Bremen District 228 Television (BDTV 228) has been awarded Outstanding Cinematic Achievement at the 2025 Student Silent Film Festival for their film Unpredicted.
The film stars D228's Caiden Forbes, Deanna Bridges, and Christian Padgett, and was directed by Ava Scott. Other student crew members and contributors include Director of Photography Brody Lynch, Script Supervisor Justin Gibbs, and Art Department Kayla Thurmond.
BDTV 228 advisor Michael Lynch expressed immense pride in the team’s accomplishment: "I am so proud of everyone involved in this production as it was truly a team effort. Their creativity and dedication throughout the process was extremely impressive."
Unpredicted follows the story of two academically competitive students vying for valedictorian, only to have their rivalry take an unexpected turn when a laid-back jock, played by Caiden Forbes, unintentionally rises to the top. The film was a collaborative effort, with students engaging in brainstorming, scriptwriting, filming, and post-production within a tight timeframe.
Reflecting on the experience, Forbes shared, "It was my first time being part of something like this, and I didn’t expect us to win. Seeing the film on the big screen and hearing our names called was surreal."
The festival featured 11 competing films from various schools, and BDTV 228’s entry stood out for its unique storytelling and visual execution. The film was screened in a packed theater, where audience members recognized Forbes for his standout performance, even referring to him by his character’s name, "Ted."
Aside from its compelling narrative, Unpredicted was praised for its cinematography and editing, demonstrating the technical skills the BDTV 228 team honed throughout their coursework. The students worked closely together to bring the vision to life, overcoming challenges such as cast changes and tight deadlines.
Watch Unpredicted and witness the award-winning film firsthand.