Curtis Hanson (left), Marni Banack and JB Sugar

Marni Banack and JB Sugar, students at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, won the Gold Medal in the Narrative Category for their film, "John," at the 26th Annual Student Academy Awards. Presented Sunday June 13, 1999, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, California.

"True Confessions of a Sushi Addict," a film by Kimberly Harwood of New York University, took the Silver Medal and Thomas Wade Jackson of Florida State University in Tallahassee won the Bronze for his film, "Slow Dancin' Down the Aisles of the Quickcheck."

The Narrative Category awards were presented by writer/director Curtis Hanson, who received three Academy Award nominations in 1997 and won the Oscar for co-writing the screenplay for "L.A. Confidential."

Academy Award-nominated actress Lynn Redgrave ("Georgy Girl," "Gods and Monsters") presented the awards in the Alternative Category, and actor Steve Guttenberg presented the awards in the Documentary and Animation categories.

Altogether, 12 U. S. college filmmakers were winners of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 26th Annual Student Academy Awards competition.

Winners in the other categories are:


Gold Medal - "Tree Shade," Lisa Collins, Columbia University, New York.
Silver Medal - "The Piece," Jordan Waid, The New School, New York.
Bronze Medal - "Atomic Tabasco," Jim Cox, New York University.

Gold Medal - "A Letter from the Western Front," Daniel M. Kanemoto, New York University.
Silver Medal - "Between the Lines," Jamie Maxfield, California Institute of the Arts.
Bronze Medal - "Shadow of a Drought," Daniel Kutner and Brian Emerson, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Gold Medal - "Man and Dog," Randolph Benson, North Carolina School of the Arts.