Filmmaking Student Paola Ossa Wins Student Award from the Director’s Guild of America

Paola Ossa, a junior in the BFA Filmmaking Program in the School of Communication and Media, has won a 2018 Student Film Award from the Director’s Guild of America.

The annual awards are presented to African-American, Asian-American, Latino, and women student filmmakers.  Winners receive a prize of $2,500 from the DGA. The Student Film Awards were created to celebrate and commend the excellent work of student filmmakers in film schools and universities from across the nation and to shine a spotlight onto the next generation of talent within the entertainment industry.

Ossa won the Student Film Award for her film “Catalina,” a narrative drama that follows the story of the eleven-year-old daughter of a young Hispanic immigrant who learns to fend for herself while her undocumented mother spirals in fear of being deported.

Although Ossa was the driving force behind “Catalina” – she both wrote and directed the film – her hard work didn’t deter her from being shocked by her win. “When I got the call that I won the award for best woman director, everything kind of stopped for a second as it sunk it,” Ossa said. “We shot this film more than a year ago and only finished post-production about two weeks ago. We faced just about every obstacle possible during this year-long process.”

Ossa is an immigrant herself, born in Colombia and coming to the United States with her family when she was only four years old, so “Catalina” is a deeply personal film for her. “This story is so important to me and it’s such a timely topic, which fills me with so much gratitude that it’s getting recognition from the Director’s Guild of America. We were up against some of the top undergraduate and graduate filmmakers at the best film schools on the east coast, so it’s exciting to highlight Montclair State’s film program.”

Ossa’s incredible achievement will most assuredly inspire all present and future student filmmakers at Montclair State.

Ossa also has high hopes for her own future. “I want to thank my entire cast, crew, professors, and family who have supported me,” she said. “This is only the beginning!”