Each year, the Fargo Film Festival juries nominate films and vote on the overall Best Student Film from movies in competition.

2024: Truth (Tamara Denić)
2023: The Boy Who Couldn’t Feel Pain (Eugen Merher)
2022: Winter of ’79 (Julia Elihu)
2021: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (Shiyue Xu)
2020: Progeny (Justin Daering)

2019: Mammoth (Ariel Heller)
2018: Facing Mecca (Jan-Eric Mack)
2017: The Little Dictator (Nurith Cohn) – Best Student Narrative
The Search (Melina Tupa) – Best Student Documentary
2016: Olilo (Ao Li)
2015: Carry On (Yatao Li)
2014: First Prize (Kevin McMullin)
2013: Tsuyako (Mitsuyo Miyazaki)
2012: Moon Rock (Debra Sea)
2011: UnderCover (Iman Zawahry)
2010: California King (Eli Akira Kaufman)

2009: Harvest Moon (Micah Ranum) and The Greatest Silent Sport (Rebecca Gilbuena, Tim Gerszewski, Michael Quinn)
2008: Quincy and Althea (Doug Lenox) and Work (Justin Ullyott and Levi Moch)
2007: They Walk Among Us (Gaib Wimmer, Amber Hagle, John Pavlik) and Alone (John-Kristian Dalseth)
2006: Son Up (Andrew Shearer)
2005: Love: The Movie (Adam Bertocci) and Modus Vivendi (Richard Liukis)
2004: Where Is There Room? (Byron Karabatsos, Sonali Gulati, Antonio Paez)