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 West Region. The awards are designed to honor, encourage and bring attention to exceptional diverse directors in film schools and select universities across the country.
“It is our honor to shine a spotlight on these gifted young directors through the 20th Annual DGA Student Film Awards,” said DGA President Paris Barclay. “The talent and promise demonstrated in their winning short films prove what the DGA has long believed – that exceptional filmmaking knows no boundaries. Congratulations to all of our awardees.”
The 2014 winners, selected by blue ribbon DGA member panels, are:
BEST AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT FILMMAKER:
West Region:
Award Winner: Adam Tyree of USC for Without You
Jury Award: Stephanie Hoston of California State University, Northridge for Diana Leigh
BEST ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENT FILMMAKER:
West Region:
Award Winner: Yoko Okumura of AFI for Kimi Kabuki
Jury Award: Yoonhee Ye of AFI for MUSH
BEST LATINO STUDENT FILMMAKER:
West Region:
Award Winner: Maicon Desouza of USC for Pasaporte
Jury Award: Melanie D'Andrea of USC for South Arcadia St.
BEST WOMAN STUDENT FILMMAKER:
West Region:
Award Winner: Shayna Cohen of Chapman University for Gefilte Fish
Jury Award: Jean Barker of Chapman University for One More Day
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 Los Angeles on Thursday, November 6.
The winners for the East Region will be announced next month, with the winning films screened and the awards presented in a ceremony at the Directors Guild of America Theater in New York on Thursday, December 11.
Directors Guild of America (DGA)
Since its founding in 1936, the Directors Guild of America has fought to protect the economic and creative rights of its members; secured their ability to financially benefit from the reuse of their work; created strong pension and health plans; and established jurisdiction in new technologies and distribution platforms. Today the DGA represents more than 15,000 directors and members of the directorial team working in film, television, documentaries, commercials, and new media. www.dga.org
