June 20, 2024
Los Angeles, CA - The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is excited to announce the launch of the application period for the 30th Annual Student Film Awards. This event is a celebration of the emerging visionary filmmakers of the next generation. The program's goal is to acknowledge and commend exceptional student filmmakers from across the country for their outstanding work in directing.
The DGA Student Film Awards have a long-standing tradition of spotlighting emerging talent and providing a platform for these filmmakers to showcase their creativity and storytelling prowess. The program has been a springboard for many successful directors in the industry, and this year promises to be no different.
A number of past winners have gone on to enjoy successful directing careers, including:
• Steven Caple Jr. (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts; Creed II; Grown-ish; Rapture)
• Jon M. Chu (In the Heights; Home Before Dark; Crazy Rich Asians; Now You See Me 2)
• Ryan Coogler (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Black Panther; Creed; Fruitvale Station)
• Channing Godfrey Peoples (Roar; Generation; Miss Juneteenth)
• Rashaad Ernesto Green (The Chi; Looking for Alaska; Premature; Luke Cage)
• Nicole Kassell (The Baby; Watchmen; Castlerock; Westworld)
• Patricia Riggen (Law & Order: SVU; Little America; Dopesick; Surveillance)
• Sylvain White (The Terminal List; The Umbrella Academy; The Rookie; Fargo)
Students enrolled in film schools are invited to submit their short films for consideration in the following categories: Best African American Student Filmmaker, Best Asian American Student Filmmaker, Best Latino Student Filmmaker, Best Women Student Filmmaker, and Best Documentary Student Filmmaker.
The submission period opens today and closes on October 7, 2024.
A distinguished panel of industry professionals will review the submissions and select the finalists. Winners will receive a $2,500 prize and their work will be screened at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles and New York. The winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony, which will take place on December 17 in Los Angeles and December 18 in New York.
The DGA is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and diverse community of filmmakers, and the Student Film Awards reflect this commitment by recognizing and celebrating talented individuals from various backgrounds.
Eligible films must be made in the 2023/2024 school year (September 2023 through August 2024) and produced as a student project under the supervision of a faculty member. Animated films, experimental films, commercials, music videos and webisodes are not eligible. Applicants must be enrolled in or be a recent graduate (within one year) from an accredited post-secondary institution located in the United States and selected by the DGA. Eligible films are those in which students hold every major crew position.
For more information about the 30th Annual Student Film Awards, including submission guidelines and eligibility criteria, please visit the official DGA website at https://dga.org/Awards/Students.