The Directors Guild of America has announced the winners of the 2017 DGA Student Film Awards for African American, Asian American, Latino and Women directors. The awards are designed to honor, encourage and bring attention to exceptional diverse directors in film schools and select universities across the country.
“We’re honored to shine a spotlight on these talented new filmmakers through the DGA Student Film Awards, and we congratulate this year’s exceptional recipients,” said Thomas Schlamme, DGA president. “Now in its 23rd year, this program is an important part of our efforts encouraging greater inclusion in the entertainment industry, and we’re proud that a number of our past winners have gone on to find success as film and television directors. We look forward to seeing what’s next for this talented group.”
The 2017 winners, selected by blue ribbon DGA member panels, are:
BEST AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT FILMMAKERS:
West Region
Award Winner: Sanford Jenkins of USC for A Craftsman
Jury Award: Lane Lyle of Chapman University for Distress
East Region
Award Winner: Kevin Wilson, Jr. of New York University for My Nephew Emmett
Jury Award: Alcee H. Walker of The New School for Child Support
BEST ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENT FILMMAKERS:
West Region
Award Winner: Mei LiYing of USC for Cocoon
Jury Award: Michael Chan of AFI for Marc Chung Protects His Address
East Region
Award Winner: Sudarshan Suresh of Columbia University for Absent
BEST LATINO STUDENT FILMMAKERS:
West Region
Award Winner: Annie Pace of UCLA for Beyond the Gate
Jury Award: Meedo Taha of UCLA for The Incident
East Region
Award Winner: Suzanne Andrews Correa of Columbia University for La Casa de Beatriz
Jury Award: Sebastián Pinzón Silva of Northwestern University for Palenque
BEST WOMEN STUDENT FILMMAKERS:
West Region
Award Winner: Gisele Tong of USC for Spring Flower
Jury Award: Amanda Renee Knox of Chapman University for Night Call
East Region
Award Winner: Raylene Jin of Columbia University for SHUAI
The DGA Student Film Awards have highlighted dozens of African-American, Asian-American, Latino and Women filmmakers over the years. A number of past winners have gone on to enjoy successful directing careers, including:
Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians; G.I. Joe: Retaliation; Justin Bieber: Never Say Never; The LXD: The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers; Step Up 3D)
Ryan Coogler (Black Panther; Creed; Fruitvale Station)
Nicole Kassell (The Following; The Killing; The Leftovers; The Americans; Suits; The Closer; Cold Case; The Woodsman; A Little Bit of Heaven)
Patricia Riggen (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan; Miracles From Heaven; The 33; Lemonade Mouth)
Sylvain White (Hawaii Five-0; Person of Interest; Covert Affairs; CSI: Miami; Stomp the Yard; The Losers)
Eligible films were made in the 2016/2017 school year (September 2016 through August 2017), and produced as a student project under the supervision of a faculty member – with students holding every major crew position. Dramas, comedies and documentaries are all eligible – animated and experimental films are not eligible. Applicants must be enrolled in, or be a recent (within one year) graduate from an accredited post-secondary institution in California or DGA-selected university offering a degree in film or television
Actor Kathryn Crosby, widow of Bing Crosby, dies at 90
Kathryn Crosby, who appeared in such movies as "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad", "Anatomy of a Murder," and "Operation Mad Ball" before marrying famed singer and Oscar-winning actor Bing Crosby, has died. She was 90.
She died of natural causes Friday night at her home in the Northern California city of Hillsborough, a family spokesperson said Saturday.
Appearing under her stage name of Kathryn Grant, she appeared opposite Tony Curtis in "Mister Cory" in 1957 and Victor Mature in "The Big Circus" in 1959. She made five movies with film noir director Phil Karlson, including "Tight Spot" and "The Phenix City Story," both in 1955.
Her other leading men included Jack Lemmon in "Operation Mad Ball," James Darren in "The Brothers Rico," and James Stewart in "Anatomy of a Murder," directed by Otto Preminger.
Born Olive Kathryn Grandstaff on Nov. 25, 1933, in West Columbia, Texas, she graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in fine arts. She came to Hollywood and began her movie career in 1953.
She met Bing Crosby while doing interviews for a column she wrote about Hollywood for her hometown newspaper. They were married in 1957, when she was 23 and he was 54.
She curtailed her acting career after the wedding, although she appeared often with Crosby and their three children on his Christmas television specials and in Minute Maid orange juice commercials. She became a registered nurse in 1963.
In the 1970s, she hosted a morning talk show on KPIX-TV in Northern California.
After Crosby's death at age 74 in 1977, from a heart attack after golfing in Spain, she appeared in stage productions of "Same Time, Next Year" and "Charley's Aunt." She co-starred with John Davidson and Andrea McArdle in the 1996 Broadway... Read More