Awards and scholarships were given to students who participate in the film and theater programs at the 2011 edition of the Burnie Awards ceremony.

This year, 14 film and theater students were honored with awards, including four students who got scholarships of $250.

“Choosing the winners of the awards is always difficult,” John Zamora, theater faculty and one of the presenters, said.

“There are a lot of people who deserve to win the awards. Everyone who was nominated for an award deserves it. There are so many talented students in the program.”

The event showcased a few students’ work, including the films that were made by the night’s first award winners, Dustin Ong and Justin Shertick, who both won the Outstanding Film Student Award.

Other awards that were presented that night were Best Student Playwrights, and others honoring students that played a big role backstage.

Other than getting a certificate of appreciation, a select few students were also rewarded with scholarships, including engineering major Thompson Tran, who won the Best Crew Member award.

“I feel really honored in winning the award,” Tran said.

“I was nominated with many other great members that I hang out with in the Theater Department, so it’s an honor. I did my best, and that’s all the professors wanted.”

Another student who was given a scholarship was theater student Felicia Buffington, who won Best Female Performance.

“[Winning the award] is amazing. I never thought I would have gotten this award.

“I received awards from previous Burnies, but never thought that I would win this one. I worked very hard getting into my character, Ma, in ‘The Grapes of Wrath’. I stayed true to the character and to the cast, and the whole crew worked hard in the play,” Buffington said.

Other students who won the scholarships were Best Male Performance winner, Paul Martinez,  for his role in “The Grapes of Wrath,” Michael Timoney, who won the Kevin Hoggard Scholarship, and Tyler Tingley, who won the Most Valuable Theater Student award.

Other than students being honored, it was mentioned that within a year, there will be a Department of Film and Theater and students will be able to get an Associate of Arts degree in Theater.