Each year, the Fargo Film Festival juries nominate films and vote on the overall Best Student Film from movies in competition. In 2025, the Fargo Film Festival named the category to honor the lives and work of Tom Burton and Peggy O’Neill.

Burton and O’Neill were cherished members of the Fargo Film Festival community. Peggy actively served as a festival volunteer for nine years. She enjoyed working alongside her dear friend Jenny Jensen and being part of the Student Film jury. Tom was a great supporter of Peggy at the festival and embraced opportunities to meet new people during social functions. After losing Tom and Peggy in a tragic car accident, the Burton and O’Neill families created a memorial fund through the FM Area Foundation. This fund will annually provide a monetary prize to the winner of Best Student Film in loving memory of Peggy and Tom.

2025: Where We Once Roamed (Madee Sabatier and Ruthie Weeks)
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
2017: 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)