30th Annual DGA Student Film Awards Winners

BEST AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT FILMMAKERS:
 

East Region
 

• Grand Prize: Mirta Desir of City University of New York (CUNY) – Brooklyn College — Jean & I
• Jury Award: Ben Locke of Boston University — Taper
   

West Region

• Grand Prize: Britt Williams of American Film Institute — Behold a Lady
• Jury Award: Kira Powell of American Film Institute — Best Eyes

BEST ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENT FILMMAKERS:
 

East Region
 

• Grand Prize: Nadine (Misong) Jin of Columbia University — Juk
• Jury Award: Lucas Manuel-Scheibe of New York University — Rope
   

West Region
 

• Grand Prize: Robin Wang of University of Southern California — Neither Donkey Nor Horse
• Jury Award: Grace Hanna of American Film Institute — Lola

BEST LATINO STUDENT FILMMAKERS:
 

East Region
 

• Grand Prize: Almendra Kovac Akel of Ringling College of Art & Design — ROT
• Jury Award: Marco Greco of University of North Carolina School of the Arts — Clocked-Out
   

West Region
 

• Grand Prize: Juan Zuloaga Eslait of Chapman University — Before the Winter
• Jury Award: Kimberly Caicedo of American Film Institute — Francis

BEST WOMEN STUDENT FILMMAKERS:
 

East Region
 

• Grand Prize: Ella McKenzie of University of Michigan — Nerd Association
• Jury Award: Colleen Ryan of Savannah College of Art and Design — El Alma de la Sed
   

West Region
 

• Grand Prize: Kateryna Kurganska of American Film Institute — Two Breaths
• Jury Award: MC Plaschke of American Film Institute — We Met at Camp

BEST DOCUMENTARY STUDENT FILMMAKERS:
 

East Region
 

• Grand Prize: Christine An of Boston University — Timeless Voices
• Jury Award: Gabriel Ponte Fleary of Rochester Institute of Technology — Un Viaje de Fe (A Journey of Faith)
   

West Region
 

• Grand Prize: Wubetu Shimelash of University of Southern California — Shepherd's Calling
• Jury Award: Sarah Enriquez of Moorpark College — Inside: America's Teaching Zoo

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 (one-year) graduate 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.