Maria Belen Poncio is the inaugural recipient of the Anthony Jannelli Grant For Outstanding Cinematography.
Maria Belen Poncio, (Belu) is a writer, director, cinematographer, and editor from Córdoba, Argentina, currently based in New York.
As a cinematographer, she has worked across fiction, documentary, music videos, and commercial projects. She shot Liceby Vindhya Gupta, which premiered at Tribeca, Mumbai Film Festival, Nashville Film Festival, and won Best Student Film at the Austin Film Festival. Other recent projects include Playas by Cinthya Franco, Denouement by Brian Goodwin, and Mimic by Vindhya Gupta, all currently in post-production.
As a writer/director, her work—including 4 Feet: Blind Date, 4 Feet High, and When Everything Burns—has screened at Sundance, Biennale di Venezia, SXSW, Tribeca, TIFF Next Wave, BFI London, BAFICI, Guadalajara, and other major festivals, receiving multiple awards. Her feature film in development, Chosen City, participated in the TorinoFilmLab ScriptLab 2025 and received the CNC Development Award at the TFL Meeting Event.
Anthony Jannelli, for whom the award is named, is an acclaimed camera operator, cinematographer, and professor whose career spans over four decades in the motion picture industry. He has worked on iconic films as a first unit camera operator, including Philadelphia, Silence of the Lambs, and Something Wild with Jonathan Demme, as well as New York Stories with Martin Scorsese. His extensive credits also include blockbuster titles like Independence Day, Ghostbusters II, Three Men and a Baby, and Big.
Tony’s first feature as director of photography, Longtime Companion, won the Audience Award at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival. He has contributed to major documentaries and concert films, working alongside renowned directors such as Martin Scorsese and Jonathan Demme on projects like Shine A Light and Heart of Gold. His television work includes serving as director of photography for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’s pilot and first season, as well as multiple episodes of NYPD Blue, Ed, and Philly.
Beyond his work behind the camera, Tony has filmed music videos for legendary artists including Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, and Aretha Franklin, and has directed award-winning short films. He is a member of both the International Cinematographers Guild and the Directors Guild of America.
From 2002 to 2023, Anthony Jannelli was a dedicated professor of cinematography at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he served as Head of the Cinematography Department and Head of First Year Studies. His dedication to teaching and mentorship has inspired generations of filmmakers, continuing the legacy of his own mentor, Nestor Almendros. Tony created both the Almendros Award for Outstanding Cinematography and the Volker Bahnemann Award for Excellence in Cinematography which are bestowed on NYU students each spring, and now has generously added the Anthony Jannelli Grant for Outstanding Cinematography to the Grad Film Cinematography Area.