Student wins Academy Award for animated film

If cats always land on their feet, and toast always lands jelly-side down, what would happen to a cat with jelly toast strapped to its back? This whimsical scenario turned into gold for a School of Film and Animation student.

A short film created by Kimberly Miner proved to be a winner.

Kimberly Miner, a second-year student from Suffield, Conn., took home a gold medal in the animation category at the Student Academy Awards for her film, Perpetual Motion. Family members joined Miner in Los Angeles in June for the announcement.

Miner based her film on a paper written by a high-school friend that explored the potential implications of the cat and jelly toast idea. She created the animation by hand and used computer software to marry the elements into a short film. In addition to her gold medal, Miner received a cash award of $5,000 from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. To see Miner’s film, go to www.rit.edu/news.

Also in June, the National Association of Television Program Executives’ Educational Foundation honored another SOFA student for his filmmaking achievements. Scott Vosbury won second prize at the 2003 Student Video & Film Production Awards. Vosbury received $1,000 for his film, SOFA: Priceless.