Flagler College faculty members Dr. Tracy Halcomb and visiting filmmaker Jim Gilmore have earned an Award of Excellence in the Faculty Mixed/Pedagogical Category at the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts for their faculty-led film, A Book of Freedom: The Confessions of Francisco Menéndez.
The BEA Festival of Media Arts is an international refereed exhibition of faculty creative activities and a national showcase for student work. This year’s competition included more than 2,350 combined faculty and student entries from over 300 participating schools. In 2026, BEA recognized 48 faculty winners, with the faculty competition posting an overall acceptance rate of 21.81 percent.
Halcomb believes this is the first time a Flagler College student or faculty member has been recognized by the Broadcast Education Association in the Media Arts competition.
“I’ve been a professor at Flagler College since 2000 and almost every year since my arrival students and faculty have been entering the Broadcast Education Association Media Arts Festival with no results, so this year’s announcement that A Book of Freedom was recognized with an Award of Excellence was so gratifying,” Halcomb said. “When we crafted the Cinematic Arts major we made the cornerstone the multi-semester feature-length film project with students serving as crew. Getting to watch students develop as confident and competent filmmakers on set right before my eyes validated that decision.”
Gilmore emphasized the broader impact of the honor on the growing program.
“Being recognized by the Broadcast Education Association's Festival of Media Arts is a wonderful highlight to 27 years of teaching film and media production in higher education, and it truly underscores the amazing work of our student filmmakers,” Gilmore said. “Because this award is given out by respected peers in the fields of media and film production from throughout North America, this BEA Award of Excellence provides recognition to our young Cinematic Arts Program, and confirmation that Flagler College is on the right track in emphasizing high-impact, interdisciplinary majors.”
Over the past five semesters, more than 60 Flagler students and faculty collaborated to bring A Book of Freedom to life. The original docudrama tells the true story of Fort Mose, the first legally sanctioned free Black settlement in what would become the United States, through the eyes of its leader, Francisco Menéndez. Combining dramatic reenactments, historical research, and student-driven cinematography, the project reflects Flagler’s immersive, hands-on approach to filmmaking within its Cinematic Arts program.
The film made its world premiere in January as the closing selection of the 2026 St. Augustine Film Festival, marking a milestone for the College’s growing Cinematic Arts major. Several participating students have translated their experience on the production into professional opportunities following graduation.
Halcomb and Gilmore will moderate and present a panel discussion titled “High-Impact Multi-Semester Projects: Enhancing Interdisciplinary Pedagogy Through Film” at BEA’s annual convention in April in Las Vegas, where they will formally accept the award.
BEA’s annual convention traditionally features more than 250 sessions focused on media pedagogy, collaborative networking, hands-on technology workshops, research and creative scholarship, and the Festival of Media Arts. All faculty Best of Competition and Awards of Excellence recipients will be recognized during faculty festival sessions and in the official program.
The Broadcast Education Association affirms that creative work meeting established criteria, reviewed by recognized peers, and disseminated both within and outside the academy is important to the development of the field of electronic media and should be recognized as equal to scholarly publication in promotion and tenure review for faculty in creative disciplines.
A Book of Freedom: The Confessions of Francisco Menéndez was screened at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival on Feb. 23. The film has also won an award at the Ogeechee International History Film Festival, where Florida’s Forgotten Fortwas also recognized. Both films will screen at the Vero Beach Film Festival April 9–12. Additional screening dates and times will be announced when available.
