Film

Two Viewpoint Seniors have earned national recognition for their work behind the camera. Andrew Neville ’26 and Ben Chesed ’26, students in Viewpoint’s Documentary Filmmaking class, were recognized in the 2026 C-SPAN StudentCam Competition, a contest that challenges students to create short films exploring public policy issues. This year’s theme commemorated the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.

Neville was awarded Third Place in the High School Western Division for his documentary, “The 2025 Calabasas Landfill Controversy,” which examines the conflict surrounding Los Angeles County’s disposal of Palisades fire debris in the Calabasas landfill and its impact on nearby communities. 

Chesed received an Honorable Mention for his film, “New College Athlete,” which explores how name, image, and likeness (NIL) policies are reshaping college athletics. The documentary features interviews with former USC football players and NFL athletes Matt Leinart and LenDale White, who reflect on how the system has evolved since their time in college.

Both films were selected among 150 winning entries nationwide. In addition to his recognition from C-SPAN, Neville’s work was also featured in the Los Angeles Daily News.

“I’ve run on the trails adjacent to the Calabasas Landfill for over ten years,” he said. “As a longtime local resident, I feel a responsibility to protect the environment in which I’ve grown up.”

Chesed, who has long followed college athletics, was drawn to the complexity of NIL policies and their rapid impact on the sports landscape.

“I wanted to make something that actually explains what’s going on, not just repeat what people already hear,” he said. “NIL creates real opportunities, but also raises questions about fairness and the future of college sports.”

The StudentCam Competition invites thousands of students from across the country to engage with complex civic issues through documentary filmmaking, highlighting the importance of student voice in addressing real-world challenges. Both students received cash prizes and plan to reinvest them in Viewpoint’s film program.

Congratulations to Neville, Chesed and the Viewpoint film program on this achievement.

For Derek Kessler ’26, creativity has never lived in just one lane. A member of the Viewpoint community since Kindergarten, Kessler has spent the last 13 years discovering how his passions in film, STEM, and athletics don’t compete with one another, but instead fuel each other.

“I always like to combine my passions,” Kessler said. “At Viewpoint, I’m able to use skills from all over the place and bring them together into a film or a game.”

Kessler is currently enrolled in Film IV and Documentary, where he is working on a project centered on the cross country season alongside three teammates. He is also developing a personal short film, “The Real Love Cafe,” which follows a character who goes on a date with a robot. The project merges storytelling with engineering, as Kessler is building the robot himself through his engineering class.

“Having the engineering background allows me to make my films more believable,” Kessler said. “It helps break the barrier between what feels like a student film and something that really pulls you into the world of the story.”

Beyond film, Kessler has been programming video games since Third Grade, beginning with Scratch, a beginner-friendly coding platform, and later teaching himself the Unity game engine in Middle School.

“I’m working on a game called ‘Snow Games,’ where polar bears are on a snowy landscape and you throw snowballs at each other,” Kessler said. “You can build forts, dig trenches in the snow, and protect a campfire.”

Kessler credits his coursework in physics, calculus, computer science, and engineering with strengthening his game development skills.

“All of my STEM classes at Viewpoint have helped me on this journey,” Kessler said.

Alongside his work in film and game development, Kessler is a dedicated member of the cross country and track teams, which he plans to continue with in college. This fall, Kessler will attend Chapman University, where he will major in film and television production with an emphasis in cinematography while competing in cross country and track.

“I want to learn how to tell stories better,” he said. “No matter what path I take, studying film will help me do that.”

Three outstanding films created by Viewpoint film students were showcased at the renowned All American High School Film Festival (AAHFF), with one earning a top award for Best Production Design. The event, which took place from October 17-19 in New York City, is recognized as the world’s largest high school film festival. The festival featured a selection of 700+ films out of 2,600 submissions, with only 200 films nominated for various awards. 

