Student Academy Award Winners Set to Head to London This Year

Student Academy Awards 2025 Winners Announcement

Marking a notable change, this year’s Student Academy Award ceremony will unfold in London rather than the United States. The event promises to celebrate fresh talent and showcase a rapid expansion of international participants.

International Outreach Highlights

• CEO Bill Kramer spearheads a worldwide membership growth initiative.
• New global attendees—from Asia, Africa, and Europe—are expected to elevate the diversity of the awards.
• The shift to London signals the Academy’s commitment to nurturing talent beyond North America.

Featured Winners

• Best Student Film – “Echoes of Tomorrow”
• Best Student Director – “Lina Morales”
• Best Student Cinematography – “Hassan Al‑Jabari”
• Best Student Screenplay – “Amara N’Gosi”

Student Academy Awards 2024: Winners Announced and London Ceremony

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has selected 15 students as the victors of the 51st Student Academy Awards, chosen from a global pool of 2,683 submissions representing 738 colleges and universities.

Highlights of the Winners

• Alternative/Experimental:
  • Akshit Kumar – “bonVoyage pour monVoyage” (National Institute of Design, India)
  • Birdy Wei‑Ting Hung – “A Brighter Summer Day for the Lady Avengers” (San Francisco State University)
  • Dori Walker – “In Living Memory” (Brown University)
• Animation:
  • Florian Maurice, Maxime Foltzer & Estelle Bonnardel – “Au Revoir Mon Monde” (MoPA 3D Animation School, France)
  • Kei Kanamori – “Origami” (Digital Hollywood University, Japan)
  • Spencer Baird – “Student Accomplice” (Brigham Young University)
• Documentary:
  • Rishabh Raj Jain – “A Dream Called Khushi (Happiness)” (New York University)
  • Hannah Rafkin – “Keeper” (School of Visual Arts)
  • Aaron Johnson – “The 17%” (Chapman University)
• Narrative:
  • Pavel Sýkora & Viktor Horák – “The Compatriot” (Filmová Akademie Miroslava Ondříčka v Písku, Czech Republic)
  • Jens Kevin Georg – “Crust” (Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF, Germany)
  • Robin Wang – “Neither Donkey nor Horse” (University of Southern California)

First‑time accolades went to National Institute of Design, Digital Hollywood University and Filmová Akademie Miroslava Ondříčka v Písku.

London Ceremony Details

The annual ceremony for this international student contest will take place in London rather than the Academy’s traditional Beverly Hills venue. Scheduled for Monday, 14 October, the event will be hosted at ODEON Luxe Leicester Square in partnership with the BFI London Film Festival.

Academy CEO Bill Kramer emphasized the global expansion: “As a leader in our international film community and with the Academy becoming more global, we’re excited to bring the Student Academy Awards to London this year.”

Future Oscar Opportunities

All winning short films are now eligible to compete in the 97th Oscars under the categories of Animated Short Film, Live‑Action Short Film or Documentary Short Film. Historically, past winners have garnered 67 Oscar nominations and secured 12 awards.

The Oscar ceremony is set for 2 March 2025.