Three MIHS Media Technology and Filmmaking Class Students Receive Telly Awards

Left to right: Hannah Moeller, Hadley Holtzclaw, and Minh Luu hold their Telly Awards in the MIHS.tv studio.

Mercer Island, May 27, 2025 - Mercer Island High School’s Media Technology and Filmmaking Class announced today that three student works have been named Best Student Works in the 46th Annual Telly Awards.

The Telly Awards honor excellence in video and television across all screens and is judged by leaders from video platforms, television, streaming networks, production companies. This season, the Telly Awards chose to celebrate the creativity that emerges when Stories Take Shape in bold and innovative ways. 

Senior Hannah Moeller received a Silver Award for her work titled, “The Third Option” which tells the story of a teen’s very difficult choice under even more difficult circumstances. 

Senior Minh Luu received a Bronze Award for his work titled, “Leave No Trace” telling a story of betrayal, deceit, and murder. 

Senior Hadley Holtzclaw received a bronze award for her work titled “Dear Mom”, a story that pulls on the heartstrings in a story of sacrifice and adoption. 

“Each of these three students has brought a unique voice and vision to their work, crafting stories that are not only visually compelling but emotionally resonant. From innovative camera work to thoughtful narrative structure, their dedication to the craft is evident in every frame. Watching their growth as filmmakers and artists has been truly inspiring, and I’m excited to see where their creativity takes them next,” says Emmy-nominated teacher, Michael Ketchum. 

This year’s winners include Pixar Animation Studios, Hearst Media, ESPN, LinkedIn, NATO, MTV Entertainment Studios, NASA, the Los Angeles Clippers (NBA), Sawhorse Productions, Telemundo and more. 

Committed to pushing the boundaries of creativity forward, this year’s new categories included topics within Film & Shorts, Outdoor & Adventure, and Brand Partnerships. These categories centered on stories and collaborations that are actively evolving within the video and television industry.

There were over 13,000 entries from across the globe and top video and television content producers. Winner’s were chosen by The Telly Awards Judging Council which includes Ben Wackett, Marketing Director, ENSO Sports & Entertainment Agency; Brian Toombs, Head of Roku Brand Studio, Roku Brand Studio; Lucy Shen, Creator Marketing Manager, Patreon; Irantzu Diez-Gamboa, CEO North America, MediaPro; Rosalind Pressman, VP Brand Marketing, Pluto TV; Adam Faze, Executive Producer, Gymnasium; James Young, EVP, Head of Creative Innovation, BBDO New York; Sarah Minnie, Head of Artist Development and Production, Open Television; Nicole Lederman, Executive Producer, The Martin Agency; and Gregg Stouffer, Lead Editor, Pickleball TV. 

The students’ films can be viewed on MIHS.tv.