Academy, mtvU name winners of 'Oscar Experience College Search'

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and mtvU, MTV's 24-hour college network, have announced the six winners of the "Oscar Experience College Search" for aspiring filmmakers. The winners will appear live on stage to deliver Oscar statuettes to ceremony presenters at the Academy Awards on "Oscar Sunday," Feb. 24.

The winners are:

• ChaRon Brabham - SUNY Potsdam (New York) - Hometown: Brooklyn
• Jennifer Brofer - University of Texas at Austin (Texas) - Hometown: Austin, Texas
• Abe Diaz - DePaul University (Illinois) - Hometown: Duluth, Minn.

• Hearin Ko - Emerson College (Massachusetts) - Hometown: Shanghai, China
• Tatenda Mbudzi - UCLA (California) - Hometown: Harare, Zimbabwe
• AJ Young - Columbia College Chicago (Illinois) - Hometown: Mesa, Ariz.

The winners were individually notified by show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

"We created this contest when we came on board to produce this year's Oscars," Zadan and Meron said. "We felt that every person on the Oscar stage should have a passion for film and its future, and there is no better way to inspire young filmmakers than to make them part of film's most important night."

The contest was open to college students across the country and required them to submit a video responding to the question "How will you contribute to the future of movies?" The winners' videos can be viewed at http://bit.ly/OscarExp13

United Airlines, the official airline sponsor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and of the 2013 Academy Awards telecast, will roll out the red carpet to fly the winners to Los Angeles for their Oscar experience.

In addition to their appearance on the Oscar stage, the students will be treated to film industry experiences, including a visit to The Academy Library to see its renowned memorabilia collections; studio tours; and a meet-and-greet with this year's Academy Award nominees in the Short Film category.

Samsung Galaxy, sponsor of the Oscars, will be providing each winner with a Samsung Galaxy Note II to document their experience. The behind-the-scenes stories of the college presenters will be seen on Oscar.com and Samsung social sites.

Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on "Oscar Sunday," Feb. 24, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane.