Los Angeles, CA – The Directors Guild of America today announced the winners of the 2012 DGA Student Film Awards for African American, Asian American, Latino and Women directors. The awards are designed to honor, encourage and bring attention to exceptional minority and women directors in film schools and select universities across the country. The 2012 winners, selected by blue ribbon DGA member panels, are:

BEST AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT FILMMAKER:

East Region:
Award Winner: Talibah Newman of Columbia Univ. for Busted on Brigham Lane
Jury Award: Jeremy Cohan of New School for After

West Region:
Award Winner: Dallas King of UCLA for Most Wanted
Jury Award: Anthony Onah of UCLA for Dara Ju

BEST ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENT FILMMAKER:

East Region:
Award Winner: John Paul Su of NYU for Pagpag
Jury Award: Gerry Kim of Columbia Univ. for Living the Dream

West Region:
Award Winner: Justin Tipping of AFI for Nani
Jury Award: Lu Lu of USC for An Early Summer

BEST LATINO STUDENT FILMMAKER:

East Region:
Award Winner: Francisco Lupini of NYU for El Nido Vacio (The Empty Nest)
Jury Award: David Figueroa Garcia of Columbia Univ. for Ratitas

West Region:
Award Winner: Ryan Velásquez of AFI for Ojalá
Jury Award: Julio O. Ramos of UCLA for Detrás del Espejo

BEST WOMAN STUDENT FILMMAKER:

East Region:
Award Winner: Emily Harrold of NYU for Reporting on The Times: The New York Times and The Holocaust
Jury Award: Jordan Salvatoriello of Emerson College for Graceland Girls

West Region:
Award Winner: Caylee So of Chapman Univ. for Paulina
Jury Award: Melanie Wainberg of AFI for Dr. Gutman’s Eulogy

The award-winning films were screened and the awards presented in a ceremony at the Directors Guild of America Theater in Los Angeles on Thursday, November 8 and will be screened and presented in a ceremony at the Directors Guild of America Theater in New York on Wednesday, November 28.