WASHINGTON — The Varsitarian’s UAAP sports feature video “Superstar” earned raves at the College Media Association (CMA) Film and Audio Festival during MediaFest25 at the Grand Hyatt Washington on Oct. 16.
Tom Grant, founder of the festival and professor at the University of Alabama, praised the entry as a standout production that resonated with powerful storytelling and visuals.
“It was incredibly well-shot, and some of the shots were magically mystifying,” Grant told the Varsitarian in an interview after the screening.
“It’s so nice to see how the video showed all the great things happening at the University. It put a wonderful face on all the athletes. It was just beautifully well done,” he said.
The video, titled “‘Superstar’ – UAAP Season 87 Second Semester Primer,” was part of the CMA Pinnacle Awards’ sports feature (audio/visual) category and went on to win first place at the Pinnacles on Oct. 17, besting entries from US college publications.
It was followed by Appalachian State University’s AppTV in second place and the University of Kentucky’s KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion in third.
Produced and directed by incumbent Varsitarian editor in chief Chalssea Kate Echegoyen and former editor in chief John Ezekiel Hirro, the piece spotlighted Thomasian athletes competing in UAAP Season 87’s second-semester events.
Video editing was done by Jeremy Edera, former photo editor, and Paul Pinili, former photographer.
The visuals were captured by a team of videographers, including former photographers Alexis Alibogha, Mikyla Rosette Bernabe, Karla Maningas, Paul Pinili, Jeremy Edera, current photo editor James Magboo, and staffers Chloe Ibanez and Djenhard Sapanhila.
Grant also noted that the entry stood out among submissions from major U.S. universities, highlighting its creativity and depth.
“In America, we often think sports storytelling is our domain,” he said. “But seeing an entry from another country excel beyond expectations was inspiring. The best, in this case, came from the Philippines.”
Varsitarian assistant publications adviser Felipe Salvosa II, who nominated the video to the Pinnacles, said “Superstar” drew from the 97-year-old publication’s tradition of creating UAAP primer videos to boost school spirit and reinforce UST’s standing as a collegiate sports powerhouse.
“Every year, we try to remind Thomasians that sports excellence is part of our DNA,” Salvosa said. “Superstar carried that tradition forward—not just as a video, but as storytelling that celebrates determination, faith, and school pride through the lens of student journalists.”
The CMA Pinnacle Awards, one of the most prestigious student media competitions in the United States, recognize excellence in student-produced journalism across seven divisions: Creative, Features, General, News, Opinion, Promotion or Advertising, and Sports.
Founded in 1954, the College Media Association is the leading professional association for collegiate media and student publication advisers in the US. With reports from Karis M. Tsang and Carlo Jose H. Ruga
