(Left-right): DGA Student Film Awards Committee Chair Gil Cates, Jr., Director A.P. Gonzalez, 2nd AD Redelia Shaw, Asian American Category Jury Award recipient Yizhou Xu, African American Category Jury Award recipient Rachel Bass, Women Student Filmmaker Winner Kelly Pike, Women’s Jury Award recipient Mia Niebruegge, Latino Jury Award recipient Santiago Paladines, African American Student Filmmaker Winner Jackson Young, Director Douglas Spain, Latino Student Filmmaker Winner Juan Martinez Vera, Director Cellin Gluck, Asian American Student Filmmaker Winner Auden Bui, and Directors Mary Lou Belli and Ted Lange.
(Left-right): DGA Student Film Awards Committee Chair Gil Cates, Jr., Director A.P. Gonzalez, 2nd AD Redelia Shaw, Asian American Category Jury Award recipient Yizhou Xu, African American Category Jury Award recipient Rachel Bass, Women Student Filmmaker Winner Kelly Pike, Women’s Jury Award recipient Mia Niebruegge, Latino Jury Award recipient Santiago Paladines, African American Student Filmmaker Winner Jackson Young, Director Douglas Spain, Latino Student Filmmaker Winner Juan Martinez Vera, Director Cellin Gluck, Asian American Student Filmmaker Winner Auden Bui, and Directors Mary Lou Belli and Ted Lange.

Each year the Directors Guild of America (DGA) holds its annual Student Film Awards for African American, Asian American, Latino, and women filmmakers. The awards, which bring the winners prizes of $2,500 from the DGA, are designed to honor, encourage, and bring attention to outstanding minority and women film students in film schools and other select universities.

This years DGA Student Film Awards recipients follow below, starting with the African American students; get to know these up-and-comers who we may be talking about in a few years. Ryan Coogler and Sylvain were once winners of these awards, so that should maybe tell you something.

See the list of winners below:


Best African American Student Filmmakers:

West Region Winner
Jackson Young of AFI for “Trouble Man”

West Region Jury Award
Rachel Bass of Chapman University for “Black Magic”

East Region Winner
Kevin Giles of Drexel University for “The Blaise EP”

East Region Jury Award
Daniella Hobbs of Ithaca College for “The City of Good Neighbors”

Best Asian American Student Filmmakers:

West Region Winner
Auden Bui of USC for “The Lost City of Tomorrow”

West Region Jury Award
Yizhou Xu of Art Center College of Design for “Shop of Eternal Life”

East Region Winner
Yudho Aditya of Columbia University for “Pria”

East Region Jury Award
Christina Liao of School of Visual Arts for “My Grandma’s House”

Best Latino Student Filmmakers:

West Region Winner
Juan Martinez Vera of USC for “SPARK”

West Region Jury Award
Santiago Paladines of AFI for “The Fare”

East Region Winner
Jimmy Keyrouz of Columbia University for “Nocturne in Black”

East Region Jury Award
Ivo Huahua of Florida State University for “Stutter”

Best Women Student Filmmakers:

West Region Winner
Kelly Pike of UCLA for “Owen”

West Region Jury Award
Mia Niebruegge of AFI for “Snowplow”

East Region Winner
Ugla Hauksdóttir of Columbia University for “How Far She Went”

East Region Jury Award
Hannah Engelson of Emerson College for “Jonah Stands Up”

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