"It's just completely surreal," says director Tamara Denić about the award. "We are overwhelmed and can hardly put our joy into words. There is so much heart and soul in the film. It's a huge recognition and appreciation for all of us."

Producer Christian Siée also expressed his overjoy shortly after the announcement, "Winning the Oscar® is a very special honor and recognition for the entire team behind ISTINA. This is a dream come true!"

A total of 2,443 projects were submitted, from which 14 students were awarded in four categories - including the great success for ISTINA(TRUTH) in the Narrative category.

ISTINA is about a phototographer and journalist who is threatened by right-wing extremist groups in her Serbian homeland, whereupon she flees to Germany with her daughter. But in her new home, she experiences increasingly strong hostility and threats.

ISTINA is the graduation film of a team of students from the Hamburg Media School, at its core Tamara Denić (director), Christian Siée (producer), David M. Lorenz (screenplay) and André Stahlmann (Director of Photography). The film was already a finalist at the BAFTA Student Awards® 2023 and won, among others, the Audience Award Medium-Length Film at the 44th Max Ophüls Preis Film Festival.
For the Student Acadamy Awards, winners will be honored at an in-person awards ceremony on October 24 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

About the Student Acadamy Awards®:
The Student Academy Awards® were established in 1972 to provide a platform for emerging talent from around the world to showcase their work. All Student Academy Award®-winning films are eligible to compete for the 2023 Oscars® in the categories of Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film or Documentary Short Film.

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