'Seeds We Bury': Villanova University filmmakers up for Student Academy Award

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A group of filmmakers from Villanova University is among this year's semifinalists for the Student Academy Awards.

Young filmmakers from all across the world were vying for what's known as the Oscars of the college world, and Villanova's Pinctada Pearl Productions' "Seeds We Bury" made the cut for Best Documentary.

"Seeds We Bury" is a documentary that follows both the Ati Tribe in the Philippines and the Shinnecock Nation in New York as they fight to protect their tribal lands.

Now, it's up for a Student Academy Award.

"This film covers an injustice that is hiding under our nose right now in the modern day," says Noel B. Doherty, a production assistant on the film. "To have the most highly regarded film critics in the entire world select and highlight and honor this film right now gives me hope. I've been crying a lot."

"Seeds We Bury" was created as part of an undergraduate documentary filmmaking course at Villanova University.

Nearly 30 students from across different majors worked together.

"Honestly, it's unreal," says co-director Olivia Hansen. "Putting together the story and seeing what we were able to make out of our year together, and working together, is honestly incredible."

For Autumn Coard, this is personal. She's a member of the Shinnecock nation in Southampton, New York.

"Probably most, if not all, the people featured from the Shinnecock nation are my cousins and my relatives," says Coard. "Obviously, it being filmed at home in my tribal community, with some of my family members in it, I think that was just absolutely amazing."

The team also raised more than $20,000 so far to help the communities they featured in this documentary.

"It was a lot of hard work," says producer Meg Martin. "It didn't even stop for one second. I think we were still editing 12 hours before we had the premiere."

And now, that hard work is being recognized by the Academy.

"It is so important not only to us as students to share, but for a world audience to see this," says Hansen. "That's exactly what this nomination is doing."

The 53rd Student Academy Awards will be held at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14.

All of the winning student films will then be eligible to compete for the 99th Oscars in March.

Past winners have received 70 Oscar nominations and won 15 awards.