Professors win grand jury prize at Slamdance Film Festival

March 16, 2026

Professors pose for a photo

Ashley Brandon, associate professor of film, television and media arts, and Dennis Höhne, assistant professor of film, television and media arts, have earned the top documentary short award at the Slamdance Film Festival for their documentary short, “Panther Pat,” bringing national recognition to the university’s film program.

The professors collaborated on the documentary short, "Panther Pat," which received the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary Short — the festival’s highest honor in the category — at the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival, in Los Angeles. The film premiered at the Directors Guild of America Theater during the festival.

“Panther Pat” tells the story of Pat Palinkas, the first woman to play professional football, highlighting her groundbreaking achievement and lasting impact on the sport.

“The jury at Slamdance praised ‘Panther Pat’ for being highly inventive, using archival and stop-motion animation to great effect, and we were shocked that a story this compelling had flown under the radar until now,’” said Brandon.

“We began working on the project in 2023, and Slamdance was an awesome premiere for the film. We have more soon-to-be-announced festivals and screenings coming up that we're very excited about,” she added. "We can't thank Pat Palinkas and the Palinkas family enough for their collaboration and trust in allowing us to share Pat's gender-barrier-breaking story with audiences.”

Höhne served as cinematographer and producer on the project while Brandon directed the film. Together, they brought Palinkas’ story to life through a creative approach that blends archival footage with stop-motion animation.

“Working with Pat Palinkas and her family was a wonderful experience,” Höhne said. “From the beginning, it was clear that Pat’s story carried historical, but also a deep emotional significance, not only for her family but for a much wider audience.

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