Films by Perpich Students Selected for 2026 Twin Cities Youth Media Showcase

April 23, 2026

Work by Media Arts students and students from other arts areas was selected for the 2026 Youth Media Showcase. Short films and videos by eight Perpich students were shown on April 12th, 2026. The showcase was part of the 45th Annual Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival.

Aster Hawley (Media Arts 2026)(center) speaks to the audience alongside Carlo Sucero (Media Arts 2027), Samantha Holt (Visual Arts 2026), and Mie Morimoto (Music 2026). The students participated in the 2026 Twin Cities Youth Media Showcase.

Perpich student short films:

Top Secret by Carlo Sucero (Media Arts 2027)
A chase ensues when a TOP SECRET file disappears.

Northbound by Leon Cabot (Media Arts 2026)
Two strangers meet at a funeral and discuss the fantasies of a recently departed man.

Film Noir by Nollie Brown (Media Arts 2027)
A janitor is cleaning the kitchen when a mysterious figure pops up out of nowhere.

rosaries by Aster Hawley (Media Arts 2026)
After being turned into a bloodthirsty monster, a girl struggles with the morally taxing problem.

Objective: Find Your Memory by Mie Morimoto (Music 2026)
Inspired by video games, a character awakens in an unfamiliar place. Their objective is to find their suppressed memories.

Grandiose Abstractus: Crashing Anamnesis by Sebastian Marquez (Media Arts 2026)
Experimental video graphics and scenes set to music from King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.

JoCose by Milo Crane (Media Arts 2026)
An upbeat music video for the Japanese band Bump of Chicken, about a character finding a secret forest, only to find they’re trapped.

Games 4 Girlz by Samantha Holt (Visual Arts 2026)
Computer game play highlights the online experiences of young girls in the mid 2000’s. 

Samantha Holt (Visual Arts 2026), Aster Hawley (Media Arts 2026), and Mie Morimoto (Music 2026) pose for photos at the 2026 Twin Cities Youth Media Showcase.

Khalid Ali, Media Arts Instructor, said, “The Youth Media Showcase is a wonderful opportunity to see student work from around the Twin Cities. It’s refreshing to see the wide range of voices and approaches to the medium.”

Mie Morimoto (Music 2026) was a first-time participant. “I’ve never participated in any film festivals, and I’m really grateful that Khalid provided us this opportunity,” Mie said. “It was neat to see works from other youth filmmakers as well.”

The short films and videos by Perpich students were part of a select group of seventeen films chosen for the showcase. Presented in partnership with the Twin Cities Youth Media Network (TCYMN), the screening of short films and videos represented young artists involved with In Progress, MIGIZI, Perpich Center for Arts Education, Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN), SPEAK MPLS, Studio Thirteen at FilmNorth, and other youth media arts programs. The screening was followed by a Q&A with youth media makers and an Afterparty celebrating the 25th anniversary of TCYMN.

The Twin Cities Youth Media Network is a community of youth-serving organizations and mentors fostering impactful creative development opportunities for youth to amplify narratives through media. The Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) was April 8-19, 2026, celebrating the 45th anniversary with an awesome lineup of over 200 films from around the world, plus parties, panels, visiting filmmakers, and special guests. As the largest annual celebration of international cinema in the region, MSPIFF45 promised to be their biggest festival yet!