27th Annual DGA Student Film Awards Winners
Best African American Student Filmmakers:
East Region
- Award Winner: Sarah Gambles of Florida State University – Fairydust
- Jury Award: Yasmeen Purvis of City University of New York – Who Was Lee Edwards?
West Region
- Award Winner: Omar S. Kamara of AFI – Mass Ave.
- Jury Award: De’Onna “Tree” Young-Stephens of USC – Not Just a Name
Best Asian American Student Filmmakers:
East Region
- Award Winner: Bohao Liu of NYU – Eagles Rest in Liangshan
- Jury Award: Justin Li of Ithaca College – Moments Fleeting
West Region
- Award Winner: Jun Hee Han of UCLA – Uncle
- Jury Award: Sining Xiang of UCLA – Foreign Uncle
Best Latino Student Filmmakers
East Region
- Award Winner: Mackenzie Rosario of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale – Forward Journey
West Region
- Award Winner: Jorge G. Camarena of AFI – Spaceship
- Jury Award: Joe Perry of USC – Niño de Nadie
Best Women Student Filmmakers:
East Region
- Award Winner: Lamu Shangchoo of School of Visual Arts – Walk Alone
- Jury Award: Chloe Sarbib of Columbia University – Jensen
West Region
- Award Winner: Kay Niuyue Zhang of USC – Mother in the Mist
- Jury Award: Afton Quast Saler of USC – Neurodivergent
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:
- Steven Caple Jr. (Creed II; Grown-ish; Rapture; The Land)
- Jon M. Chu (In the Heights; Home Before Dark; Crazy Rich Asians; Now You See Me 2)
- Ryan Coogler (Black Panther; Creed; Fruitvale Station)
- Nicole Kassell (Watchmen; Castlerock; Westworld; The Americans)
- Patricia Riggen (Dopesick; Surveillance; Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan; Miracles From Heaven)
- Sylvain White (The Rookie; Fargo; The Umbrella Academy; Amazing Stories)
Eligible films were made in the 2020/2021 school year (September 2020 through August 2021), and produced as a student project under the supervision of a faculty member – with students holding every major crew position. Dramas, comedies and documentaries are all eligible – animated and experimental films are not eligible. Applicants must be enrolled in, or be a recent (one-year) graduate from, an accredited post-secondary institution located in the United States.