Teri Stiles can now add ‘award-winning director? to her resume.
She recently received an Excellence in Directing award at the Philo Festival of Media Arts in Richmond, Indiana.
‘It’s really an honor to be judged by my peers. It validates what we do,? said Stiles, the production manager for Oxford Community Television (OCTV). ‘It was nice to be up there with people who are really good at what they do.?
The Philo Festival is for professional, volunteer and youth producers and filmmakers in or around the central states region, which consists of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.
Stiles, a former Oxford Village resident who now lives in Brandon Township, won for a 30-minute episode of the long-running OCTV show ‘Our Community Access,? which covers people, places and events around town.
The episode, which aired in October 2014, featured a segment that documented a unique Native American ceremony that blessed a new colony of bees in Addison Township. It also contained coverage of the 2014 Scarecrow Festival in downtown Oxford.
Stiles, a Specs Howard School of Media Arts graduate who’s worked at OCTV for 12 years, directed the episode, while camerman Russel Currier captured all the action from every angle.
The judges called the program ‘thought-provoking? and were very complimentary of the editing, videography and host. The word ‘excellent? was repeatedly used to describe various aspects of the show.
Winning the Philo award, a first for both Stiles and OCTV, took her by surprise.
‘We were up against some pretty stiff competition,? she said.
Clips from other winning programs were played during the awards ceremony and Stiles enjoyed watching them. She drew both ideas and inspiration from her peers? work.
‘It gave me some incentive to reach the next level,? she said. ‘There’s nothing that we cannot accomplish. Again, (winning this award) just validates what we’re doing (at OCTV). We’re doing the right stuff and we want to do more.?
A modest person and a consummate team player, Stiles stressed this award isn’t just hers. To her, it belongs to the entire OCTV family.
‘I think we push each other to do better,? she said. ‘It’s all of us (that earned this).?
OCTV can be viewed by Charter cable subscribers on Channel 191 and by AT&T U-verse customers on Channel 99.
To learn more about the station, please visit www.occtv.org