2024 Student Academy Awards Winners Announced at London Ceremony
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences celebrated the 51st Student Academy Awards® ceremony at the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square in London. This annual event, organized in partnership with longtime sponsor Rolex, honored outstanding student filmmakers from across the globe. Over 2,600 entries were submitted from 738 colleges and universities worldwide, resulting in a prestigious group of winners across four categories: Alternative/Experimental, Animation, Documentary, and Narrative.
Among those honored were students from diverse countries and educational institutions, including first-time winners from India, Japan, and the Czech Republic. The Gold, Silver, and Bronze awardees were announced during the ceremony, hosted by prominent figures in the film industry, such as Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang. Filmmakers Chris Sanders, writer and director of “The Wild Robot,” and Jason Reitman, co-writer and director of “Saturday Night,” also presented at the event.
Winners of the 2024 Student Academy Awards®:
Alternative/Experimental
- Gold: Birdy Wei-Ting Hung, “A Brighter Summer Day for the Lady Avengers,” San Francisco State University
- Silver: Dori Walker, “In Living Memory,” Brown University
- Bronze: Akshit Kumar, “bonVoyage pour monVoyage,” National Institute of Design, India
Animation
- Gold: Florian Maurice, Maxime Foltzer & Estelle Bonnardel, “Au Revoir Mon Monde,” MoPA 3D Animation School, France
- Silver: Kei Kanamori, “Origami,” Digital Hollywood University, Japan
- Bronze: Spencer Baird, “Student Accomplice,” Brigham Young University
Documentary
- Gold: Hannah Rafkin, “Keeper,” School of Visual Arts
- Silver: Aaron Johnson, “The 17%,” Chapman University
- Bronze: Rishabh Raj Jain, “A Dream Called Khushi (Happiness),” New York University
Narrative
- Gold: Pavel Sýkora & Viktor Horák, “The Compatriot,” Filmová Akademie Miroslava Ondříčka v Písku, Czech Republic
- Silver: Jens Kevin Georg, “Crust,” Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF, Germany
- Bronze: Robin Wang, “Neither Donkey nor Horse,” University of Southern California
This year’s ceremony saw institutions from India, Japan, and the Czech Republic receive Student Academy Awards honors for the first time. Their success highlights the international scope and diversity of the competition, which continues to attract top talent from around the world.
All winning films are eligible to compete at the upcoming 97th Academy Awards® in categories including Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, or Documentary Short Film, providing these emerging filmmakers an unparalleled opportunity to showcase their work on the global stage. The Student Academy Awards have a history of identifying future Oscar® winners, with past recipients like Spike Lee, Robert Zemeckis, and Pete Docter going on to have illustrious careers.
Since its inception in 1972, the Student Academy Awards have aimed to recognize and promote new talent, helping bridge the gap between education and professional filmmaking. With 67 Oscar® nominations and 15 Academy Awards® among its alumni, the program remains a crucial platform for future stars of the industry.
For those interested, the full 2024 Student Academy Awards ceremony is available to view online, showcasing the breadth of talent and creativity from student filmmakers worldwide.