Ria Shinde ’23, Computer Animation, has been nominated for a College Television Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (aka the Television Academy). The nomination, in the category of “Animated Series,” recognizes Strings Attached, a piece that Shinde wrote, produced, and directed while she was still a student at Ringling College of Art and Design.

Designed to emulate the Emmy Awards, the College Television Awards are presented by the Television Academy Foundation to reward student achievements nationwide. Like the Emmys, the College Television Awards are voted on by members of the Television Academy.

Strings Attached creates a world in which pets are attached to their eventual owners, even if they’re far away, by a red string. The story features a homeless dog as he follows his string across seemingly never-ending landscapes in search of his owner. Shinde said that the story was inspired, in part, by her own experiences with grief and loss—including the loss of her mother at a young age. 

This year marks the 43 College Television Awards. Winners will be announced at a ceremony in Los Angeles on April 13, 2024, which will be preceded by a three-day professional development program for nominees. The Television Academy Foundation will cover the cost (airfare and a hotel room) of one representative from each nominated production to attend the ceremony as well as the development program.

As official alumni of the Television Academy Foundation, nominees also gain access to events, professional development programs, and other networking opportunities in the television industry throughout the year.

The first College Television Awards were presented on Oct. 25, 1979. Previous Ringling College alum winners include Beth David ’17, Computer Animation, and Esteban Bravo ’17, Computer Animation, for In a Heartbeat (2017), and Daun Kim ’20, Computer Animation, for Don’t Croak! (2019).