The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced yesterday (May 1) that 38 student filmmakers have been selected as finalists in the 2013 Student Academy Awards competition. Three CalArts alumni are on the distinguished list, which represents 17 U.S. colleges and universities and nine international institutions:
- Sara Gunnarsdottir’s film (MFA 12), The Pirate of Love was selected in the Alternative film category.
- Drifters by Ethan Clarke (MFA 12) and Will by Eusong Lee (Film/Video 13) were chosen for the the Animation category.
All three films have already been shown in festivals around the world: Gunnarsdottir’s film screened in March at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and Museum of Modern Art’s showcase, New Directors/New Films; and both Drifters and Will screen later this month at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France.
U.S. students competed in one of three regional competitions to reach this final stage. Each region was permitted to send to the Academy up to three finalists in each of the four categories (Alternative, Animation, Documentary and Narrative). The Student Academy Awards Executive Committee screened and voted on the finalists in the Foreign Film category.
The winners will participate in a week of industry activities and social events in Los Angeles that culminate in an awards ceremony on Saturday, June 8, at 7:30 pm at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.