Filmmakers and fans packed Wildcat Chamber in the K-State Student Union at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 3 for the premiere of five films created for K-State’s 48-Hour Film Challenge.
The challenge kicked off on March 27, when teams of up to ten students received team packets and the three required elements students had to incorporate into their films:
- Prop: A Bar of Soap
- Line of Dialogue: “This seemed like a better idea yesterday.”
- Location: A Swing Set
Students had 48 hours to write, rehearse, film, and edit their movies and submit them to the film festival organizers for judging.
This year’s fan favorite and second place winner was a hilarious parody of The Godfather, titled A Bar of Soap, which was set in a fictional pub serving up drinks and food made with soap.
The first-place winner and outstanding comedy awardee was titled Teach Appreciation Week. The movie had a mockumentary style reminiscent of the television shows Abbott Elementary and The Office.
The film challenge and premiere were organized by the 2026 K-State 48 Committee, and was enthusiastically MC’d by committee member Mary Adeyemo (MA ’26, English), and Dawson Wagner (MS ’26, Mass Communications).
Judges this year were Katherine Karlin, retired Professor of English who founded K-State’s Film Studies Certificate; Rusty Earl, Communications Faculty at Bringham Young University, Idaho; and Spencer O’Daniel, Director of the Collegian Media Group and instructor in the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communications.
This year’s winners were the following:
First Place ($400): Teacher Appreciation Week by Ctrl+Alt+Elite
Second Place Winner ($300): A Bar of Soap by The Grand Imperial Yeomanry of His Supreme Excellency Zane Pierson, 115th Naval Cavalry Division
Audience Choice Award ($200): A Bar of Soap by The Grand Imperial Yeomanry of His Supreme Excellency Zane Pierson, 115th Naval Cavalry Division
Outstanding Comedy: Teacher Appreciation Week by Ctrl+Alt+Elite
Outstanding Use of Prop: A Bar of Soap by The Grand Imperial Yeomanry of His Supreme Excellency Zane Pierson, 115th Naval Cavalry Division
Outstanding Editing: Teacher Appreciation Week by Ctrl+Alt+Elite
Outstanding Drama: Chaterelle by Paul & The Heartmans
Outstanding Performances: A Bar of Soap by The Grand Imperial Yeomanry of His Supreme Excellency Zane Pierson, 115th Naval Cavalry Division
Outstanding Performances: Teacher Appreciation Week by Ctrl+Alt+Elite
It is worth noting that this is the third year in a row that a film by Zane Pierson and his various filmmaking companions (led by Emmett Spaw, BA ’26, Theatre / Film Studies Certificate) has won the Audience Choice Award and the second time in the past three years that the group (in its various formations) won second place.
Other films premiered at the April 3 event included a sentimental drama titled Your Ghost by Wii Smash and a horror film titled Repentance by Crzy Productions.
All of the filmmakers deserve applause and congratulations for producing such good clean fun in these entertaining films.
— Tanya Gonzalez, Professor of English
K-State English 