The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday that this year’s Student Academy Awards ceremony will be held at the Toronto International Film Festival. The award ceremony will be held inside the TIFF Lightbox on September 14th.
Student Academy Award winners will have access to festivals, markets, educational panels, and networking opportunities in collaboration with TIFF. Winners will also receive exclusive access to Academy membership to support their careers.
“As the Academy continues to globalize, we are pleased to bring this year’s Student Academy Awards to TIFF. These filmmakers are the future of our industry, and we are excited to showcase their work at this important international film festival,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to Rolex, our long-time Student Academy Awards partner, for their support of TIFF and who share our deep commitment to nurturing emerging filmmakers.”
“We are honored to welcome the Academy Awards and Student Academy Awards to our 51st annual festival,” Anita Lee, TIFF’s chief programming officer, said in a statement. “Through initiatives like TIFF Next Wave, supporting the next generation of global storytellers is central to our mission, and we are proud to celebrate this year’s student filmmakers as they interact with industry leaders and audiences around the world here in Toronto.”
Winners of the Student Academy Awards will be announced in August, and winning films will be eligible to compete at next year’s Oscars in the Animated Short, Live Action Short and Documentary Short categories.
The annual competition is open to full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students who have completed an intermediate or final graduation film. Complete rules and a link to the online submission platform are available here.
The Student Academy Awards was established in 1972 to provide a platform for emerging global talent and aims to create opportunities within the industry for students to present their work.
