Student Academy Awards: These are the 2025 finalists and famous past winners
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will honor the best student filmmakers of the past year in New York on Monday.
A select group of budding student filmmakers will be recognized for their achievements during the past year at the 52nd Student Academy Awards.
The Academy received 3,127 submissions from 988 colleges and universities from around the world. The finalists in all four categories were announced at the end of August with prize winners (Gold, silver and bronze) to be revealed in Monday’s ceremony.
52nd Student Academy Awards finalists
Alternative/Experimental
- Mati Granica, “flower_gan,” London College of Communication (United Kingdom)
- Xindi Zhang, “The Song of Drifters,” University of Southern California (United States)
- Vega Moltke-Leth, “Without Perfection,” University of Copenhagen (Denmark)
Animation
- Sofiia Chuikovska, Loïck du Plessis D’Argentré & Maud Le Bras, “The Shyness of Trees,” Gobelins (France)
- Tobias Eckerlin, “A Sparrow’s Song,” Film Academy Baden-Württemberg (Germany)
- Lucas Ansel, “The 12 Inch Pianist,” Rhode Island School of Design (United States)
Documentary
- Rebeka Bizubová, “Confession,” Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (Slovakia)
- Jane Deng, “I Remember,” New York University (United States)
- Tatiana McCabe, “Tides of Life,” University of the West of England Bristol (United Kingdom)
Narrative
- Meyer Levinson-Blount, “Butcher’s Stain,” Tel Aviv University (Israel)
- Jan Saczek, “Dad’s Not Home,” Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School (Poland)
- Zefan Wang, “Kubrick, Like I Love You,” Columbia University (United States)
There will be an extra bonus for the four winners, who will be eligible to submit their work for the three short film categories: Best Documentary Short Film, Best Short Film (Live Action) and Best Short Film (Animated) at the 98th Academy Awards, with the five nominees will be announced on 22 January 2026.
The international student competition was founded by the Academy in 1972, with the first ceremony taking place the following year.
A number of previous winners have gone on to greater things - some even becoming household names. Spike Lee picked up an award in 1983 for Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads; Patricia Cardoso became the first Colombian to win an Oscar, for her short film The Water Carrier (El Reino de los Cielos) in 1996.
Other Student Award recipients who have gone on to enjoy successful careers include: Pete Docter, Patricia Riggen and Robert Zemeckis. Alumni of the awards have gone on to collect a total of 69 Oscar nominations and 15 wins.
When is the 52nd Student Academy Awards?
The 52nd Student Academy Awards will take place at Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City on Monday October 6 and will be streamed live on the Oscars official Youtube channel.
Related stories
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.