Vasilisa Kuzmina Nominated by Television Academy Foundation for 45th College Television Awards

Vasilisa Kuzmina, of New York City, NY, has been nominated for the Television Academy Foundation’s 45th College Television Awards in Hollywood.

The annual awards show recognizes and rewards excellence in student-produced programs nationwide. Winners in the competition will be announced by television stars at the red-carpet awards ceremony on March 28, 2026, at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, California.

Kuzmina, along with 2 classmates at the American Film Institute (AFI), received a nomination in the “Drama Series” category for a project she wrote and directed titled Song of Silence.

Set in the future in 2071, amidst a post third world war America, Song of Silence follows “Greta”, the matriarch of a mute, female-led community rebuilt after the fall of an extremist patriarchal system. When her son returns from the frontlines, Greta is forced to confront an impossible choice—one that challenges both the love she has for him and the principles she’s vowed to protect.

“This story is not just about the violence and injustice that women have faced and still do to this day,” said Kuzmina, “it is also a story about regime and ideology.”

“I was born in Moscow after the collapse of the USSR and belonged to the first generation that grew up in the freedom of a newly evolving country, full of hope for a liberal future,” said Kuzmina.

“My mother is Iranian, but she left her home at the age of 16 to escape an underage marriage; she sold her hair to buy a ticket to Moscow. Her new life in Moscow began with her sleeping in a train station,” said Kuzmina. “Today, she is a successful business woman and professor. My mother escaped a future of intense patriarchal rule and has taught me so much about what it means to be a woman. My mother imagined a better world for her daughters. This story is at the core of Song of Silence for me as a filmmaker.”

“This film doesn’t aim to reprimand men but rather seeks to explore the complex relationship between the masculine and feminine, revealing how power can become dangerous in anyone’s hands,” said Kuzmina.

Kuzmina completed her Master of Fine Arts in directing at AFI in 2025.

Open to undergraduate and graduate students, the annual College Television Awards are regarded as one of the most distinguished and high-profile steppingstones for careers in television and media. Emulating the Emmy Awards selection process, College Television Award entries are judged by Television Academy members. Criteria for the awards reflect industry standards of excellence, imagination and innovation. Nominees were selected from over 185 entries from colleges nationwide by Television Academy members.

Nominees will also participate in two days of professional development events with media and industry leaders and a special screening of their projects for Television Academy members prior to the awards show.

For more information visit: TelevisionAcademy.com/Foundation.