BEST AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT FILMMAKERS:

West Region

Award Winner: Meja Shoba of UCLA for Dear Pearl

Jury Award: Dehanza Rogers of UCLA for The Youth

East Region

Award Winner: Kiel Adrian Scott of NYU for Samaria

Jury Award: Alcee H. Walker of School of Visual Arts for Inferno

BEST ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENT FILMMAKERS:

West Region

Award Winner: Xi Guan of USC for Mandala

Jury Award: Thy Riedel of Chapman University for Long Lost

East Region

Award Winner: Saad Nawab of Florida State University for Frankenstein’s Light

Jury Award: Yingxiang Huang of Florida State University for Isa and the Frog Prince

BEST LATINO STUDENT FILMMAKERS:

West Region

Award Winner: Keegan Mullin of Chapman University for The Last Words

Jury Award: Jazmin Diaz of University of Texas at Austin for Carne Seca

East Region

Award Winner: Michael Molina Minard of Columbia University for Standing8

Jury Award: Clara Roquet of Columbia University for El Adios

BEST WOMEN STUDENT FILMMAKERS:

West Region

Award Winner: Margaret Anderson of Chapman University for Casey and the Death Pool

Jury Award: Westin Ray of Chapman University for The Listening Box

East Region

Award Winner: Federica Gianni of Columbia University for The Friend From Tel Aviv

Jury Award: Clara Maria Diez of Florida State University for A Skeleton Named Oliver

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:

►  John M. Chu (G.I. Joe: Retaliation; Justin Bieber: Never Say Never; The LXD: The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers; Step Up 3D)

Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed)

►  Nicole Kassell (The Following; The Killing; The Americans; Suits; The Closer; Cold Case; The Woodsman)

►  Patricia Riggen (The 33; Lemonade Mouth; Under the Same Moon)

►  Sylvain White (Hawaii Five-0; Person of Interest; Covert Affairs; CSI: Miami; Stomp the Yard)

The awards rules and procedures mandate that competing films must have been made in the 2014/2015 school year (September 2014 through August 2015), and must have been produced as a student project under the supervision of a faculty member. Dramas, comedies and documentaries were all eligible – animated and experimental films were not eligible. 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.

The award-winning films will be screened and the awards will be presented in a ceremony at the Directors Guild of America Theater in Los Angeles on November 12, 2015 and at the Directors Guild of America Theater in New York on December 10, 2015.