06/05/2026
Congratulations to the creators of Party Monster for winning Best Animation at the Tonkawa Film Festival in April! Here are some comments from some of the crew:
"It's truly an honor to receive an award of this magnitude. The Party Monster team spent so much time on this film, everyone put their all into it and without everyone's hard work and dedication we couldn't have gotten to where we are now." -Katelyn, Animation Lead
"Party Monster is about the unknown, about stepping into challenging and uncomfortable situations, and discovering beauty in the process. Yes, life often hits us with moments that make us feel lost or overwhelmed - times when it feels like nothing is going according to plan. Yet, that's exactly what anxiety is - a monster that looms larger in our minds than it does in reality. With support from the friends, partners, and family around us, we can face it and overcome it." -Emeryn, Director
Learn more about the film and meet the crew at .film on Instagram.
Video description: The video begins with the text "Ball State Animation Presents", then a scene panning over animated characters' faces and stopping on a worried-looking character who is fidgeting with their hoodie strings. At the end of the clip, this character scrunches their shoulders and leans back looking increasingly anxious. Next, a phone screen appears with an image of a smiling character and the message "where u at?!" followed by an analog winky face. A hand extends toward the main character over the phone, and they look up to see the person they're looking for. They swing onto a dance floor with the main character still looking nervous and their dance partner smiling. The main character lets go of their dance partner's hands and we flash to a scene where they are outside of the party looking in. Next, they are shown accidentally grabbing someone's hand instead of giving them a fist bump, then yanking their hand back and looking mortified. The next scene shows a closeup of the main character's face looking increasingly anxious as they look back and forth at the party around them. The following scene shows the main character posing for a picture with their friends and sneezing just as the picture is taken. There is a small, one-eyed creature with horns behind them. Then, they are shown accidentally backing into someone. The screen then flashes to the one-eyed creature standing at the main character's feet. A shiver runs through the creature and it opens its eye wider as it looks up at the main character who is close to stepping on it. The main character changes direction and steps to the side of the creature while the creature looks worriedly at the main character's foot, then back up at the main character. The screen fades to black and the film title "Party Monster" appears in neon pink letters.
