Student/Faculty Study on Media's Use of Twitter Released
May 20, 2010
Twenty Non-fiction Directors to Enhance Technical Skills and Develop
Story-telling Techniques
The George Washington University Documentary Center's
International Emerging Filmmakers Fellowship will bring together 20
non-fiction directors from countries that lack infrastructure for the
creation and distribution of documentary films. The fellowship also will
help them develop a common language about documentary filmmaking that
crosses national boundaries and cultures. These filmmakers from around the
world will descend on GW's campus this summer to enhance their technical
skills and work collaboratively to develop their documentary story-telling
techniques using the University's resources and state-of-the-art video
equipment. The six-week fellowship begins May 26, 2010.
"We have created a program that launches the work of these amazing
documentary filmmakers onto the world stage," said Nina Gilden Seavey,
director of GW's Documentary Center. "All of these emerging filmmakers are
known in their home countries, they are actively involved in their
respective filmmaking communities and now they will have an opportunity to
bring their documentary stories to audiences across the globe. The
fellowship is truly a transformative experience for this next generation of
documentarians."
Selected from over 250 applicants in 56 countries, the 10 men and 10 women
of the 2010 fellows class represent the following nations: Armenia,
Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, India (Kashmir),
Indonesia, Kyrgyztan, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Rwanda,
South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs, and augmented by substantial in-kind support from the
Panasonic Corporation of America, the fellowship provides the filmmakers
with the opportunity to produce two films during their stay in the U.S., one
in Washington, D.C. and one in New York City. The fellows also will
participate in round-table discussions with notable filmmakers and meet with
program executives from the U.S. and other Western broadcasters to heighten
international awareness of their work. In addition, they will be special
guests of the SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival, and
will assist middle and high school teachers for the first time with their
use of documentaries in the classroom. The program will culminate in an
afternoon screening of individual film projects on July 8 on the GW campus.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in October 2010, The Documentary Center has
helped launch the careers of hundreds of documentarians. Ms. Seavey, the
center's director, has been a filmmaker for more than 25 years and has won
numerous awards, including an Emmy, the Erik Barnouw Prize for Best
Historical Film of the Year and the Women in Film and Video "Woman of
Vision" Award. Her work can be seen in theaters, on television and in museum
installations across the globe. Ms. Seavey is also the founding director and
senior advisor for SILVERDOCS, the international documentary film festival
held annually in Silver Spring, Md. Sponsored by the American Film Institute
and the Discovery Channel, SILVERDOCS has grown since its founding in 2003
to become the largest documentary festival in the United States.
The School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA) is dedicated to the rigorous
study of journalism and political communication with a focus on
understanding the impact media have on how societies inform and govern,
connect and communicate. As media undergo transformational change, SMPA's
goal is to advance both theoretical insight and innovative practice. SMPA
conducts ground-breaking research, offers inspired teaching and encourage
hands-on work in the field and in our production facilities, and engages
directly with thought-leaders in Washington and around the world.
For more information about GW's School of Media and Public Affairs, visit:
http://smpa.gwu.edu.
For more information about GW's Documentary Center, visit:
http://smpa.gwu.edu/doccenter/fellowship.php
MEDIA CONTACT: Samara Sit, 202-994-5349 - samara@gwu.edu
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