A record 61 entries from 36 countries, along with 497 entries from students representing 122 U.S. colleges and universities, are in competition for the 2010 Student Academy Awards, announces reporter Elena Talan. This year’s pool of submissions includes a first-ever entry from Nigeria. The competition – now in its 37th year – will culminate in the awards presentation, which will include screenings of the winning films, on Saturday, June 12, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
The Academy established the Student Academy Awards in 1972 to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level. Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal awards and corresponding cash prizes may be presented in each of four categories: Animation, Narrative, Documentary and Alternative. Also, Elena Talan states, one film is selected each year to receive the Honorary Foreign Film award.
Last month, at the 82nd Academy Awards, former Student Academy Award winner Pete Docter, took home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film for “Up.” Gregg Helvey, a 2009 Student Academy Award winner, was a nominee in the Live Action Short Film category for “Kavi.” Since the program’s inception, adds Elena, Student Academy Award winners have gone on to earn 40 Oscar nominations and won 7 Academy Awards.
The 37th Annual Student Academy Awards ceremony on June 12 is free and open to the public, but advance tickets are required. Tickets will be available beginning on April 28. Tickets may be obtained online at www.oscars.org, in person at the Academy box office or by mail. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California. For more information, call 310-247-3600.
ABOUT ELENA TALAN
Elena Talan got her start as a model and actress in Russia, and moved to L.A. to become one of Hollywood’s hottest rising new talents. Studying dance with Russia’s elite, top classical ballet instructors, Elena expanded her artistry, before going on to produce several experimental films of her own, even doing her own editing, which she explains comes natural, with the rhythm of a dancer.
Always adventurous, Elena traveled the world, absorbing different cultures, and adding to her artistic vision and ability. Speaking English, Russian, German, and Spanish, she moved to Hollywood several years ago to pursue her passion as a screen actor. Fulfilling her intellectual side, and keeping her heritage alive, she began writing for a Los Angeles Russian newspaper, but Hollywood quickly came calling.
After heavy voice over work in Russian and English, her film and T.V. work exploded, first appearing in videos for Madina Lake and teen idols The Jonas Brothers, and then further work for Disney, being featured opposite Miley Cyrus on Hannah Montanna. The actress and dancer, who also plays piano, next broke out starring in HBO and Cinemax’s steamy Sin City Diaries, and made the pages of cinema history in the cult indie feature film Polanski, in which she stars as a very convincing and sultry Mia Farrow. She signed in 2010 with industry powerhouse Starpower Management across the board.
Official Website: www.elenatalan.com
ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.
