Ten animators are among the 33 students from 16 colleges and universities selected for competition in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 34th Annual Student Academy Awards. Members of the Academy will select gold, silver and bronze medal winners in each of the four categories and award cash prizes of $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000, respectively. Winning filmmakers will participate in a week of industry-related and social activities, culminating in the awards ceremony on June 9.
This year’s animation contenders are Africa Parting from Robyn Yannoukos and Brian LoSchiavo of the University of California, Los Angeles; Art’s Desire by Sarah Wickliffe from New York University, New York City; Doppelganger by Ki-Peum Lee from California Institute of the Arts, Valencia; End by Joe Sun from Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota, Florida; Icarus and the Tree Herder by Ian Worrel from California Institute of the Arts; A Leg Up from Bevin Carnes of Ringling College of Art and Design; Mirage by Youngwoong Jang from School of Visual Arts, New York City; Respire, Mon Ami from Chris Nabholz of Ringling College of Art and; and Travel Diary by Keng-Ming Liu from School of Visual Arts, New York City.
To reach this stage, students competed in one of three regional competitions. Each of those regions was permitted to submit to the Academy up to three finalist films in each of the four categories. A Student Academy Award automatically qualifies a film to compete for an Oscar. Last year, filmmaker Chris Choy from California Institute of the Arts took gold with his animated short Possum, but didn’t make it to the big show, where Torvill Kove’s The Danish Poet trumped productions from Disney, Pixar and Fox Animation/Blue Sky Studios.
The 33rd Annual Student Academy Awards will be presented during a ceremony on Saturday, June 9, at 6 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
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