Westminster College senior Madyson Treharne, a creative media production and English double major, is earning international attention for her original comedy series pilot “Bad Habits,” which has been named a top finalist in the Student Screenplay category at the International Indie Film and Screenplay Festival (IIFSF).

Developed through a $4,400 research and summer fellowship grant from Westminster’s Drinko Center for Undergraduate Research, “Bad Habits”—which Treharne wrote, produced and filmed—follows the unpredictable lives of a group of cloistered but delightfully rambunctious nuns, offering what Treharne describes as “The Hangover” meets “Sister Act.”

Treharne, a senior from Burton, Ohio, led a full-scale production this past summer in Cleveland, directing 21 crew members and 25 cast members over four intensive filming days. The project served as both her creative thesis for her senior capstone project and her first major step into episodic storytelling. She worked under the guidance of School of Communication faculty member Bradley Weaver.  

“Producing ‘Bad Habits’ taught me to advocate for myself in a male-dominated field and to forge a replicable path for other independent women creators entering the episodic market with limited resources, while championing narrative risk and bold stylistic experimentation,” said Treharne.

As a top festival finalist, Treharne has been invited to attend the IIFSF Gala in Graz, Austria, on Dec. 4, where winners will be announced.

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