Winners in the student categories of the 2005 Palm Springs International Festival of Shorts were presented with Kodak Product Grants valued at more than $7,000 at the closing night ceremony at the Camelot Theatre. The festival ran September 20-26, and screened over 320 short films. Award winners receiving a first place prize are automatically eligible for consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for an Academy Award nomination.
First Place in the Kodak Award for Best Student Cinematography competition went to cinematographer Eduard Grau from Escandalo Films (ESCAC) in Spain for his film THE NATURAL ROUTE. In addition to his $1,000 Kodak film stock prize, he will receive an invitation from Kodak to attend the 2006 Kodak Emerging Filmmakers Program. His film follows a man who wakes up after a strange accident and, unable to remember anything, tries to retrace his steps in the new, sinister world around him.
Magela Crosignani from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts won Honorable Mention and $500 in Kodak film for the cinematography on BREACHED.
The criteria for consideration in the Kodak Award for Best Student Cinematography includes the unique use of the camera, lighting or creative techniques, looks or creative processing of the film, how well the camera is used to tell the story and frame composition. A jury of industry professionals judged the competition.
“This is just one of many ways that Kodak recognizes and highlights the works of the next generation of filmmakers,” says Colette Scott, worldwide education segment manager for Kodak’s Entertainment Imaging Division. “It was amazing to see their work, and a very rewarding week-long celebration of the art of short filmmaking.”
In other student categories, First Place winners received $1,000 in Kodak film, and $500 went to Second Place recipients. Those winners included:
Best Student Live Action Under 15 Minutes
First Place – Jeff Smith for CALM (Columbia University, New York)
Second Place – Alex Pastor for THE NATURAL ROUTE (Escandalo Films – ESCAC, Spain)
Best Student Live Action Over 15 Minutes
First Place – Victoria Gamburg for TWILIGHT (San Francisco State University, California)
Second Place – Marc Lesser for WHEN THE MOON IS FULL (City College, New York)
Best Student Documentary Award
First Place – Lila Place for UNDER THE ROLLER COASTER (Stanford University, California)
Second Place – Erin Hudson for UNHITCHED (Stanford University, California)
Best Student Animation
First Place – Jose Luis Osorio for MURAL (Savannah College of Art and Design, Georgia)
Second Place – Bennett Cain for SEED (Vancouver Film School, Canada)
For more info, visit the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films website.
