Student Academy Awards — a launching pad into Hollywood — celebrate 50 years

By LINDSEY BAHR
AP Film Writer

The Student Academy Awards may not be as glitzy or high profile as the Oscars, but in its 50 years it has proven to be a vital launching ground for emerging filmmakers. Inclusion and access may sound like recent buzzwords, but the film academy has been striving to break down barriers to entry for decades. In 1973, then Academy president Walter Mirisch said, prophetically, that they were celebrating the young people who “will be taking our places.” Over the years, student winners have included Spike Lee, Pete Docter, Robert Zemeckis, Trey Parker, Patricia Riggen, Bob Saget and Patricia Cardoso. It’s now celebrating its 50th anniversary.