Pacifica Stories

Pacifica Christian High School is proud to celebrate alumni Sean Goedecke and William Reimers, whose short film Dungeon Master—created as their senior student film at Pacifica—won Best Horror/Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film at the 2025 All-American High School Film Festival (AAHSFF), the world’s largest and most prestigious student film festival.

Selected from a global pool of submissions, Dungeon Master screened at AMC Times Square in New York City, placing student work developed at Pacifica on an international stage. William, now a sophomore at Stanford University, attended the festival to accept the award on behalf of the creative team. Sean, currently a freshman at USC, continues to pursue filmmaking at the collegiate level.

What began as a creative idea between best friends grew into a demanding, months-long production shaped by perseverance, collaboration, and imagination; all hallmarks of Pacifica’s film program. Sean shared that the project pushed the team creatively and technically, becoming a challenge they were committed to seeing through. William described the film as deeply personal, inspired by storytelling and his love of Dungeons & Dragons, and expressed gratitude for the cast, crew, and the creative partnership that brought the project to life.

Shot on a Canon R5 with visual effects created using Blender and the Mecabricks add-on, Dungeon Master reflects the technical rigor and artistic freedom encouraged at Pacifica. As part of their award, Sean and William received $2,000 in cash and $2,000 in professional production equipment rentals to support future projects.

The All-American High School Film Festival exists to elevate student voices, invest in young storytellers, and connect emerging filmmakers with recognition and opportunity. That Dungeon Master, a Pacifica senior project, was honored on this stage speaks to the strength of Pacifica’s commitment to teaching students to think creatively, work collaboratively, and pursue excellence beyond the classroom.

As Sean’s parents shared, “We are so thankful Pacifica has a Film Program.” We couldn’t agree more. We are incredibly proud of Sean and William and look forward to seeing how they continue to shape stories and the future of film.