HHB Media goes behind the scenes with six filmmakers whose work stood out at this year’s TRILLVISION Film Festival.

The TRILLVISION Film Festival Summer 2026 brought independent filmmakers, audiences, creatives, and industry professionals together in Los Angeles for a weekend dedicated to bold storytelling and emerging voices.

While the awards celebrated the films, every winning project has a filmmaker, a creative process, and a story behind the story.

HHB Media went behind the scenes with six of this year’s award-winning filmmakers to talk about their films, their creative journeys, and what it meant to have their work recognized at TRILLVISION.

Ronak Shah — Soft Spot

Experimental filmmaker Ronak Shah had a major night at TRILLVISION, taking home both the Jury Award for Best Experimental Film and the Audience Award for Outstanding Experimental Short for Soft Spot.

In her HHB Media interview, Shah discusses the creative vision behind the film and the process of developing a project that pushes beyond conventional storytelling.

Her double win is a testament to the film’s ability to connect with both the festival’s programming team and its audience.

Isaiah Francis — Radical

Isaiah Francis was one of the festival’s biggest standouts, earning both the Jury Award for Best Narrative Film and the Audience Award for Best of the Fest for Radical.

Francis sat down with HHB Media to discuss what it truly means to stand in truth.

Winning both a jury award and the festival’s top audience honor made Radical one of the most celebrated films of TRILLVISION Summer 2026.

D. Pasquel Buchanan — Legacy

Filmmaker D. Pasquel Buchanan received the Programmers Award for Spirit Award for Legacy.

In his conversation with HHB Media, Buchanan reflects on his film’s themes of identity and growth.

The Spirit Award recognizes more than the technical aspects of filmmaking. It celebrates the heart, energy, and creative spirit that a filmmaker brings to their work and to the festival community.

Seth Baella — Ignore the Neighbors

Seth Baella connected strongly with TRILLVISION audiences, earning the Audience Award for Outstanding Narrative Short for Ignore the Neighbors.

Baella spoke with HHB Media about the film, his creative process, and the experience of seeing his work on the big screen.

Audience awards are particularly meaningful because they come directly from the people sitting in the theater and experiencing the film firsthand.

 

Joseph Green — Crystal Paradise

Filmmaker Joseph Green took home the Programmers Award for Best Production Design for Crystal Paradise.

In his HHB Media interview, Green discusses how his film is a tribute to the art of motion pictures.

Production design can sometimes work quietly in the background, but it plays a critical role in helping audiences enter the world of a film. Green’s recognition highlights the importance of visual storytelling in independent cinema.

Devin Saddler — Find Your Heart

Devin Saddler was recognized with the Programmers Award for Best Special Effects for Find Your Heart.

Saddler sat down with HHB Media to discuss the central themes in his thriller of a film.

The award recognizes the imagination and technical craftsmanship that went into creating the film’s special effects and demonstrates how independent filmmakers continue to find innovative ways to tell ambitious stories.

More Than Awards

The TRILLVISION Film Festival is about more than trophies. It’s about creating a platform where independent filmmakers can screen their work, meet audiences, connect with other creatives, and tell the stories behind their stories.

These six filmmakers represent just a portion of the talent showcased during Summer 2026. Their awards reflect different aspects of filmmaking—from narrative storytelling and experimental work to audience connection, production design, special effects, and the creative spirit that drives independent cinema.

For HHB Media, these interviews are an opportunity to extend the festival experience beyond the theater and allow audiences to hear directly from the filmmakers themselves.

Watch the interviews, discover the filmmakers, and learn what it takes to bring an independent film from an idea to the screen.

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Stay connected with HHB Media for more filmmaker interviews, film festival coverage, entertainment news, and stories highlighting the people shaping independent film and urban entertainment.

And congratulations once again to all of the TRILLVISION Film Festival Summer 2026 winners, nominees, filmmakers, volunteers, partners, and audiences.

TRILLVISION Film Festival — Short Films. Bold Voices. New Vision.