The Directors Guild of America (DGA) announced that the application period for the 29th Annual DGA Student Film Awards is now open. The awards are designed to honor, encourage and bring attention to exceptional direction by diverse student filmmakers in film schools and select universities across the country.
Over the years, the DGA Student Film Awards have highlighted dozens of African American, Asian American, Latino and Women filmmakers. Winners of the DGA Student Film Awards in each category will receive a $2,500 prize from the DGA and have their films screened at the DGA Theater on future dates to be determined. Last year, the DGA also introduced a brand-new Documentary Award.
A number of past winners have gone on to enjoy successful directing careers, including:
- Steven Caple Jr. (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts; Creed II; Grown-ish; Rapture)
- Jon M. Chu (In the Heights; Home Before Dark; Crazy Rich Asians; Now You See Me 2)
- Ryan Coogler (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Black Panther; Creed; Fruitvale Station)
- Channing Godfrey Peoples (Roar; Generation; Miss Juneteenth)
- Rashaad Ernesto Green (The Chi; Looking for Alaska; Premature; Luke Cage)
- Nicole Kassell (The Baby; Watchmen; Castlerock; Westworld)
- Patricia Riggen (Law & Order: SVU; Little America; Dopesick; Surveillance)
- Sylvain White (The Terminal List; The Umbrella Academy; The Rookie; Fargo)
This year’s application period runs through October 9, 2023.
Eligible films must be made in the 2022/2023 school year (September 2022 through August 2023) and produced as a student project under the supervision of a faculty member. Animated films, experimental films, commercials, music videos and webisodes are not eligible. Applicants must be enrolled in or be a recent graduate (within one year) from an accredited post-secondary institution located in the United States and selected by the DGA. Eligible films are those in which students hold every major crew position.
