10 Los Angeles Film School Alumni Contribute to 2026 Oscar-Winning Films

Alumni worked across four of this year's biggest productions and were recognized as Academy Award-worthy on Hollywood's most iconic night.

Mar. 19, 2026 at 2:10am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Alumni of The Los Angeles Film School contributed to several of the most honored films at the 98th Academy Awards, including One Battle After Another Sinners, F1, and Avatar: Fire and Ash. One Battle After Another, the night's biggest winner with six Academy Awards including Best Picture, featured three Los Angeles Film School alumni on its production team. Sinners earned four Academy Awards, including Best Actor, Best Cinematography and Best Original Score, with two Los Angeles Recording School alumni contributing to the film. F1 and Avatar: Fire and Ash each took home one Academy Award during the ceremony, with Los Angeles Film School alumni working on both productions.

Why it matters

The success of Los Angeles Film School alumni at the 2026 Academy Awards highlights the school's ability to prepare students for careers in the entertainment industry. The alumni's contributions to these award-winning films demonstrate the real-world impact of the school's programs and the talent of its graduates.

The details

One Battle After Another, the night's biggest winner with six Academy Awards including Best Picture, featured three Los Angeles Film School alumni on its production team. Chun-ning Chang (Film, 2013) served as an Additional Second Assistant Director, Devon Rush (Film, 2016) worked as a Digital Matte Painter at the visual effects studio Crafty Apes, and Justin Dickson (Film, 2008) served as the film's Gaffer. Sinners earned four Academy Awards, including Best Actor, Best Cinematography and Best Original Score. Two Los Angeles Recording School alumni contributed to the film - Danielle Adams (Audio, 2015) worked as a Mix Technician, and Travis Harrington (Audio, 2018) produced the Rod Wave song 'Sinners' for the film's soundtrack. F1 won Best Achievement in Sound, with Sofia Ochoa (Film, 2013) serving as Key Assistant Location Manager on the production. Chun-ning Chang (Film, 2013) also worked on the film as a Production Assistant. Avatar: Fire and Ash received the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, with Angelina Ramsey (Film, 2007) serving as Additional Crew within the film's visual effects pipeline, and Derek Hultquist (Animation, 2013) working as a Visual Effects Lead and Environment Layout Artist at Lightstorm Entertainment.

  • The 98th Academy Awards ceremony took place on March 17, 2026.

The players

Chun-ning Chang

A 2013 graduate of The Los Angeles Film School who served as an Additional Second Assistant Director on One Battle After Another and as a Production Assistant on F1.

Devon Rush

A 2016 graduate of The Los Angeles Film School who worked as a Digital Matte Painter at the visual effects studio Crafty Apes on One Battle After Another.

Justin Dickson

A 2008 graduate of The Los Angeles Film School who served as the Gaffer on One Battle After Another.

Danielle Adams

A 2015 graduate of The Los Angeles Recording School who worked as a Mix Technician on Sinners.

Travis Harrington

A 2018 graduate of The Los Angeles Recording School who produced the Rod Wave song 'Sinners' for the film's soundtrack.

Sofia Ochoa

A 2013 graduate of The Los Angeles Film School who served as Key Assistant Location Manager on F1.

Angelina Ramsey

A 2007 graduate of The Los Angeles Film School who served as Additional Crew within the visual effects pipeline for Avatar: Fire and Ash.

Derek Hultquist

A 2013 graduate of The Los Angeles Film School who worked as a Visual Effects Lead and Environment Layout Artist at Lightstorm Entertainment, contributing to the design of the environments in Avatar: Fire and Ash.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

The takeaway

The contributions of Los Angeles Film School and Los Angeles Recording School alumni to these Oscar-winning productions demonstrate the real-world impact of the school's programs and the talent of its graduates. The school's ability to cultivate industry-ready talent has cemented its reputation as a premier institution for aspiring filmmakers, audio engineers, and other entertainment professionals.