SCAD wins Student Emmys at the Television Academy Foundation 43rd College Television Awards
Thursday, April 18th, 2024
The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is delighted to announce that two recent alumni were honored at the Television Academy Foundation’s 43rd College Television Awards. The awards ceremony, celebrating the best in student-produced television programs from colleges and universities nationwide, was held on Saturday, April 13, at the Television Academy's Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, California.
Producer Abigail Dickinson (B.F.A., film and television, 2023) and writer/director Halle Losordo (B.F.A., film and television, 2023) won the Loreen Arbus Focus on Disability Scholarship Award, honoring a student-produced project that best portrays disability issues or helps emerging artists with a disability gain recognition. Dickinson and Losordo’s documentary short film Just Jacob follows their friend and fellow SCAD alumnus Jacob Thiele (B.F.A., interior design, 2023) who has a genetic disorder called Treacher-Collins Syndrome which affects the development of facial bones and tissues. The film shows Thiele’s normal everyday life with his friends and family, along with the challenges he deals with on a daily basis.
Dickinson, Lorsordo, and Thiele attended the award ceremony along with their professor Sedika Mojadidi, chair of film and television DW Moffett, and acting chair Mark Tymchyshyn. The film’s editor Dahae Lee (B.F.A., film and television, 2023), director of photography Yuuki Shimizu (B.F.A., film and television, 2023), and sound designer Mark Otim (B.F.A., sound design, 2023) also attended
“Since I met Jacob in 2019, I have been inspired by his outlook on life and his determination to not let anything get in the way of his pursuits,” said Losordo. “Our film is a reminder that life is more complex and more beautiful than outward appearances. I want to thank SCAD president and founder Paula Walllace and all my incredible professors for helping me make my dreams come true. They are always encouraging us to collaborate with students in other majors and tell important stories.”
Just Jacob debuted at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival in October 2023 and won the Best Student Documentary Short category. Since graduating in May 2023, Dickinson and Lorsordo have been employed at Jupiter Entertainment. Dickinson is an associated producer for the television production company and Losordo is a production coordinator and social media manager. Thiele is an Event Design Manager at Interluxe Group in Bluffton, SC.
“This experience has been truly amazing, being able to share my story and raise awareness for people with disabilities and work towards breaking this glass ceiling around us,” said Thiele. “I hope this film shows that people in similar situations can accomplish anything they put their minds to. Having this amazing team tell my story in this amazing way truly means a lot and I could not think of anybody better to do so.”
Just Jacob is being entered into film festivals across the United States, due to film festival rules, the film cannot be released at this time. Watch the trailer of the documentary here.
Photo caption: Zyra Gorecki (from the NBC TV series La Brea), center, presented the Loreen Arbus Focus on Disability Scholarship to SCAD students Abigail Dickinson (left) and Halle Losordo (right) for “Just Jacob,” at the 43rd College Television Awards, presented by the Television Academy Foundation at the Television Academy’s Saban Media Center on Saturday, April 13, 2024, in North Hollywood, CA. (Photo: Danny Moloshok/Invision for The Television Academy/AP Images)
