Awards season is upon us – the time of year when creatives are honored for their work by film critics, the Hollywood guilds and notably the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. We are excited to announce that over a dozen short films by AFI Conservatory Alumni have achieved Oscar®-qualifying status for the 96th Academy Awards®. Join us in congratulating the following AFI Alumni for their remarkable work that has earned this honor by winning an award at an Academy Award®-qualifying film festival or completing a weeklong theatrical run in a commercial theater.

The Oscar shortlists® will be announced December 21, 2023 and nominations will be revealed on January 23, 2024, ahead of the official ceremony unveiling this year’s Academy Award® winners on March 10.

BLUE SQUARE HEART

–William Means (AFI Class of 2021), Director/Writer

–Olia Zimarova (AFI Class of 2021), Producer

–Ryan Kuna (AFI Class of 2021), Cinematographer

–Noam Klement (AFI Class of 2021), Editor

–Kato Lawton (AFI Class of 2021), Set Decorator

Awarded the Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short at the Oscar®-qualifying festival Out On Film

GO FOR GRANDMA

–Sabrina Doyle (AFI Class of 2012), Director

–Dawn Green (AFI Class of 2010), Producer

–Maximilian Schmige (AFI Class of 2010), Cinematographer

–Clarisa Garcia-Fresco (AFI Class of 2016), Production Designer

–Stephen Paar (AFI Class of 2012), Associate Producer

–P.J. Germain (AFI Class of 2013), Assistant Editor

Theatrical Run

INFINITY!

–Akanksha Shyam (AFI Class of 2021), Cinematographer

–Kate Ketchum AFI Class of 2021), Gaffer

–Jo Zhou AFI Class of 2021), Key Grip

–Lakme Iyengar AFI Class of 2021), 1st AC

Screened at a LA theatre (Gardena Cinema) for a weeklong run

IN YOUR LIGHT, DO WE SEE LIGHT

–Joey Xuetong Zhao (AFI Class of 2021), Writer/Director

–Zoe Morrison (AFI Class of 2021), Writer

–Samantha Gao (AFI Class of 2020), Producer

–Robert Nachman (AFI Class of 2018), Cinematographer

–Luqi Zhao (AFI Class of 2019), Editor

–Kato Lawton (AFI Class of 2021), Production Designer

–Constanza Castro (AFI Class of 2015), Executive Producer

–Salvador Pérez Garcia (AFI Class of 2015), Supervising Editor

Theatrically released

KNIGHT OF FORTUNE

–Kim Magnusson (AFI Class of 1991), Producer

Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. 2023 Winner Special Mention of the Jury. International Competition

LAST DAYS OF THE LAB

–Constanza Castro (AFI Class of 2015), Executive Producer

–Salvador Pérez Garcia (AFI Class of 2015), Supervising Editor

–Veronica Bouza (AFI Class of 2020), Cinematographer

Theatrical

MY NIGHTS GLOW YELLOW

–Constanza Castro (AFI Class of 2015), Executive Producer

–Salvador Pérez Garcia (AFI Class of 2015), Supervising Editor

–Yufei Skylar Zhang (AFI Class of 2019), Editor

Theatrical

PRETTY BOY

–Kevin Coleman-Cohen (AFI Class of 2005), Writer/Director/Producer

–Renee McClellan (AFI Class of 2006), Co-Writer

–Jonathan D. Boyce (AFI Class of 2004), Producer

–Cory C. Warner (AFI Class of 2015), Cinematographer

Theatrically released

SARAJIN

–Constanza Castro (AFI Class of 2015), Executive Producer

–Tim Beers (AFI Class of 2015), Producer

–Rasa Partin (AFI Class of 2016), Cinematographer

–Salvador Pérez Garcia (AFI Class of 2015), Supervising Editor

Theatrical release

SKIN

–Leo Behrens (AFI Class of 2023), Director/Writer/Cinematographer

–Ilayda Cetinkaya (AFI Class of 2023), Producer

–Mojo Wen (AFI Class of 2023), Production Designer

–Alejandra Armijo Cruz (AFI Class of 2023), Editor

Won the Gold Medal at the 50th annual Student Academy Awards®

THE BALLAD OF TITA AND THE MACHINES

–Constanza Castro (AFI Class of 2015), Executive Producer

–Salvador Pérez Garcia (AFI Class of 2015), Supervising Editor

Theatrical distribution

THE NOBLE GUARDIAN

–Tim Beers (AFI Class of 2015), Producer

–Christian Vogeler (AFI Class of 2015), Editor

Won Best Documentary LA Shorts International Film Festival

WE WERE MEANT TO

–Tari Wariebi (AFI Class of 2020), Writer/Director

–Christina K. Licud (AFI Class of 2019), Writer

–Jordan Tyner (AFI Class of 2020), Producer

–Veronica Bouza (AFI Class of 2020), Cinematographer

–Luodawei Xiao (AFI Class of 2020), Editor

–Rhea Solanki (AFI Class of 2020), Production Designer

Grand Prize Winner for Best Short Film at 2023 Indy Shorts Film Festival