October 24, 2007
LOS ANGELES, CA — The Directors Guild of America today announced the winners of the 2007 DGA Student Film Awards for African American, Asian American, Latino and women filmmakers. The awards are designed to honor, encourage and bring attention to outstanding minority and women directors in film schools and select universities across the country.
“The Guild is honored to recognize these talented young directors through the DGA Student Film Awards,” said Michael Apted, president of the Guild. “We are committed to spotlighting promising new talent and encouraging diversity in the entertainment industry. We look forward to seeing what our awardees do next.”
The 2007 winners, selected by blue ribbon DGA member panels, are:
BEST AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT FILMMAKER:
East Coast:
- Winner: Ryan Carmichael of University of Michigan for Everything’s New in Lost Time
- Honorable Mention: Nikyatu Jusu of NYU for African Booty Scratcher
West Coast:
- Winner: Joe Doughrity of Columbia College Hollywood for Akira's Hip Hop Shop
- Honorable Mention: Chris Cloyd of USC for Coons
BEST ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENT FILMMAKER:
East Coast:
- Winner: Z. Eric Yang of Florida State University for The State of Sunshine
- Honorable Mention: Clarissa De Los Reyes of NYU for Giving Care
West Coast:
- Winner: Juli Kang of UCLA for Damn the Past!
- Honorable Mention: Roland Nguyen of USC for Blood Debts
BEST LATINO STUDENT FILMMAKER:
East Coast:
- Winner: Daniel Eduvijes Carrera of Columbia University for Primera Comunion
- Honorable Mention: Jonathan Roessler of Columbia University for First Period
West Coast:
- Winner: Vero Shamo-Garcia of USC for Limpiando Sapos
- Honorable Mention: Miguel Alvarez of University of Texas at Austin for Kid
BEST WOMAN STUDENT FILMMAKER:
East Coast:
- Winner: Jesse Pilkes of North Carolina School of the Arts for Nest of Spiders
- Honorable Mention: Catherine Rehwinkel of Florida State University for Mia
West Coast:
- Winner: Nicole Haeusser of UCLA for The Death Strip
- Honorable Mention: Thouly Dosios of UCLA for House of the Olive Trees
The awards rules and procedures mandate that competing films must have been made in the 2006/2007 school year (September 2006 through August 2007), 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 presented in ceremonies on the East Coast and West Coast at the Directors Guild of America theatres.
- The West Coast award-winning films will be screened and the awards presented on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 7:30 p.m., in Theatre 2 at DGA Headquarters, 7920 Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, CA.
- The East Coast award-winning films will be screened and the awards presented on Thursday, December 6, 2007 at 7:30 p.m., in the DGA Theatre at DGA Headquarters, 110 West 57th Street, New York, NY.