All Winning Films Eligible for 98th Oscars®
LOS ANGELES, CA – August 29, 2025 – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has named 14 students as winners of the 52nd Student Academy Awards®, recognizing exceptional talent from a record-breaking 3,127 entries submitted by 988 colleges and universities worldwide. This year’s winners join an illustrious group of past recipients, including acclaimed filmmakers like Patricia Cardoso, Pete Docter, Spike Lee, Patricia Riggen, and Robert Zemeckis.
For the first time, the Student Academy Awards ceremony will be held in New York City on Monday, October 6, at 6:00 p.m. ET at the Ziegfeld Ballroom, in partnership with Rolex and during the New York Film Festival. The event will celebrate the achievements of emerging filmmakers and announce the gold, silver, and bronze placements across four categories: Alternative/Experimental, Animation, Documentary, and Narrative.
2025 Student Academy Award Winners
Alternative/Experimental
– Mati Granica, flower gan, London College of Communication, United Kingdom
– Xindi Zhang, *The Song of Drifters*, University of Southern California
– 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
Documentary
– Rebeka Bizubová, Confession, Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, Slovakia
– Jane Deng, *I Remember*, New York University
– 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
First-time honors were awarded to students from the University of Copenhagen, Gobelins, Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School, Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, London College of Communication, and University of the West of England Bristol, showcasing the global reach of this prestigious competition.
A Launchpad for Future Filmmakers
In addition to the awards ceremony, winners will participate in a dynamic weekend of educational programming, networking events, and exclusive access to Academy members, designed to propel their careers in the film industry. All winning films are now eligible to compete for the 98th Oscars® in the Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, or Documentary Short Film categories, continuing a legacy where past Student Academy Award winners have earned 69 Oscar® nominations and secured 15 awards.
Established in 1972, the Student Academy Awards remain a vital platform for discovering and nurturing emerging global filmmaking talent, providing unparalleled opportunities to showcase their work to industry leaders and audiences worldwide.
For more information on the Student Academy Awards, visit [oscars.org] (https://www.
