When Luis Barragan received his assignment for the national American Cinema Editors competition, he immediately felt confident about his next steps.
“I completed similar editing projects in my classes and received feedback from faculty who have experience in the field, so I took everything I learned and put my best foot forward in the competition,” said Barragan.
The Cal State Fullerton cinema and television arts student took first place in the 2026 ACE student competition and received the Anne V. Coates Award for Student Editing, which recognizes students for their ability to professionally edit a television scene using raw footage and a shot list.
A transfer student from Mt. San Antonio College, Barragan chose Cal State Fullerton’s College of Communications because of its longstanding reputation for hands-on training and industry internship opportunities. He credits CSUF’s Department of Cinema and Television Arts for providing him with the necessary technical skills to make his work stand out against competitors from across the country.
“Gordon Winiemko’s Editing Film and TV course set me up for success,” said Barragan. “In that class, we learned how to improve our pacing and structure to better tell a story, and I used that same approach in my competition piece.”
Winiemko, lecturer in cinema and television arts, is no stranger to supporting students as they launch their professional careers. An independent filmmaker and multimedia artist, Winiemko previously taught alum Chase Johnson ’20 (B.A. cinema and television arts), who was the first Titan to win the Anne V. Coates Award in 2020.
“By the end of the course, it was obvious that Luis had improved in terms of rhythm and pacing. And he was editing in a way that showed a strong grasp of the cinematic language,” said Winiemko. “With two of our students winning this prestigious award, it shows our students are working at a very high level.”
Barragan had the opportunity to chat with Johnson about ACE and the film editing industry, and he said that connection is a testament to the power of the university’s alumni network, which is more than 344,000 Titans strong.
“Seeing that a previous Cal State Fullerton student applied and won inspired me to do the same,” said Barragan. “It’s so important to see alumni in these spaces. It shows students that these goals are achievable, and there are Titans we can reach out to for support.”
At the 76th ACE Eddie Awards in Los Angeles, Barragan was surrounded by film and television editors from across the industry, who are known for their work on such popular projects as “KPop Demon Hunters” and “The Pitt.”
He said that winning the award means the world: “That approval and recognition goes a long way, and it affirms that this is where I want to go in my career.”