The Student Academy Awards are presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It is an annual awards program for college and university filmmakers.The New York TimesLos Angeles Times
Description The awards were originally named the Student Film Awards and were first presented in 1973. The current name was adopted in 1991. Since 1975, the awards have been given annually. The event has been held in October since 2017, and in most years has been presented at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California.
The awards offer prizes in four categories: alternative (experimental film), animation, documentary, and narrative. Gold, silver, and bronze awards are given in each category. From 1981 until 2021, separate awards were given annually to a student filmmaker from outside the United States, starting in the 49th Student Academy Awards in 2022, the Academy merged its domestic and international categories. This reduced the seven categories (four domestic and three international) into four categories for narrative, animation, alternative/experimental, and documentary.
Several award winners would have significant achievement as filmmakers, including Robert Zemeckis, Bob Saget, Spike Lee, Trey Parker, Pete Docter and John Lasseter.STUDENT ACADEMY AWARD 40TH ANNIVERSARY FILM posted by Gary Tellalian on Vimeo Some of the student films that won the awards have themselves been nominated for or won the Academy Award in the short film categories, including Chicks in White Satin, The Janitor, Karl Hess: Toward Liberty, The Lunch Date, 9, Quiero ser (I want to be...), Gang Cops, The Death of Kevin Carter: Casualty of the Bang Bang Club, The Red Jacket, On the Line (Auf der Strecke), God of Love, The Confession, 4.1 Miles An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It, Butcher's Stain and Dcera (Daughter).
Copies (and some elements) for over 90% of films honored with Student Academy Awards, along with recordings of many of the awards ceremonies, are held by the Academy Film Archive.
In 2024, the 51st Student Academy Awards were held in London, and in 2025, the 52nd ceremony was held in New York City in the Ziegfeld Ballroom. The 2026 edition will be held in Toronto as part of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.Scott Feinberg, "Student Academy Awards Will Be Held at Toronto International Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter, May 13, 2026.
The Student Academy Awards are sponsored by Rolex.
List of winners 1970s 1st Annual Student Film Awards December 20, 1973 Animation: Anti-matter, Lewis Hall, Carlos Guiterrez-Mena University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles) Nominees: Cosmic Cartoon, Steven Lisberger, Eric Ladd Boston University (Boston)Tron Bonus Disc Documentary: You See, I've Had a Life, Ben Levin, Mort Jordan Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Dramatic: Manhattan Melody, Reuben Trane, Ken WiederhornColumbia University (New York City) Special Jury (Dramatic): Norman Nurdelpick's Suspension: A Tribute to Alfred Hitchcock, Bob DahlinNorthwestern University (Evanston, Illinois)
2nd Annual Student Film Awards July 1, 1975 Animation: Euphoria, Vincent Collins San Francisco Art Institute (San Francisco) Documentary: Men's Lives, Josh Hanig, Will Roberts Antioch College (Yellow Springs, Ohio) Dramatic: Swag, Bruce Postman New York University School of the Arts (New York City) Experimental: Architecture of the Petroleum Age, Scott Thomas Rice University (Houston, Texas) Special Jury (Dramatic): A Field of Honor, Robert ZemeckisI Wanna Hold Your Hold (1978)|The Criterion Collection University of Southern California (Los Angeles)
3rd Annual Student Film Awards June 23, 1976 Animation: Fame, Mark Kirkland, Richard Jefferies California Institute of the Arts (Valencia, California) Documentary: What the Notes Say Karen Grossman, Richard O'Neill Adelphi University (Garden City, New York) Dramatic: The Preparatory, Terence Cahalan University of Southern California (Los Angeles) Experimental: After Lumiere, Joan Laine University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles) Special Jury (Documentary): The American Love Affair, Lee M. Rhoads, Jr. University of Southern California (Los Angeles)
