Biola University School of Cinema and Media Arts

Home
United States
La Mirada, CA
Biola University School of Cinema and Media Arts

For Biola students, alumni, and fans.

A place to receive updates about department events, student awards, and the latest happenings at the Biola Cinema and Media Arts Department. The mission of the Cinema and Media Arts department is to educate our students in the history, principles, art, craft, and technology of storytelling through media and prepare them for a career envisioned as a calling. And we endeavor to work out the enduring

truths found in the person and work of Christ, and the entire Christian Scriptures, in an effort to create and bring to market transcendent, authentic, redemptive stories.

09/05/2026

Time travel meets historic impact.

When four teenagers from 2013 take a sketchy delivery job, they wind up trapped inside a time-traveling van and dropped into 1955 Montgomery, Alabama. Their mission? Deliver the exact supplies needed to spark the Civil Rights Movement before the sun rises.

“This project is incredibly meaningful to me because it was brought to life through a massive collaboration with six different Southern California film schools and prominent historical figures like Donzaleigh Abernathy, the goddaughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. At its core, it is a reflection of my own personal experiences and a broader testament to how we, as a culture, can continuously enhance and push forward our core values generation by generation.” Chris Mungecho, Sophomore Writer and Director.

Swipe to see a behind-the-scenes look at how our filmmakers are bringing this narrative to life.

09/01/2026

We were thrilled to welcome our incoming students and their families to our brand-new studio facility during Welcome Day on August 28!

Our Dean, Assistant Dean, faculty, and staff were stationed across our 45,463-square-foot space to greet and introduce everyone to their future creative home. Students and their families also got to mingle with team members during our sweet dessert reception.

Visitors got an exclusive look inside our:
3,000-square-foot sound stage

- Game studio
- Dyer Theater (Dolby Atmos, 277 seats)
- Audio mixing rooms (including one Dolby Atmos certified)
- Editing, and color correction suites
Foley Stage
- Screening rooms
- Writers’ rooms
- Movie prop & memorabilia displays
- Computer labs, faculty and staff offices, and so much more!

We can’t wait to see the incredible work our students create here this year. Welcome to the family!

08/28/2026

We’re so excited for our Snyder School students to see our new studio facility! Join us this weekend for our upcoming Open House events:

New Incoming Students: Friday, 8/28 from 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM. Tour the space and meet people at our dessert reception.

Returning Students: Sunday, 8/30 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM. Explore our new studio and locate your classes for this fall.

Faculty and staff will be available at both events to answer your questions as you explore the new facility. Drop a comment if we’ll see you there! 👇 See you soon!

08/25/2026

It’s a simple message delivered in a simple, effective way.”

Assistant Professor Steve Taylor shares what makes short-form storytelling so powerful and why it’s one of the most versatile skills you can learn in media production. Look out for some of his short form industry work featured at the bottom of the screen!

👇Drop your favorite type of short-form content in the comments!

08/21/2026

Watch the official trailer for “Dreams of Telmahre”!

Over 200 players have already jumped into the playtest demo of Dreams of Telmahre on Steam! If you haven't checked it out yet, hit play on the trailer above to get a glimpse into the mysterious halls of Telmahre Castle and the intertwined dreams of its inhabitants across the centuries.

Created by Snyder School Associate Professor of Game Design and Interactive Media, Michael Steffen—and brought to life by a team including over a dozen talented Biola student interns—this narrative-driven puzzle adventure weaves rich storytelling with gospel themes.

"We'd like to encourage people to wishlist the game, but also to try the playtest. The game is still in active development and we welcome your feedback."

— Michael Steffen, Creative Director, Writer & Programmer

How to Play & Support:

🔗 Click the link in our bio to visit our Steam page.
⭐ Wishlist the game to help boost visibility!
💻 Download the free playtest demo (available now for Windows PC) and leave us your feedback!

Have you played the demo yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! 👇

Shoutout to our incredible student & alumni team:

Music & Audio: Drew Magro (Merge Left)

Programming: Josh Basiger, Luke Henry, Bobby Sanders (Bobby James Sanders), Isaiah Wood (Isaiah Wood)

Game Design: Amanda Ulam (Amanda Udell), Aidan Arredondo (Aidan Arredondo), Dylan Fu (dylan fu), Dalton Stine

3D Art: Joshua Brands (znerbles), Kevin Campbell (Kevin R. Campbell), Jonah Molina (Jonah Molina), Loren Ambrose (Loren Ambrose), Nicholas Bruhl, Kamia Byers, Isaiah Harrison, Caleb Malfo, Gregory Vasco, Kevin Garcia

08/19/2026

What made you want to tell stories in the first place? For Daniel Shing ‘26 and Lindsey Leigh Griffin ‘26 the answer goes back further than you’d think, all the way to four-year-old Lindsey’s epic tale of roller-skating dragons.