Viewpoint’s films selected for screening included:

• Chronicles of Peter and Sean – Samuel Green ’25 (Documentary)
• How It Should Be – Natalie Yerelekian ’25 (Drama)
• The Backseat – Ben Shore ’25 (Drama)

How It Should Be, written and directed by Natalie Yerelekian ’25, won Best Production Design and was selected for the festival’s exclusive “Best of Fest” showcase, a Saturday evening screening reserved for the top films of the event. The film also earned nominations for Best Drama and Female Rising Star, while The Backseat was nominated for Best Sound Design.

“The audience’s reaction was incredible,” said Monica Hoenig, Film Teacher at Viewpoint School. “To see our students’ work shown in front of hundreds of people and feel the laughter, clapping, and cheering was pure joy. We’re so proud of what our filmmakers are creating and how their work continues to stand out among thousands of submissions from around the world.”

Viewpoint has participated in the AAHFF since 2018 and has received awards for the past three years, a testament to the Viewpoint Film Program’s continued excellence in storytelling, technical skill, and collaboration. The festival also offers students the chance to connect with film schools, industry professionals, and peers.

“It was such a powerful experience for the students,” Hoenig said. “Being there together, seeing their work on the big screen, and celebrating their creativity. It’s something I hope even more of our students can experience in the years ahead.” 

Our student filmmakers won two of the top awards at the twelfth annual Calabasas Film Festival (CFF) on Sunday, September 21. The CFF, which ran from September 17-21, showcased major film premieres, documentaries, and four student films from Viewpoint. From more than 100 submissions, our students won:

• Outstanding Achievement for Film: “How It Should Be” by Film IV, Director Natalie Yerelekian’ 25. 
• Outstanding Achievement in Ensemble: “Period” by Film III, Director Daphne Huffman’ 26.

Film Teacher Monica Hoenig was thrilled by the students’ success in the competition and shared her thoughts on the importance of the CFF to her students:

“What makes me most proud is the standout, polished work our students presented at the festival. Their films are imaginative and thoughtful, crafted with a level of skill and artistry that rivals professional work. Year after year, I see how these highly complicated projects help them grow not only as filmmakers but also as confident young people ready to take on the world. Being recognized at the Calabasas Film Festival, an important part of their immediate community, is a true celebration of their artistry, talent, and dedication.”

The Student Films Shown at CFF:

• “How It Should Be” by Film IV, Director Natalie Yerelekian’ 25. “How It Should Be” Crew:

Writer & Director: Natalie Yerelekian

1st Assistant Director: Zooey Jeong

Producers: Zooey Jeong and Nathan Danese

Executive Producer: Monica Hoenig

Director of Photography: Samuel Green

Production Design & Costume: Alexa Jeong

Main Editors: Alexa Jeong and Samuel Green

Editing Assistants: Zooey Jeong, Natalie Yerelekian, Nathan Danese

Lighting and Sound Design: Clayton Collins

Script Supervisors: Nathan Danese & Daphne Huffman

 

• “Period” by Film III Writer and Director Daphne Huffman’ 26. “Period” Crew:

Writer & Director: Daphne Huffman

Director of Photography: Derek Kessler

Producer: Daphne Huffman , Wolfie Bikel 

Assistant Directors: Wolfie Bikel, Noah De Fanti, Max Zou

Editors: Derek Kessler, Mac Ladin, Daphne Huffman

Sound: Mac Ladin, Grant Coelen, Rachel Huang, Prerit Gore

Lighting: Andrew Neville

Key Cast: Riley Brown

 

• “Chronicles of Peter and Sean” Documentary, Director Sam Green’ 25

• “Sticks and Stones” by Film III, Director Noah Defanti.’ 26. Crew:

 

Director: Noah Defanti

Director of Photography: Derek Kessler

Assistant Camera: Charlie Grey

Assistant Director: Wolfie Bikel

Sound and Grip: Rachel Huang

 

Viewpoint School has built a strong relationship with the Calabasas Film Festival since it was established. The festival is a Calabasas City-sponsored event that provides the community an opportunity to connect. We were honored to be asked by founders and co-founders in 2014 to submit student films to the very first Calabasas Film Festival, and we have not missed a year since, proudly representing Viewpoint. Our students look forward to the festival every year as it is the first of their festival circuit that kicks off the school year with a great community-building event.