The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the finalist films vying for the 2020 Student Academy Awards across Animation, Documentary, Live Action Narrative and Alternative/Experimental. The winning medalists — who have a shot at consideration for the Oscar short film categories — will be announced Thursday, October 15.
This year’s Animation competition sees the return of several of the SAA’s frequently represented schools. In the Domestic sub category, four of the seven films hail from Ringling College of Art and Design (Florida), plus one entry each from Brigham Young University (Utah), Rhode Island School of Design and School of Visual Arts (New York). The International crop has been collected from three of Europe’s most esteemed animation alma maters: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (Germany), Gobelins (France) and Supinfocom Rubika (France).
The full list of finalists is available here.
Animation (Domestic Film Schools)
Mengyuan Guo, Naicheng Liu, Suhn Young Chung, Tricked, Ringling College of Art and Design
Rodrigo Chapoy, Bear With Me, Ringling College of Art and Design
Di Lu, Super Generic, Ringling College of Art and Design
Pilar Garcia-Fernandezsesma, Ciervo, Rhode Island School of Design
Kate Namowicz, Skyler Porras, Mime Your Manners, Ringling College of Art and Design
Kristoffer Molinari, Death and Delilah, Brigham Young University
Daniela Dwek, Chrisy Baek, Maya Mendonca, Hamsa, School of Visual Arts
Animation (International Film Schools)
Otalia Caussé, Geoffroy Collin, Fabien Meyran, o28, Supinfocom Rubika – France
Pascal Schelbli, The Beauty, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg – Germany
Han Yang & Basil Malek, The Tree, Gobelins, l’école de l’image – France
Last year, the Domestic Gold Medal was awarded to BYU project Grendel, by Kalee McCollaum, with Silver going to Game Changer by Aviv Mano (Ringling) and Bronze to Two by Emre Okten (USC); the International Gold Medal was awarded to later Oscar nominee Daughter by Czech animator Daria Kascheeva (FAMU).
The Student Academy Awards is an international student film competition, established in 1972. Past Student Academy Award winners have gone on to win 11 Oscars, and receive 63 Oscar nominations. Past SAA winners include Pete Docter, Robert Zemeckis, Patricia Riggen, Cary Fukunaga, Patricia Cardoso and Spike Lee.
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