53rd Student Academy Award Placements Revealed in Toronto: Full List of Gold, Silver, and Bronze Winners
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the Gold, Silver, and Bronze placement winners at the 53rd Student Academy Awards ceremony held at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto. Selected from nearly three thousand international entries, the winning student filmmakers earn eligibility to compete for the 99th Oscar Awards. Winners will also receive direct career mentorship through the Academy Gold Mentorship Program.
RMN Stars Awards Desk
New Delhi | September 16, 2026
Global Student Talent Honored in Toronto
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences officially announced the placement winners for the 53rd Student Academy Awards during an international ceremony held at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto, Canada. Presented in partnership with Rolex, the event celebrated top emerging filmmaking talent from colleges and universities across the globe.
This year’s competition drew 2,972 submissions from 894 institutions worldwide. Academy Chief Executive Officer Bill Kramer, Directors Branch Governor Jason Reitman, and Academy Foundation Board President Kim Taylor-Coleman delivered opening remarks. Featured category presenters included actor Gemma Chan, Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Liz Garbus, and actor Gael García Bernal.
Complete List of 53rd Student Academy Award Winners
Alternative and Experimental
- Gold: Lei He, “Drifting” – Duke University (United States)
- Silver: Viktorie Štěpánová, “Volklore” – Filmová a Televizní Fakulta Akademie Múzických Umění v Praze (FAMU) (Czech Republic)
- Bronze: Nina Broers, “Where Is My Sex Drive?” – St. Joost School of Art and Design (Netherlands)
Animation
- Gold: Jonathan Lally, Elio Molinaro, and Nicolás Acevedo Ferraté, “COWS” – École Supérieure de Métiers Artistiques (ESMA) (France)
- Silver: Matthias Strasser, “The Panic Inside” – Film Academy Baden-Württemberg (Germany)
- Bronze: Noran Fikri Alezabi, Xinyue Ma, and Yulin Yue, “Gauze” – Gobelins (France)
Documentary
- Gold: Lara Dihmis, “The Last People of Petra” – New York University (United States)
- Silver: Jason Elliott, “I Want to Live” – National Film and Television School (United Kingdom)
- Bronze: Arjun Fischer, “Artificial Love” – University of Southern California (United States)
Narrative
- Gold: Stanzin Jigmet, “The Dragon Letter” – Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya (ESCAC) (Spain)
- Silver: Antoine Boulanger, “The Pichenotte” – Concordia University (Canada)
- Bronze: Leon Korzyński, “Kamathipura Express” – Warsaw Film School (Poland)
Landmark Honors and Career Impact
The ceremony marked historic first-time Student Academy Award victories for student filmmakers representing Concordia University, Duke University, École Supérieure de Métiers Artistiques (ESMA), Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya (ESCAC), St. Joost School of Art and Design, and Warsaw Film School.
Voting was conducted via secret online ballots cast by Academy members across all 19 branches, with official results tabulated by independent accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. All winning short films are now eligible to compete for the 99th Oscars in the Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, or Documentary Short Film categories.
Following their victories, the winning filmmakers are paired with seasoned Academy members through the Academy Gold Mentorship Program and Alumni Network, receiving educational programming, industry networking, and tailored career development support. Established in 1972, the Student Academy Awards platform has launched the careers of filmmakers who have subsequently earned 70 Oscar nominations and 15 Academy Award wins.