4th Annual Student Film Awards May 22, 1977 Animation: The Muse, Paul W. Demeyer California Institute of the Arts (Valencia, California) Documentary: Achievement: The Last of the Little Breweries, Frank H. Binney University of Texas at Austin (Austin, Texas) Merit: Guitar Craft, Rob Williams Western States Film Institute and Metropolitan State College of Denver (both in Denver, Colorado) Dramatic: Sixteen Down, Carol L. Dysinger New York University (New York City) Experimental: TRANSCENdance, Philip W. Pura Boston University (Boston, Massachusetts)
5th Annual Student Film Awards May 21, 1978 Animation: Mother Goose, David Bishop University of Southern California (Los Angeles) Documentary: Achievement: The Sixth Week, John Simeon Block New York University (New York City) Merit: Like Any Child, Only More So, Catherine Allan, Maile Ornellas University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, California) Merit: Through Adam's Eyes, Robert Saget Temple University, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Dramatic: Button, Button, Burton Lee Harry University of Bridgeport (Bridgeport, Connecticut) Experimental: Triptych, Matthew Patrick Hampshire College (Amherst, Massachusetts)
6th Annual Student Film Awards June 3, 1979 Animation: Achievement: Lady and the Lamp John Lasseter California Institute of the Arts (Valencia, California) Merit: The Walrus and the Carpenter, Tomas Gasek, Malcolm G. Spaull Rochester Institute of Technology (Henrietta, New York) Documentary: Achievement: Since '45, Michael David Korolenko Boston University (Boston, Massachusetts) Merit: Cotton Candy and Elephant Stuff, Jan Krawitz, Thomas Ott Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Merit: Everybody Needs a Forever Home, Mike Simpson University of Texas at Austin (Austin, Texas) Dramatic: The Writers, Harriotte H. Aaron New York University (New York City)
1980s 7th Annual Student Film Awards June 8, 1980 Animation: Nitemare, John Lasseter California Institute of the Arts Documentary: Achievement: Karl Hess: Toward Liberty, Roland Hallé, Peter W. Ladue Boston University Merit: Crossroads/South Africa: The Struggle Continues, Jonathan Wacks University of California, Los Angeles Dramatic: Achievement: Candy Store, Claude Kerven New York University Honorary: Happy Birthday, Randall Fried University of Southern California Merit: Murder in a Mist, Lisa Gottlieb Columbia College Chicago (Chicago, Illinois) Experimental: Sections, Sean Phillips University of Southern California
8th Annual Student Film Awards June 7, 1981 Animation: A Bird's Eye View, Deborah Jo Short San Francisco State University Documentary: Achievement: I Remember Barbra, Kevin Burns Boston University Merit: Jazz, Albert Magnoli University of Southern California Dramatic: Achievement: A Man Around the House, Caroline Emmons New York University Merit: Willie, Coleen Higgins, Ghasem Ebrahimian State University of New York at Purchase Experimental: Commuter, Michael M. Patterson California Institute of the Arts Foreign Student Film: Maedeli la brèche, Jaco Van Dormael Institut National Superieur, Belgium
9th Annual Student Film Awards June 6, 1982 Animation: Achievement: Guess Who's for Dinner, Kathy Zielinski California Institute of the Arts Merit: The Taming, Bill Jarcho Emerson College Documentary: Face Value, Michael Kriegsman, Dan Montopoli New York University Dramatic: For Heaven's Sake, Ken Kwapis University of Southern California Foreign Student Film: Zone Surveillee (Monitored Zone), Olivier Langlois Institut National Superieur, Belgium
