The Student Academy Awards have been a crucial platform for up-and-coming filmmakers for the past 50 years, despite not being as glamorous or well-known as the Oscars.
By the time Spike Lee finally took home a competitive statuette in 2019, he had already experienced a number of significant Oscar moments.
When he was a film student at New York University in 1983, it was nearly forty years ago. With Monty Ross in the lead role, Lee entered his master’s thesis film “Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads” for a Student Academy Award. And it prevailed.
In its 50 years, the Student Academy Awards have proven to be an important platform for up-and-coming filmmakers, despite not being as glamorous or well-known as the Oscars. Although inclusion and accessibility may seem like trendy terms, the film academy has been working for decades to lower entrance barriers.
When Walter Mirisch, the Academy’s president at the time, stated in 1973 that they were honoring the youth who “will be taking our places,” he was speaking prophetically. Pete Docter, Robert Zemeckis, Trey Parker, Patricia Riggen, Bob Saget, and Patricia Cardoso are among the many student winners over the years.
“The program has a rich legacy,” remarked Kendra Carter, who is in charge of the Film Academy’s impact and worldwide talent development initiatives.
“The Student Academy Awards directly leads into our mission of striving to be that pillar of change in the industry and moving the needle forward by providing access and opportunity, breaking down barriers to entry and creating a pool of highly skilled, diverse talent,” the statement reads. “Impact and inclusion continue to be priorities for us.”
This year’s 640 Academy members cast votes for the prizes, which provide a budding filmmaker with priceless exposure. Numerous participants have gained representation, a few have found employment, and everyone has gained access to a new peer network.
Carter stated, “Once your name is associated with a Student Academy Award, it just opens all of these doors.” “It really transforms aspiring filmmakers.”
One of the most glamorous outcomes of victory is that the winning films become eligible for a competitive Oscar nomination in the short film categories. Lachlan Pendragon, one of the winners from the previous year, was one of those films. An Ostrich Told Me the World is Fake and I Think I Believe It, an 11-minute stop-motion animated film directed by the Australian, received a nomination.
According to Pendragon, “my film school would submit films every year and it had always been something to aspire to.” And for some reason, I managed to get the best result. It was an extremely wild ride and a dream come true at every turn.” Over time, the program has also expanded significantly on a global scale.
Making documentaries was Giorgio Ghiotto’s lifelong dream. This year, his film “Wings of Dust” took home the gold medal. However, he claimed that it seemed like a “impossible dream” growing up in Italy.
“Everyone believes that you have to be extremely wealthy or fortunate to be a documentary filmmaker,” he stated.
While attending NYU, he submitted an application for the Student Academy Awards, just as Lee had done forty years prior. At the earlier this fall ceremony, he received so much support and encouragement from academy members that he decided to move to Los Angeles.
Ghiotto remarked, “Watching your dreams begin to come true was really amazing.” “And you travel to Los Angeles, you travel to the Academy, and the Academy family is rooting for you, not just so you can hold the prize and get rewarded.”
