The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the winners of its 50th annual Student Academy Awards on Friday.
The 14 winners were chosen from a total of 2,443 entries from 720 colleges and universities around the world. Those who take home trophies from the student awards will be eligible to compete in the next Oscars in the animated short film, life action short film or documentary short film categories.
Past winners of the Student Academy Award have received 67 Oscar nominations and won 12 awards, with previous winners including Spike Lee, Pete Docter, Patricia Cardoso, Robert Zemeckis and Patricia Riggen.
Leo Behrens of the American Film Institute won the Alternative/Experimental Award for his film, Skin. Three groups of students received trophies for animation: Gabriel Augerai, Romain Augier and Yannick Jacquin from the French École des Nouvelles Images for Tree; César Luton, Achille Pasquier and Clémence Bailly from the French MoPA 3D Animation School for Diplomacy de l’Éclipse; and Lisa Kenney of the National Film and Television School for Mom’s spaghetti.
Lyuwei Chen from New York University took home an award for her documentary Duetas did Jean Chapiro of Columbia University and Giorgio Ghiotto of NYU for their papers Hasta Encontrarlos (Until We Find Them) And Wings of cloth, respectively.
The Student Academy Awards for best story went to: Mark Gerstorfer from Filmakademie Wien in Austria Invisible border; Iain Aigin Stronach Forbes from Den Norske Filmskolen in Norway Revisited; and Tamara Denić from the Hamburg Media School in Germany Istina (truth).
The young filmmakers will all participate in an in-person ceremony on October 24 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, where the medal placements of the winners – gold, silver and bronze – will be announced.
The ceremony is free and open to the public, but tickets are required in advance and can be obtained online at oscars.org.
