Five University of California, Santa Barbara Students Nominated by Television Academy for 44th College Television Awards National Competition
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Five students from the University of California, Santa Barbara have been nominated for the Television Academy Foundation’s 44th College Television Awards. The Foundation’s annual awards show recognizes and rewards excellence in student produced programs from colleges across the country. Winners in the competition will be announced by television stars at the red-carpet awards ceremony on April 5, 2025, at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, California.
Students Nathan Krachman (producer), Travers Tobis (director/writer), Oliver Richards (director), Rachel Burnett (producer) and Kadrik Blatt (producer) have been nominated in the Drama Series category for their project titled, The Circus Monkey, which was selected from over 200 entries by Television Academy members.
The Circus Monkey is a dramatic short film that centers on the main character, Vivian, who is a cellist and music instructor confused about whether she wants to continue as a musician in the competitive world of classical music. She is forced by Arthur, her mentor and boss, to take on a stubborn but talented new cello student named Grace, who is interested in auditioning for the Beaumont Conservatory Orchestra in Texas. In their first meeting, Grace gets under Vivian’s skin and exposes her inner turmoil about quitting the cello. Vivian contemplates dropping Grace … until Arthur reveals that Grace is his daughter. As Vivian and Grace get closer, Vivian begins to question her relationship with Arthur and whether or not she made the right choice by letting the cello go.
Attending nominees of the 44th College Television Awards will also participate in two days of professional development events with media and industry leaders and a special screening of their projects for Television Academy members prior to the awards show on April 5.
Tickets to the awards ceremony are $25 for students with ID and $50 for general admission. To purchase tickets, visit TelevisionAcademy.com/cta/tickets.
Nominees and winners of the College Television Awards automatically become members of the Television Academy Foundation’s alumni family, gaining access to year-round networking opportunities, events and professional development resources.
Prominent College Television Awards alumni include CNN national correspondent Natasha Chen; Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan director Patricia Riggen; Maya and the Three executive producer Jorge Gutierrez; and Love, Victor executive producer Jason Ensler.
Interviews with the nominees and video clips of the nominated project are available upon request.