, editor, and cinematographer. The movie depicts the story of Adam, a loner who develops a supportive partnership with an AI assistant. As Adam becomes more self-sufficient, the AI is unable to accept its fading relevance and pushes boundaries to stay involved.

The film captures a collaboration across multiple disciplines at BISFA. The following BISFA students and staff were also involved in the production of SYD in their respective arts areas:

“It has been such an honor to teach and work with Liam,” adds Kristen Green, Photo and Cinema teacher at BISFA. “As a student in the Photo and Cinema Department, he channeled his filmmaking passion and worked collaboratively with other talented students. I look forward to seeing what else he accomplishes in the film industry, and I’m holding him to his promise of providing me with red carpet tickets in the future!”

SYD previously won the Best Student Film Award at the 2024 Maryland International Film Festival. It was also selected into the All-American High School Film Festival in New York City, one of the largest student film festivals in the nation. Liam was recognized with the Best Student Director Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter in 2024. He is currently working as a production assistant with a film crew in Washington, D.C.