Applications for the 28th Annual Student Academy Awards competition, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, are now available and must be submitted by April 2 in order to be considered for this year’s prizes.

This year for the first time, original entries will be accepted only on 1/2″ VHS (NTSC) videotape. However, should an entry be selected as a regional finalist, the entrant must provide a 16mm or larger film format print within seven days of notification, in order to continue in the competition.

For the program, the country is divided into three regions and students submitting entries must first compete in the appropriate regional competition.

Region One encompasses the states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. The regional coordinator is Meagan Atiyeh at the Northwest Film Center in Portland, Oregon.

Winning films from each of the three regions will then compete as national finalists. These films will be screened at the Academy’s headquarters in Beverly Hills, California, and voted upon by the Academy membership – the same film artists and craftspeople who vote to select Oscar statuette-winning films.

Entries may be submitted in one of four categories: alternative, animation, documentary or narrative. To be eligible, entries must be produced within the curriculum of an accredited college or university, in a student-teacher relationship, and must have been completed after April 1, 2000. All Region One entries must be received at the regional center by 5 p.m., April 2, 2001.

Students ultimately selected as national winners will be flown to Los Angeles, all expenses paid, to participate in a week of industry-related activities and social events that will culminate June 10 with the awards presentation ceremony at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Along with their trophies, Gold Medal winners in each of the four categories receive $5,000; Silver Medal winners take home $3,000, and Bronze Medal recipients are awarded 2,000.

An Honorary Foreign Student Award will also be presented at the June ceremony.

The Student Academy Awards were established by the Academy in 1972 to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level.

Students interested in entering the competition may download an application from the Academy’s website at http://www.oscars.org/saa or send their application request, along with a self-addressed, stamped business-size envelope to:

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

8949 Wilshire Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Attn: Student Academy Awards

Region One Coordinator Meagan Atiyeh can be reached at (503) 221-1156.