NYU Tisch School of the Arts is proud to announce the creation of a new production grant from NYU alumnus, director, writer, and cinematographer Cary Joji Fukunaga (Kanbar Institute, Film & TV). The grant has been created to support historically underrepresented voices and to promote BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or people of color) stories in the film industry. It will be awarded to a student in the Graduate Film program to fund their thesis film—a vehicle that often helps graduating students launch their filmmaking careers—and includes a mentorship component.
The $20,000 production grant will be awarded in the spring of 2021 to a student who has demonstrated financial need and as a requirement of the grant, the award recipient will participate as a mentor in the Cary Fukunaga Production Award Mentorship program with mentees selected from NYU Tisch Future Artists participants. Future Artists is a free arts education program for New York City high school students taught by Tisch’s renowned faculty and is designed for groups that are historically underrepresented in media.
For Fukunaga, the mentorship program was a requisite factor in the creation of the production award. He wanted to ensure that aspiring filmmakers would have access to film sets, hands-on experience, and witness creatives with similar backgrounds and experiences who are on their way to achieving their goals.
“My hope for this award is that it empowers an emerging filmmaker who will help bridge the representation gap for BIPOC stories in the industry and turn them into a role model for kids who may not see an obvious path to the industry from where they are now. When I was younger I certainly didn’t see how someone like me could make it and if it weren’t for a few people who encouraged me, I don’t know if I would be here today. It’s critical for young people to see someone just ahead of them on the path to becoming a filmmaker. Just by example, it gives them the confidence to keep pursuing their dreams.
“Diversity in cinema is essential; we need to hear from storytellers whose diversity better reflects our society. As for audiences, we need to experience more stories told from different points of view, not only to broaden our perspectives but to engender empathy, something we are in dire need of right now. Creating opportunities, instilling confidence, and establishing links from one generation to the next is one way we can effect real change in the industry” said Fukunaga.