SAN FRANCISCO – In May, the acting genius of three student-athletes, men's soccer defender Armando Rivera, women's soccer goalkeeper Lara Pflicke, and men's track & field alumni Michael Houston, plus the editing skill of softball's Hannah Rose Balke was honored at NXT UP Fest 2021 hosted by the Academy of Art Schools of Entertainment (Acting, Motion Pictures & Television, Writing for Film, TV & Digital Media). Rivera's acting role in "Catastrophe," Pflicke's acting roles in "Burner" and "Confessions," and Houston's acting role and Balke's editing contributions in "Crossroads" were all highlighted while four other student-athletes received award nominations during the celebration of student work across the different disciplines, including directing, cinematography, acting, writing, and sound. Watch the full presentation of NXT UP Fest 2021 here!

Rivera, a Communications & Media Technologies major, earned the Best Actor Audience Award for "Catastrophe." Playing alongside Kim Iberry, Rivera's role as Roberto sees him casually and honestly discussing the couple's fast-tracked marriage following her pregnancy. Rivera's intrigue with acting arose out of his Reel Development course, but his camerawork also found its way into play as the scene was shot with both individuals in separate rooms and the director over Zoom due to COVID-19 restrictions. Along with his win, Rivera was additionally nominated for Best Performance (Actor, Short Form) for "Catastrophe."

"I was grateful for the opportunity and it was a great learning experience," Rivera said. "You make films for the theater-goes so to be recognized by the audience was a very heart-warming moment. It's a new career path that's landed in my lap so it's a little scary, but to get an award like this feels validating and motivates me to keep going."

Competing in his second season with Academy of Art this past spring after transferring from College of the Desert in 2019, Rivera served as a vocal leader of the Urban Knights' back line, starting every match he played in, logging 450 minutes on the pitch, and contributing to the team's two shutouts to end the campaign. He scored the first two goals of his ART U career on his only two shots on frame in 2021, netting one against Dominican on Feb. 6 and another versus Fresno Pacific on Feb. 16.

"I think being a student-athlete is something that will always help me," Rivera said. "It's a very difficult thing we do and I don't think we give ourselves enough credit. Through my experience, I've developed a lot of good habits that I will carry with me like learning to persevere and being empathetic to others. I tip my hat to all my fellow student-athletes."

Pflicke, an Acting major, received two separate Best Performance honors, taking both Actress In A Film ("Burner") and Actress, Short Form ("Confessions"). In addition to her pair of awards, Pflicke was also nominated for Best Performance – Remote for "Catastrophe."

"I was drawn in by the authenticity of the characters," Pflicke said. "I'm always looking for a personal connection behind the lines and story - something I can connect with on an emotional level. Sometimes that connection comes naturally and sometimes it takes more work."

In "Burner," Pflicke's passion for emotive storytelling is shown as she plays a grocery store employee who is desperately confronted in a violent yet also compassionate exchange. She tearfully holds her father at gunpoint in "Confessions" as the truth about her mother is revealed.

"'Confessions' was the first time ever I was in front of camera - my first real scene shot on a set," Pflicke said. "I only had a few days to prep, so I spent a lot of time personalizing every little detail of my character's life and what I wanted from the other person. I broke the script apart, made personal choices, rehearsed, improvised, and fed my subconscious as much information as I could, so it would come out on set when it needed it. When I eventually got on set, I let all of my prep go and trusted I did the work."

Fresh off completing her third and final season on the pitch with Academy of Art, Pflicke ended her career as the program's leader in save percentage (.841) and goals against average (1.04), second in goalie wins (11), and third in shutouts (3.3) all while finishing as one of four Urban Knights to log 138 or more saves in her 34 career matches. A two-time Academic All-PacWest selection and D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award winner, Pflicke memorably logged her first shutout in her first full 90 minutes in goal for ART U versus Humboldt State on Sept. 5, 2019.

"Acting is like a sport - you practice every day to achieve your best possible performance on game day," Pflicke said. "In this case, game day is shooting day, and just like in soccer you are never guaranteed to have the best game of your life. All you can do is prepare, work on your strengths and weaknesses, and trust you have done the work. When you get to the field or on set, you let all of that go and see where it takes you. You cannot possibly control your performance, you can only control how prepared you are. The better the prep, the better the performance, and a lot of that has also to do with intuition and creativity - making it your own. Knowing yourself, being confident and flexible because you never know what might happen on set or on the field. Soccer and acting are very similar in that way."

