The Van Lang University auditorium buzzed with anticipation mid-summer as the animation awards were announced one by one – honorable mentions, third place then second place. 

In the front row, Cleveland State University students Julia Whitaker and Kara Nottingham, and recent graduate Naliyah Dejesus gripped their seats, overwhelmed with excitement and worry. CSU hadn’t been called – yet. 

Suddenly, Whitaker was called to the stage for the first prize announcements. A scream rang through the auditorium as CSU was announced as the winner of the Best Animation Award at the sixth International Student Media and Arts Festival, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, July 24-30.

“I screamed so loud that the announcer stopped and said ‘I can feel the excitement from here’,” said Nottingham, a senior studio art major.

As the first-place winners in the four major categories – Short Films, Animation Art, Interactive Art, and AI Narrative – took the stage, stage-sparklers erupted and the crowd roared. 

What began as an awards ceremony transformed for the visiting CSU trio into a full-blown celebration of creativity, dedication and student achievement.

“If you want to throw the biggest party, go to Vietnam,” said Whitaker, a senior graphic design major. “They go so hard.” 

For Nottingham, the moment felt surreal. “It was like the ‘Hunger Games’,” she said.

 

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Winning first prize wasn’t just about a trophy, it validated every late night and every bit of effort poured into their animated short, “When the River Calls.”

“We did it. I was so proud of us and so happy to be there,” Nottingham said. “I was so happy to have proven it to Qian that we could do it.”

Cleveland State’s participation in the animation conference was made possible by professor of graphic design Qian Li, whose strong connections with universities in Asia paved the way for the students to attend the event.

Li introduced The International Student Media and Arts Festival to the students in her motion graphics and animation class as a potential opportunity for students to showcase their work. 

After being encouraged to enroll in the course, Nottingham decided to team up with Whitaker and Dejesus to create an original animation, with the goal of attending the festival. 

The festival prompt challenged students to explore the connection between humans and rivers, a theme that sparked hours of brainstorming for the trio. 

From March through the end of May, three months of dedicated work by the team resulted in their final animation, “When the River Calls.” 

“We figured that we’re from Cleveland and have the Cuyahoga River with a long history behind it,” Nottingham said. “We wanted to make a magical, whimsical version of our story with our river.”

That idea turned into an animated short about a city that lives beside a river it doesn’t understand. In the film, a young boy plays with a paper boat near the water – until it floats out of reach. When he dives in to retrieve it, the river begins to glow, drawing the townspeople to its shore in wonder.

The story was created to emphasize that “change is good, even though it’s scary,” Nottingham said. Whitaker added that “being uncomfortable promotes hope and change,” just as the river did for the people around it.

“The magic had been there the whole time, the people just didn’t take the time to understand it,” Nottingham said. 

After finalizing “When the River Calls,” the animation team traveled to Van Lang University in Ho Chi Minh City for the week-long festival late in July. 

Upon arrival, teams from universities – mostly across Asia – were divided into small groups to take part in a 72-hour international animation workshop.

Both Nottingham and Whitaker were the leads of their teams, and walked away with minor awards. Nottingham, leading team six, received the Excellence in Visual Design Award, and Whitaker, leading team one, earned the Outstanding Research & Insight Award. 

When collaborating with the international students, Whitaker said that, initially, the biggest challenge was the language barrier. 

“Google Translate was the MVP while we were in Vietnam,” Whitaker joked. 

Despite the challenges, they overcame the language barrier and successfully created their award-winning animation shorts.

“Actually watching the language barrier disappear is a very beautiful thing,” Nottingham said. “Everyone was so happy, so gracious and so excited that we wanted to understand their language.”

The festival wrapped up with a vibrant celebration and a red carpet event for all attendees. 

Standing on that red carpet, Nottingham described herself as “riding high on cloud nine.”

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“They made us feel so special,” Nottingham said. “It was so cool to see our art being taken that seriously.” 

The moment came full circle when the team was interviewed for the second time since arriving in Vietnam – the first interview had been right after they landed, and now, after winning the Best Animation Award.

“It was such a full-circle moment for us. Before the conference, we were interviewed by a girl asking about our hopes for the trip, ” Whitaker said. “She came up to us right after we had won and said ‘Now I get to interview you again!’”

The festival was a powerful learning experience for everyone involved.

“For the first time I felt like it’s not just me in the bubble of Cleveland. I could actually go and do these things, the world is much bigger than Cleveland,” Whitaker said. “Being in Vietnam forced me to listen to other cultures without talking. My listening skills have enhanced so much more and I can give people time and space to speak.”

Nottingham shared how the trip changed her perspective, making her take herself and the opportunities around her more seriously. She also described Vietnam as unlike any place she had ever visited. It was completely different from what she expected. 

“Vietnam was the most welcoming place I’ve ever been,” Nottingham said. “It has the warmest and kindest people. They have so much curiosity and genuine excitement to share their culture.”

Nottingham and Whitaker also saw the trip as an accomplishment not only for themselves, but for Li, who had brought teams to the festival in previous years without winning.

“She mentioned that it would be her last time going to the festival,” Whitaker said. “It was a ‘we finally did it’ moment.”

Nottingham added that Li “really believed in us so much, more than I have had any professor believe in me.” 

The trophy now proudly sits in Li’s office, a symbol of their shared success.