Los Angeles – The Directors Guild of America today announced the winners of the 2026 DGA Student Spotlight Awards for Underrepresented Directors, recognizing exceptional emerging Directors from film programs across the United States.
The winning films were selected through a competitive process voted on by more than 200 members of the Guild, highlighting the next generation of filmmakers across documentary and narrative categories on both the East and West Coasts.
Winners were celebrated during the DGA Student Spotlight Awards ceremonies in Los Angeles on June 18, honoring West Coast recipients, and in New York on June 23, recognizing East Coast recipients.
FIRST PRIZE WINNERS
Documentary East: Undergraduate
Asahni Williams
Against A Sharp White Background
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Documentary East: Graduate
Rishabh Jain
A Dream Called Khushi (Happiness)
New York University
Documentary West: Undergraduate
Hisonni Mustafa Johnson
Legend Has It: The Remarkable Rise of Stephen McCain
The College of Southern Nevada
Documentary West: Graduate
Candace Williamson
Boil That Cabbage Down
University of Southern California
Narrative East: Undergraduate
Ainsley Wiseman
I Love My Shower
University of North Carolina
Narrative East: Graduate
Taylor Sanghyun Lee
Parkside East
New York University
Narrative West: Undergraduate
Shayan Habibnejad
Each Other
The University of Texas at Austin
Narrative West: Graduate
Rohit Relan
Patakha/Firecracker
American Film Institute Conservatory
About the Student Spotlight Awards for Underrepresented Directors
The DGA Student Spotlight Awards for Underrepresented Directors celebrate outstanding achievement in student filmmaking and provide emerging Directors with recognition from working professionals across the entertainment industry.