Dreaming of acting and filmmaking at a very young age, Pflicke played soccer in Germany until she eventually decided to pursue both simultaneously, coming to the United States and finding her way to Academy of Art. In her time, she has grown to appreciate the comparative nature of both her passions and the supporting cast members alongside each.

"Competitive soccer has prepared me to be patient with myself because every skill takes time to learn and the more time you put in efficiently, the happier you will be with yourself," Pflicke said. "I also can't stress enough how important a good mentor/coach is. If you find the right teacher for you, someone who is genuinely interested in seeing you succeed and is not doing this to please their ego, you will succeed and find so much joy in exploring how far you can stretch yourself."

Houston, an Acting major who was previously recognized for his versatility in roles at NXT UP Fest 2020, took home the award for Best Performance (Actor In A Film) for his work in "Crossroads" this year.

Donning the mantle of Christopher, Houston's smoldering confidence is powerfully on display in "Crossroads" where, after being separated from his family for a prison sentence, he grapples with the prospect of contributing to one last crime.

A multi-time USTFCCCA All-Region honoree and Academic All-PacWest recipient, Houston thrived in his two years as a track & field student-athlete at Academy of Art. Directly translating his skills from track to stage, he has built a strong resume with roles in "Death and The Artist," "The Marriage of Bette & Boo," and "Six Degrees of Separation."

"Some people think it's easy, but being an actor requires focus like no other," Houston said. "Whether it be on set or stage, there are a million different things you have to be aware of while performing and being a student-athlete has helped me hone in and focus. From knowing where your mark is, where the camera is placed, the lights, props, dialogue, etc., they're so many things that can occupy your mind and it takes stamina to be in this line of work. My time on the track definitely has taught me to endure through difficult challenges and how to focus in to succeed on my goal."

En route to the finish line that will be his upcoming graduation from the School of Acting, Houston offered important recognition of current Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Kevin LaSure.
 
"I'd also like to dedicate my growing success to my Coach LaSure," said Houston. "I've known my coach since 2013 and learned so from him much over time. As with any long relationship, there are challenges, but he has taught me a lot about myself and I wouldn't be in this position without him. I am grateful. Love you, Coach."

Balke, a Motion Pictures & Television major, also contributed to the success of "Crossroads" which garnered several honors including Audience Award for Best Picture Over 8 Minutes and the overall Best Picture Over 8 Minutes.

"It was a brand new experience filming and editing a project during COVID-19," Balke said. "Between Zoom calls and online footage transfers, it was unlike anything I had worked on before. Despite the obstacles the crew faced, we managed to put together a powerful film that came together perfectly on all ends. I had a wonderful time working alongside [Director] Hakim Robinson to complete the final project." 

Balke served as both the editor and digital imaging technician for "Crossroads" alongside her record-breaking final season for the Urban Knights on the diamond. As a senior in 2021, Balke became the new program leader in career wins (45) and career innings pitched (526.1) while leading the team in both categories (eight wins, 108.0 innings pitched) as well as strikeouts (61). She wrapped up her career as a three-time Academic All-PacWest honoree and the author of the first two no-hitters in program history.

"Between softball and film, I've noticed that there are a lot of parallels," Balke said. "Both require a lot of communication and collaboration. Pitching and editing are very similar as well. Each cut determines whether the film will be a success just as each pitch determines whether or not we win the game."

Other Academy of Art student-athletes who received NXTUP Fest award nominations included Jameela Muhammad (Best Screenplay for "The Last First Date") and Hava Turner (Best Documentary for "I Am Capable") from women's track & field, Gilly Miller (Best Music Score for "England – World Cup Mental Health") from men's soccer, and Markus Anderson Deakin (Best Documentary Short for "CAL") from men's cross country/track & field.

Applying what they have learned in the classroom, on set, and in their respective sports, these student-athletes represent some of the dynamic talent emerging from Academy of Art in the near future.