The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) has unveiled the nominees for its 2025 Student Heritage Awards, a cornerstone of the organization’s commitment to nurturing emerging filmmakers. These awards are part of the ASC’s broader educational initiatives designed to champion rising talent at the formative stages of their careers. Winners will be announced on Sunday, October 12, 2025.
To qualify, students submit undergraduate, graduate or documentary projects that are evaluated by a distinguished ASC jury for outstanding achievement in cinematography.
Each year, the Student Heritage Awards pay tribute to the legacy of revered ASC members whose artistry and dedication continue to inspire the next generation of visual storytellers.
The 2025 ASC Graduate Award is named in recognition of Rexford Metz, ASC, a master of 2nd-unit cinematography whose career spanned more than five decades and helped define the visual language of action cinema. Known for his daring aerial and underwater work, Metz contributed iconic sequences to films like Bullitt, for which he operated the camera to capture the legendary San Francisco car chase, and Jaws, for which he photographed haunting underwater shots of the production’s mechanical shark. He also played a key role on both Tora! Tora! Tora! and The Rocketeer, and was a trusted collaborator on over 80 films including Tron, Total Recall, Kiss the Girls, Courage Under Fire, Corvette Summer and On Golden Pond, among many others. Metz eventually shared his filmmaking experience and knowledge as an instructor at Florida State University College of Motion Picture, Television and Recording Arts.
The Undergraduate Award is named in honor of George Spiro Dibie, ASC, whose pioneering work in multi-camera television earned him five Emmy Awards and seven additional nominations between 1985 and 1998. His celebrated credits include Mr. Belvedere; Growing Pains; Just the Ten of Us; and Sister, Sister. A respected union leader and passionate educator, Dibie chaired the ASC Education and Outreach Committee for many years.
The Documentary category is dedicated to Oscar-winner Haskell Wexler, ASC, whose work helped shape modern filmmaking. He earned two Oscars for Best Cinematography for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Bound for Glory. His credits also include In the Heat of the Night, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Days of Heaven. Wexler also directed several acclaimed documentaries, including Medium Cool, which blended scripted drama with real-world footage, and Introduction to the Enemy, which he co-directed with Jane Fonda.
Contenders for the 2025 ASC Student Heritage Awards, sponsored this year by Sony, are:
Rexford Metz ASC Award – Graduate Category
- Yash Bhatnagar for A Man Fate Forgot (Chapman University)
- Fernando Pelaez Rovalo for Hecuba (Chapman University)
- Zach Morrison for The Witch the Pricker and The Hare (American Film Institute)
- Bruce Puyu Wang for In Your Gaze (American Film Institute)
George Spiro Dibie ASC Award – Undergraduate Category
- Andrew Arrieta for Phantom Contact (Miami Dade College)
- Simon Blaustein for Pit (Loyola Marymount University)
- Kimberly Edelson for The Wren in the Wood (Syracuse University)
- Max Losson for PhotoPlay XX (Florida State University)
- Ray Shay for Love Bite (Chapman University)
- Shile Yang for It’s not a Monster (Chapman University)
Haskell Wexler ASC Award – Documentary Category
- Adam Goldstick for The Art of Perception (Loyola Marymount University)
- Abel Guan for La Linea (University of Southern California)
- Miley Luo for All of Us Girls (University of Southern California)
Many of those recognized by the ASC Student Heritage Award program since it was inaugurated in 1999 have gone on to have successful careers in filmmaking, including the Student Awards Committee Co-Chairs Craig Kief and Armando Salas, as well as ASC members Nelson Cragg, Masanobu Takayanagi and Lisa Wiegand.
For additional information about the ASC, visit www.theasc.com.