On December 11, DGA members and their guests attended ceremonies for the 20th Annual DGA Student Film Awards in the Guild’s New York Theater. These awards are designed to honor, encourage and bring attention to outstanding African American, Asian American, Latino and Women Filmmakers in film schools and select universities across the country.

The ceremony began with a welcome message from Director Ted Bogosian. Following a screening of clips from the Jury Award-winning films, Bogosian presented the certificates of achievement to African American Jury Award recipient Kiara C. Jones of New York University (Christmas Wedding Baby), Asian American Jury Award recipient Devi Elizabeth Nampiaparampil of Columbia University (A Life for a Life), Latino Jury Award recipient Carmen Jimenez of Columbia University (Oasis), and Woman Jury Award recipient Jessica Adler of Sarah Lawrence College (Steel).

Bogosian turned the podium over to DGA Second Vice President Gary Donatelli, who presented the trophy for Latino Student Filmmaker Award winner Miguel Silveira of Columbia University (Devil’s Work). Then Director Maggie Greenwald presented the trophy for Asian American Student Filmmaker Award winner Christopher Loanzon of New York University (For Ofelia). The final presentations were made by Director Marilyn Agrelo who handed out the awards for African American Student Filmmaker Award winner Alcee Walker of School of Visual Arts (The Pain of Love) and Woman Student Filmmaker Award winner Yulin Liu of New York University (Door God).

The presentations were followed by screenings of the winning short films and a reception.

The winners of each category received a prize of $2,500 from the DGA and the Jury Award recipients received $1,000. All winners and recipients were selected by blue ribbon panels comprised of DGA members.

DGA Student Film Awards rules and procedures mandate that competing films must have been made in the 2013/2014 school year (September 2013 through August 2014), 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.