Daughter, Ostrich Politic, Love Me Fear Me in 2019 Student Academy Awards

Since 1972, the Student Academy Awards have supported films from student filmmakers (animation and live-action). Recent years have expanded this area to include non-US Universities, giving the celebrated prizes in their student versions a more diverse feel.

For this year, 3 European animation projects were selected in the animation category, with more of them in the semi-finalist process, such as Martin Smatana's The Kite. One more European animated film (the stop-motion/timelapse Rumours) has been selected in the Alternative/Experimental Category.

 1. Daria Kashcheeva, "Daughter," FAMU - Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Czech Republic

In a hospital room, the Daughter recalls a childhood moment when, as a little girl, she tried to share her experience with an injured bird with her Father. A moment of misunderstanding and a lost embrace has stretched into many years, all the way to this hospital room, until the moment when a window pane breaks under the impact of a little bird.

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2. Mohamad HOUHOU, "The Ostrich Politic," Gobelins, l'école de l'image - France

Ostriches carry on their daily activities burying their heads, believing it’s an instinctive behavior. However, one day a research by phylogeneticist Dr. Kays proves otherwise.

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3. Veronica Solomon, Love Me, Fear Me Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF

LOVE ME, FEAR ME is a dance metaphor about the roles we play and the shapes we take, about the stages we choose, the audience we try to impress, and the price of acceptance.

4. Nicole Aebersold, "Rumours," Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF - Germany

There is something in the air. It is spreading. Everywhere...

Nicole Aebersold is an animator and filmmaker. She discovered her interest in storytelling at the theater, where she worked as a stage- and character designer. Looking for other ways of expression, she studied animation at Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf from 2012 to 2017. “Rumours” is her graduation film.

The full list of Student Academy Awards Finalists:

Alternative/Experimental (Domestic and International Film Schools)

Georden West, "Patron Saint," Emerson College
Nicole Aebersold, "Rumours," Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF - Germany
Kaylin George, "Two Paper Nightingales," Chapman University

Animation (International Film Schools)

• Veronica Solomon, "Love Me, Fear Me," Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF - Germany
• Mohamad HOUHOU, "The Ostrich Politic," Gobelins, l'école de l'image - France
• Daria Kashcheeva, "Daughter," FAMU - Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague - Czech Republic

Animation (US Film Schools)

• Aviv Mano, "Game Changer," Ringling College of Art and Design
• Kalee McCollaum, "Grendell," Brigham Young University
• Emre Okten, "Two," University of Southern California
• Liukaidi Peng, "CRUNCH," School of the Visual Arts
• Sanghyun Kim, "Misguided," Ringling College of Art and Design
• Trilina Mai, "Push," California State University - Long Beach
• Asher Horowitz, "why z?," School of Visual Arts

 The Academy established the Student Academy Awards in 1972 to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level. Past Student Academy Award winners have gone on to receive 62 Oscar nominations and have won or shared 11 awards. Past winners include Pete Docter, Robert Zemeckis, Patricia Riggen, Cary Fukunaga, Patricia Cardoso and Spike Lee. This year's awards will take place on October 17, 2019 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

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