By John McPhaul
jpmcphaul@gmail.com
The University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo (UPRA) on Tuesday announced the accomplishments of its students at the Suncoast Regional Emmy Student Production Awards held virtually last Friday, where students from Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan and Atlantic University College (AUC) in Guaynabo also earned awards.
“UPRA students have once again demonstrated their excellence and creativity in the television industry by winning awards in several outstanding categories,” the university said in a press release.
The Student Production Awards, presented annually by the Suncoast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), recognize outstanding achievements in video production, thereby promoting excellence in work created by students in various categories of filmmaking, production and animation.
The Suncoast Chapter of NATAS recognized the outstanding work of UPRA students in the following award categories: Non-Fiction Short Film: “Young University Students of Today”; Non-Fiction Short Film: “A Country That Listens: Radio Sales and Salespeople”; Arts-Entertainment-Cultural Affairs: “In a Nutshell … Tony Chiroldes”; Magazine Program: “What a Workshop!”
Prof. José Soto, the director of the Department of Tele-Radio Communication at UPRA, congratulated his students.
“These awards are a testament to the talent, dedication and hard work of our students and faculty,” he said. “The University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo congratulates the students for their outstanding performance and for representing our institution and Puerto Rico with honor and distinction in this prestigious event.”
UPRA Chancellor Dr. Carlos Andújar Rojas, meanwhile, expressed great satisfaction and pride in the achievements of the students.
“We are very proud of our UPRA students and their accomplishments, having won in four categories at the Suncoast Regional EMMY Awards,” he said. “These recognitions demonstrate the dedication, talent and commitment of our students and faculty to excellence in production and communications. We congratulate all the winners and urge them to continue this path of success and to continue raising the prestige of our institution.”
The students from UPRA and Sagrado Corazón competed in six categories alongside students from prestigious colleges in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama.
“The fact that our students have been selected as winners in four of the categories in which they were nominated is a significant achievement and a sample of the quality of education taught at UPRA,” Andújar Rojas added.
Soto thanked the NATAS Suncoast Chapter “... for providing this platform to recognize the talent and creativity of students.”
“We are committed to continuing to foster excellence and support our students in their professional development,” he said.
The two students from Sagrado Corazón who won awards were, in the Non-Fiction-Long Form category, Alan Colón, who was among four winners with “The Fate of the Riveras”; and in the News Report-Serious News category, Kenneth Santiago, who was a co-winner with “Report Under the Traffic Light.”
Meanwhile, film, graphic arts and animation students from AUC won eight awards after having received 19 nominations in the following categories: Animation-Graphics-Special Effects, Audio Sound, Director, Editor, Photographer, and Writer.
“The awards received are proof of the passion and creativity of our students,” said Andrew Hernández, the film project officer at AUC. “I am particularly excited and proud of the awards obtained by our film students who won five awards in various categories ranging from directing to editing and audio. Our students have collaborated to produce excellent work. Without a doubt, there is a lot of talent on this island.”
Yamel Figueroa, academic director of digital animation at AUC, noted that “[I]n the animation [category], of five nominations we received three awards, which are the result of the effort of these students.”
“‘Hopping Hat,’ one of the submitted projects, managed to win best direction and animation,” he said. “My congratulations to the students who won the award, and to all those who were nominated, since being recognized for their work in such a prestigious competition, which measures talent at the regional level of the entire southern United States, is an award in itself.”
“For us at Atlantic it is an occasion of celebration and pride for the triumph of the talent that emerges from this university,” said Fernando J. Montilla, the chief innovation and technology officer at AUC. “In the creative industries, this type of exhibition opens doors for these students to explore their skills and test themselves in a highly competitive market.”