10th Annual Student Film Awards June 5, 1983 Animation: No One for Chess, Richard Rosser Washington and Lee University Documentary: Achievement: The Four Corners: A National Sacrifice Area?, Christopher McLeod, Glenn Switkes University of California, Berkeley Merit: El Matador, Arturo Ruiz Esparza University of Texas at Austin Merit: Where Did You Get That Woman, Loretta Smith Columbia College (Chicago, Illinois) Dramatic: Achievement: American Taboo, Steve Lustgarten Portland State University Merit: Children of the Corn, John Robert Woodward, Johnny Stevens University of Texas at Austin Merit: Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads, Spike Lee New York University Experimental: Somnolent Blue, Monica Kendall School of the Art Institute of Chicago Foreign Student Film: Over My Dead Body, Ingrid Oustrup Jensen National Film School of Denmark
11th Annual Student Film Awards June 10, 1984 Animation: Achievement: The White Gazelle, Anthony Laudati State University of New York at Purchase Merit: Mr. Gloom, William G. Kopp California Institute of the Arts Documentary: Achievement: Rodin's Balzac, Marilyn Waterman Stanford University Merit: The Wizard of the Strings, Alan Edelstein, Peter Friedman New York University Dramatic: Achievement: Minors, Alan Kingsberg New York University Merit: The Lottery Rose, Gregory Popp, Frank Military Northwestern University Experimental: Tuscola Moon, Dan Reed University of Illinois at Chicago Foreign Student Film: Mother's Wedding, Jenny Wilkes National Film and Television School, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England
12th Annual Student Film Awards June 16, 1985 Animation: Observational Hazard, William G. Kopp California Institute of the Arts Documentary: Achievement: Burley: Growing Tobacco in America, Robert Henson, Doron Schlair New York University Merit: On the Rocks, Kathryn Johnston, Iain C. Stobie University of Colorado at Boulder Merit: Witness to Revolution: The Story of Anna Louise Strong, Lucy Ostrander Stanford University Dramatic: Heroes, Camille Thomasson University of Southern California Foreign Student Film: The Leahys: Music Most of All, Peter Weyman York University, Toronto, Canada
13th Annual Student Film Awards June 8, 1986 Animation: Achievement: Housecats, Peg McClure Moudy De Anza College, Cupertino, California Merit: Mangia!, Sheila Sofian Rhode Island School of Design Documentary: Achievement: Songs of Wool: Vena Tipton's Hooked Rugs, Cathey Edwards California Institute of the Arts Merit: The Flapper Story, Lauren Lazin Stanford University Merit: Sam, Aaron D. Weisblatt New York University Dramatic: Achievement: Jenny, John Travers University of Bridgeport, Connecticut Merit: Chicken Thing, Todd Holland University of California, Los Angeles Experimental: The Three Cornered Hat, Angel Gracia Miami Dade Community College Foreign Student Film: Come, I Have a Story To Tell You, Frederic Roullier-Gall Institut National Superieur des Arts du Spectacle et Techniques de Diffusion, Belgium
14th Annual Student Film Awards June 7, 1987 Animation: Husband of Rat's Daughter, Karen McCoy Fremuth Rhode Island School of Design Documentary: Achievement: Silver into Gold, Lynn Mueller Stanford University Honorary: Living with AIDS, Tina DiFeliciantonio Stanford University Merit: In the Wee Wee Hours, Izak Ben-Meir University of Southern California Dramatic: Achievement: Bird in a Cage, Antonio Zarro CBN University Merit: Prelude, James Spione State University of New York at Purchase Experimental: Zebu, William Mitchell Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles Foreign Student Film: See You at Wembley, Frankie Walsh, Mark Herman National Film and Television School, Beaconsfield, England
15th Annual Student Film Awards June 12, 1988 Animation: Achievement: Cat & Rat, James Richardson Columbia College (Chicago, Illinois) Merit: Artistic Vision, Richard Quade University of California, Los Angeles Merit: Cat's Cradle, Temah Nelson Rhode Island School of Design Merit: Why, Suzanne Dimant California Institute of the Arts Documentary: Achievement: Gang Cops, Thomas B. Fleming, Daniel Marks University of Southern California Merit: Norma Jean, John H Behnke Southern Illinois University Dramatic: