THE ACADEMY LAUNCHES 2025 STUDENT ACADEMY AWARDS® COMPETITION

52ND STUDENT ACADEMY AWARDS CEREMONY WILL BE PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ROLEX AND HELD IN NEW YORK CITY

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today it is now accepting entries for its 2025 Student Academy Awards® competition. The entry deadline for submissions is May 18, 2025.

The presentation ceremony for the annual international student film awards will be held in New York during the New York Film Festival at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on Monday, October 6, 2025, in partnership with Rolex. The brand is supporting the Student Academy Awards as part of its ongoing commitment to fostering excellence, achievement and the transfer of cinematic knowledge to the next generation. Last year’s ceremony was held in London.

The competition is open to full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students who have completed an intermediate-level or final graduation film as part of their coursework. Starting with the 2025 competition, students in certificate programs will be eligible to submit their final film project. Prior to this rule change, only individuals pursuing a degree could submit films for consideration. Additionally, schools no longer need to meet an accreditation requirement to be considered eligible. 

Students are asked to submit their films online using FilmFreeway, a widely used festival and competition platform. Each year, college and university film students from all over the world compete for awards and cash grants, with films being judged in the following categories: Animation, Documentary, Live Action Narrative and Alternative/Experimental. Complete rules and a link to the online submission platform are available at www.oscars.org/saa.  

The winners of the 52nd Student Academy Awards competition will be announced in August. All Student Academy Award-winning films will be eligible to compete for the 98th Oscars® in the Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film or Documentary Short Film category. Past winners have gone on to receive 69 Oscar® nominations and have won or shared 15 awards. 

The Student Academy Awards were established in 1972 to provide a platform for emerging global talent by creating opportunities within the industry to showcase their work.

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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is home to a global membership of more than 10,500 of the most accomplished film industry artists and leaders. The Academy recognizes and celebrates all aspects of the arts and sciences of moviemaking through renowned awards for cinematic achievement, including the Oscars®. With the largest film-related collection in the world, the Academy is a leader in the fields of conservation, preservation and exhibition of film-related objects and materials. Through its Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the Academy presents powerful exhibitions, screenings and programs about cinema’s past, present, and future. The Academy also inspires young artists and creates opportunities for underrepresented communities to engage with the film world. Across all initiatives, the Academy connects global audiences – its members, the film industry, and film fans – through their shared passion for making and watching films.

ABOUT ROLEX AND CINEMA
Rolex celebrates human achievement, recognizing the journey marked by milestones and emotions that culminates in defining moments – determined by a path followed. Forming an integral part of this philosophy is the Swiss watchmaker’s long-standing relationship with cinema through the Perpetual Arts Initiative, a broad portfolio of arts that also extends through architecture, dance, literature, music, theatre and visual arts. The company has had close ties with the film industry for decades, its watches playing a role in numerous films, including Oscar®-winning masterpieces. Since 2017, Rolex has championed cinematic achievement through its partnership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, serving as Proud Sponsor of the Oscars®, hosting the event’s Greenroom, as well as supporting the Governors Awards, known for recognizing lifetime achievement and humanitarian efforts in the film industry. The company also promotes achievement through its cinema Testimonees such as James Cameron, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese and Jia Zhang-ke and assists in the preservation of film history for future generations as a Founding Supporter of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles and a partner of The Film Foundation and The National Film and Television School.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ROLEX AND CINEMA, GO TO:
https://newsroom.rolex.com/world-of-rolex/perpetuating-arts-and-culture/rolex-and-cinema/rolex-and-cinema-2025

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