The Directors Guild of America today announced the winners of the 2014 DGA Student Film Awards for African American, Asian American, Latino and Women directors in the East Region. The awards are designed to honor, encourage and bring attention to exceptional diverse directors in film schools and select universities across the country.
“The DGA is proud to highlight the achievements of these exciting student filmmakers from around the country,” said DGA President Paris Barclay. “We hope that by calling attention to these remarkable young directors, we can further illustrate that vision, talent, and ability shine brightly without regard to gender or ethnicity. Congratulations to all the recipients of the 20th Annual DGA Student Film Awards.”
The 2014 winners, selected by blue ribbon DGA member panels, are:
BEST AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT FILMMAKER
East Region:
Award Winner: Alcee Walker of School of Visual Arts for The Pain of Love
Jury Award: Kiara Jones of New York University for Christmas Wedding Baby
BEST ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENT FILMMAKER
East Region:
Award Winner: Christopher Loanzon of New York University for For Ofelia
Jury Award: Devi Elizabeth Nampiaparampil of Columbia University for A Life for a Life
BEST LATINO STUDENT FILMMAKER
East Region:
Award Winner: Miguel Silveira of Columbia University for Devil’s Work
Jury Award: Carmen Jimenez of Columbia University for Oasis
BEST WOMAN STUDENT FILMMAKER
East Region:
Award Winner: Yulin Liu of New York University for Door God
Jury Award: Jessica Adler of Sarah Lawrence College for Steel
The awards rules and procedures mandate that competing films must have been made in the 2013/2014 school year (September 2013 through August 2014), and must have been produced as a student project under the supervision of a faculty member. Dramas, comedies and documentaries are all eligible – animated and experimental films are not. Applicants must be enrolled in, or be a recent (one-year) graduate from, an accredited post-secondary institution in California or DGA-selected university offering a degree in film or television. Eligible films are those in which a student held every major crew position. Productions in which a non-student, professional or a faculty member served as cinematographer, camera operator, sound recordist, editor, lighting designer or screenwriter may be disqualified.
The award-winning films will be screened and the awards will be presented in a ceremony at the Directors Guild of America Theater in New York on Thursday, December 11.
The winners for the West Region were announced in October, with the winning films screened and the awards presented in a ceremony at the Directors Guild of America Theater in Los Angeles on Thursday, November 6.