Congratulations to Middleborough High School Class of 2023 graduate, Dorothy Ferrigno, winner of a 2023 National Student Production Award (NSPA) in the Director category. Dorothy wins for her direction of a short film 10:13, and music video Bad Things. Winners were announced during a live stream of the awards presentation on February 1, 2024. Experts and educators in the field from the National Television of Arts and Sciences (NATAS) judged over 2,000 video entries from 24 programming and craft categories in this year’s Student Production Awards.

I accept this award with such gratitude and truly appreciate this incredible honor. Digital media is my passion and I am currently pursuing a career in filmmaking. One of my favorite parts of filmmaking is using my creativity to make ideas come to life. I’d like to thank the academy for giving me this recognition. It means so much to me. Most importantly i’d like to thank my high school teacher, Adam Pelletier, for his guidance and mentorship. His passion for tv pro and teaching constantly inspired me and I wouldn’t be here today without his dedication and support.

Dorothy Ferrigno’s National Student Production Award Acceptance Speech for best Director

Dorothy received two other National Student Production nominations for best editor, and photographer. Dorothy was a four-time 2023 New England Student Production Award winner for best Director, Editor, Music Video, and Photographer.

“When I first found out that I won 4 New England Student Production Awards, I was extremely grateful and surprised. I felt as though my hard work and dedication had truly paid off. These accomplishments will only inspire me towards future creations of art through film. I’d have to say my favorite part of the production process would be collaborating with others. While keeping an open mind, I was introduced to new creative perspectives, allowing me to further improve my projects. My student peers and family were essential to my success and always encouraged my best work. A special thank you goes out to Mr Pelletier for being an incredible mentor and giving me the knowledge and resources to carry out these projects.”   Dorothy Ferrigno

Savannah Byrne, MHS Class of 2023, received a NSPA nomination in the Talent / Performer category for her performance in 10:30. Savannah is the 2023 New England SPA winner in this category.

Ryan Fahey, Kaylynn Provonche, and Sean Toomey also received NSPA nominations in the Long Form Fiction category for their film, Just Saying.

This is Middleborough High School’s second NSPA, MHS earning their first in 2017 with music video Another Day of Sun produced by Leanne Robinson.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) is a service organization dedicated to the
advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic,
educational, and technical achievements within the television industry. It recognizes excellence in
television with the coveted Emmy® Awards for News & Documentary, Sports, and Daytime television
programming, as well as achievements in television Technology & Engineering. NATAS membership
consists of more than 18,000 broadcast and media professionals represented in 19 regional chapters
across the United States Beyond awards, NATAS provides extensive educational programs through its
Foundation, including regional and national scholarships and Student Production Awards.