Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Unveils Winners for 51st Student Academy Awards – Film News in Brief

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced 15 winners for the 51st Student Academy Awards competition.

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This year’s competition received 2,683 entries from 738 colleges globally. The National Institute of Design, Digital Hollywood University and Filmová Akademie Miroslava Ondříčka v Písku are first-time recipients. Past honorees include Patricia Cardoso, Pete Docter, Spike Lee, Patricia Riggen and Robert Zemeckis.

All Student Academy Award-winning films are eligible to compete for 2024 Oscars in the Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film or Documentary Short Film category. Past winners have received 67 Oscar nominations and have won or shared 15 awards. Gold, silver and bronze placements in the four award categories will be announced at the ceremony.

Here’s a look at this year’s winners:

Alternative/Experimental
Akshit Kumar, “bonVoyage pour monVoyage,” National Institute of Design, India
Birdy Wei-Ting Hung, “A Brighter Summer Day for the Lady Avengers,” San Francisco State University
Dori Walker, “In Living Memory,” Brown University

Animation
Florian Maurice, Maxime Foltzer & Estelle Bonnardel, “Au Revoir Mon Monde,” MoPA 3D Animation School, France
Kei Kanamori, “Origami,” Digital Hollywood University, Japan
Spencer Baird, “Student Accomplice,” Brigham Young University

Documentary
Rishabh Raj Jain, “A Dream Called Khushi (Happiness),” New York University
Hannah Rafkin, “Keeper,” School of Visual Arts
Aaron Johnson, “The 17%,” Chapman University

Narrative
Pavel Sýkora & Viktor Horák, “The Compatriot,” Filmová Akademie Miroslava Ondříčka v Písku, Czech Republic
Jens Kevin Georg, “Crust,” Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF, Germany
Robin Wang, “Neither Donkey nor Horse,” University of Southern California

Tickets and full program are available at the festival’s website .

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‘Anora,’ ‘Nightbitch’ and ‘Oh, Canada’ to Screen at Woodstock Film Festival

The Woodstock Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for its 25th edition, which takes place Oct. 15-20. Films will screen in venues across Woodstock, Vt., Rosendale, N.Y., Kingston, N.Y. and Saugerties, N.Y.

Highlights from the Woodstock program include Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner “Anora,” “Blitz” from “12 Years a Slave” director Steve McQueen, Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada” and “Nightbitch” starring Amy Adams. Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain” will close out the festival. Schrader will receive the Maverick award and conduct a conversation after his screening.

“On this 25th anniversary of the film festival, and at this pivotal time in our nation and the world, I’m thrilled to welcome the many talented filmmakers who will be arriving from near and far to attend with their extraordinary work,” said Meira Blaustein, Woodstock Film Festival co-founder and executive director. “Their diverse voices shine a light on the complex fabric of our lives, and their gathering here will once again bring storytellers of all stripes together in celebration of creativity, innovation and the fierce independent spirit.”

Tickets and full program are available at the festival’s website .

Firelight Films and Hulu Unveil 2nd Annual Hulu/Firelight Kindling Fund Recipients

Stanley Nelson’s Firelight Films and Hulu have unveiled the recipients for the second annual Hulu/Firelight Kindling Fund, which awards filmmakers $25,000 to develop an original nonfiction documentary, feature film or limited series for a first look with Firelight and Hulu.

This year’s recipients are Byron Hurt for his films “The Wildcat Way” and “Murder of a Drum Major,” and lyric r. cabral for his untitled possibility project.

“Firelight Films is proud to select Byron Hurt and lyric r. cabral for our second Hulu/Firelight Kindling Fund cohort,” said Nelson. “These are two filmmakers I’ve long admired and whose work has been previously supported by our sister organization, Firelight Media. With these projects, each filmmaker brings their unique talents and perspectives to urgent stories from within their communities, seeking narrative justice for the protagonists.”

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