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.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More