Graduate of Creston High School Wins Hollywood Film Industry Award

Andy Arthur Smith, a 2014 graduate of Creston High School in Creston, IA, was the winner of the 1st Place Selection for his film “One Fourth Gone” at the 2018 CCH Film Festival, which honored creative projects by students and alumni of Columbia College Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA.  Smith wrote, directed, and co-produced the film, which he describes as “a modern musical about how the incredible power of music can lift the frustrations of OCD.”

“I’m extremely grateful for ‘One Fourth Gone’ to have been selected as the 1st Place entry at the CCH Film Festival,” says Smith, who graduated from Columbia College Hollywood in 2018 with a B.A. in Acting.  “I’m appreciative for all the help that I had from the faculty and my fellow students while making the film, and I feel like it’s a win for everyone who was involved.”

A native of Creston, Smith created homemade movies with his friends using action figures and his family’s camcorder when he was teen.  He had a wide range of cinematic tastes and influences, notably “The Green Mile,” “West Side Story” and “The Mask”. When searching for film schools in California where he could develop his craft, his guidance counselor at Creston High School recommended Columbia College Hollywood, and he began his studies there in 2014.

“CCH delivered exactly what I needed from a film school, and my experience there definitely prepared me for my career path,” says Smith, who was the lead actor in “One Fourth Gone” and also wrote and performed the film’s musical numbers.  “I learned a lot about the industry and how it works, but more importantly, I got a chance to learn about myself and to develop my skills and abilities.”

Smith is living in Los Angeles and is currently seeking opportunities as a musician and an actor.  The debut album by his band, Color Inn, is in production, and “One Fourth Gone” will launch on YouTube in early 2019.

About Columbia College Hollywood

Founded in 1952, Columbia College Hollywood is a nonprofit, regionally accredited liberal arts college with a focus on creative media.

Columbia College Hollywood educates students in the art and science of communications and the diverse media of contemporary storytelling within an exploration of the liberal arts.

Columbia College Hollywood is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) to offer Bachelor of Fine Arts and Associate of Fine Arts degree programs in Cinema with an emphasis in acting, cinematography, directing, editing and visual effects, new media, producing, sound, and writing.