The recent screenwriting grads sat down with writing for film and television professor Jim Hope to trace where it all started.

Ready to write your own story? Apply to Snyder School today. Link in bio!

08/14/2026

Our students continue to make waves internationally! Chase Chan spent part of the summer at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, interning with The American Pavilion.

During the festival, he connected directly with industry leaders, gained insider perspectives on international distribution and production, and attended advance screenings of major upcoming releases.

“This summer, I got the amazing opportunity to intern for the American Pavilion at the 2026 Cannes International Film Festival! I was able to talk to many industry professionals during my time and also attended screenings for upcoming films,” shares Chan (Junior, Cinema and media art student).

08/12/2026

From script to screen, our Snyder School community never stops creating. Today, we’re highlighting this latest student-led project: “It’s Just A Coffee Date!”

Logline: A young girl working at a coffee shop slowly has her world rocked as her long-time best friend and crush finds someone new—ultimately making her decide what’s best for her.

“From the beginning our team has been blessed with support and encouragement beyond our expectations. The project started as a simple and small rom-com, but God truly has His hands on us and continues to oversee this production!”

— Kylee Peebles (Rising Sophomore, Writer / Co-Director)

Join us in celebrating the dedicated Biola students who brought this vision to life!

🎥 Crew
Director: Kaylin Menezes
Writer / Co-Director/Producer: Kylee Peebles KyleeOliviaPeebles
Assistant Director: Xane Olson
Director of Photography: Jonah Shahbaz Jonah Shahbaz
Co-DoP / Co-Gaffer: Ava Wood
1st AC: Chase Chan
2nd AC: Alex Hyink
Gaffers: Cristofer Hardaway, Osborne Lopez
Grips / PAs: Logan Hite, Daniel Cobden
Grip: Lucas Devlin
Sound Mixer: Louie Green
Boom Op: Ashlen McSweeney
Editors: William Jones, Brennan Lee
BTS Photographers: Sofie Chung, Addison Davenport

👥 Cast
Ariana: Maricela Leza
Jonas: Jacob Lucero
Callum: Ezra Johnson
Stacey: Eva Amsbary
Hallie: Elizabeth Doan
Coffee Manager: Edward Fabian
Background Actors: Lincoln Tenney, Faith Perrault, Elijah Brown

08/08/2026

URGENT CALL TO ACTION: ONLY 20–30 votes away!

Our incredible Biola Snyder School team—alumni Jace Hardwick, Ethan Montgomery, Andrew Baer, Rick Foster, Graham Skinner, Townsend Dickson, Daniel Hu, and current student Garrison Keeton—is on the brink of getting their series, Knight and Squire, greenlit on the Angel Guild!
⚔️ About the Project: Written and directed by Jace Hardwick (Owner of Action Studios & VFX mastermind behind 2025’s winning Doritos Crash the Super Bowl commercial), Knight and Squire is a planned 9-episode season asking a timeless question: “What makes someone truly great?” Rooted in Jesus’ teachings in Matthew about “the least of these,” the series explores true humility and greatness through a hilarious and heart-filled story.

Logline: A talentless Knight and his gullible Squire embark on a quest that just might turn them into the heroes they’ve always pretended to be.

We are down to the final wire, and we need our community to rally and push them over the finish line!

👇 HOW TO VOTE BEFORE SUNDAY:

Already an Angel Studios subscriber?

• Log into your phone app

• Click the link in our bio

• Watch the “Knight and Squire” proof-of-concept video and vote before Sunday!

If you need to sign up:

• Head to angel.com on the web first

• Use promo code BWNTR24 to get the Basic Plan for just $2/month for 6 months

• Download the app, follow our bio link, and cast your vote!

08/04/2026

More than 62 million people tuned in to this year’s World Cup final, and recent Biola alum Jonathan Kim Jonathan Timothy Kim (B.A. ‘26, Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts) helped bring it to fans everywhere!

“One of the biggest things that Biola, more specifically CMA, teaches is to do excellent work as a Christian. My professors taught me that excellence in the gifts God gave us is a way to honor Him and represent Him well,” Kim said.

Kim worked as a fast-turnaround video editor for FOX Sports during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, cutting highlight videos for the network’s social platforms. Some of his edits drew millions of views, contributing to FOX Sports’ 17.2 billion digital and social views across the tournament.

What’s next? Kim just signed with CBS Sports to edit for the UEFA Champions League! Help us congratulate Jonathan in the comments below, and head to the link in our bio to read the full story.

Address

13800 Biola Avenue
La Mirada, CA
90639

Telephone

+15627774052

Website

http://cma.biola.edu/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Biola University School of Cinema and Media Arts posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your university to be the top-listed University in La Mirada?