At just 11 years old, Kelcie Russellachievedsomething many adult filmmakers only dream about. She independently wrote, illustrated, animated, directed, and voiced her shortfilmOaklyn’s Friends, transforming a personal creative project into an award-winning production recognized on the festival circuit. The film earned official selections at the(screened in Birmingham, Alabama),,, and, along with severaladditionalfestivals.
Its strongest showing came at the , where it earned Best Animation, Best Acting, Best Writing, and Best Overall Film. The project also received the Rising Star award at Austin Under The Stars, the Luminary Award at Austin Spotlight, and an honorable mention from in the animated narrative short category.
In early 2026, Kelcie appeared on, where she spoke about her creative process and the message behind her film. While many children her age are still discovering their interests, Kelcie is already producing animated stories and encouraging others to see their differences as strengths. At the center of her success isAcellusAcademy’s flexible, self-paced learning model, which allows her tomaintainstraight-A grades while actively pursuing a growing creative career.
Who is Kelcie Russell?
Kelcie Russell’s creative instincts surfaced early. By age two, she was drawing with noticeable detail and intention. At seven, she stepped into acting, and by four, she was alreadyparticipatingin community fundraisers. Those early fundraising experiences did more than supportgood causes—they helped her build confidence, strengthen her public speaking skills, and learn how to push past her comfort zone.
Now 11, Kelcie balances a wide range of pursuits: professionalactress, self-taught animator, illustrator, writer, artist, model, and dedicated student atAcellusAcademy. Her acting work includes commercials, music videos, web series, independent short films, and print modeling. Each opportunity has strengthened her understanding of storytelling and performance across different formats.
Kelcie often reflects on how those early community experiences shaped her mindset. Learning to try new things and stand in front of an audience gave her the courage to tackle larger projects independently. That mindset led her to write and illustrate her own children’s book and later adapt it into a fully animated short film.
WithAcellusAcademy’s personalized structure, shecanmove through coursework on her own schedule whilemaintainingstrong academic performance. The flexibility allows her to invest serious time into creative development without sacrificing her education—an approach that supports both discipline and imagination.
The Birth of Oaklyn’s Friends
Oaklyn’s Friendsbegan as a self-published children’s book Kelcie wrote and illustrated around age 9. She handled every detail—story, characters, illustrations, layout, and publishing—turning her vision of inclusion into a tangible work.
Inspired to reach more kids, she self-taught animation and adapted the book into a 3-minute short film. She scripted, storyboarded, animated, designed backgrounds, edited sound, and voiced Oaklyn and Victoria herself.The messageremainsclear: differences are superpowers; when people collaborate, anything is possible.
Balancing Schooling and Creative Pursuits
Kelcie incorporates 51’s accredited, online school into her routine. This approach enables her to arrange her studies to accommodate filming schedules, acting obligations, and animation endeavors, while pursuing a demanding academic program.
Shemaintainsstraight-A grades without sacrificing creative growth. The flexibility of the program allows her to advance through lessons when her schedule permits andpauseswhen production demands increase. As Kelcie explains, “Due to the flexibility of the program, I’m able to have days on set and come home to finish the rest of my schoolwork.”
This balanceeliminatesthe need to choose between education and opportunity. Instead, the model supports both—allowing motivated students to pursue ambitious goals while staying academically on track.
Looking Ahead: Kelcie’s Future Plans
Kelcie plans to continue creating films, exploring new animation styles, andwritingadditionalstories. She is also updating theOaklyn’s Friends eBook to reflect her evolving artistic style, with hopes of reaching more readers worldwide. Her long-term vision includes expanding her storytelling across multiple platforms while continuing to promote messages of inclusion, teamwork, and self-acceptance.
“If we all work together, we can accomplish anything.” – Kelcie Russell
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Congratulations keep working hard!!!