GW's Documentary Center Expands Fellowship Program for Emerging International Filmmakers
Oct 20, 2009
WASHINGTON—An innovative program at The George Washington University to bring the work of emerging international documentary filmmakers to the world stage has been expanded thanks to a second consecutive $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Last year, five women and five men from Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Kyrgyzstan, India, Somalia, Jordan, Kenya, Indonesia and Ethiopia participated in the six-week intensive fellowship in documentary filmmaking at the University’s Documentary Center. Twenty will be invited to participate this year.
The program, part of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences’ School of Media and Public Affairs, is designed for filmmakers from countries in which the traditional public or private infrastructure for the production and distribution of documentaries does not currently exist. The fellowship encourages the artistic and technical development of filmmakers, heightens the awareness of their work with program executives from the United States and other Western broadcast outlets and fosters an international dialogue to enhance non-fiction filmmaking throughout the world.
“This unique fellowship opens the door for filmmakers to engage on a global scale,” said Nina Gilden Seavey, the founder and director of The Documentary Center. “It provides opportunities for these talented emerging directors to bring their work to worldwide attention and encourages them to develop new documentary films that cross cultural bridges and transcend national divides.”
"I'm very pleased that The Documentary Center at the School of Media and Public Affairs will have the opportunity to help emerging filmmakers from around the world enhance their skills and their storytelling,” said Frank Sesno, director of the School of Media and Public Affairs. “These are thought leaders of the future. Their creativity and inspiration will bring new ideas to new audiences. And there is nothing more powerful than a compelling idea."
GW and the State Department will again solicit applications for the program by means of an extensive international marketing and outreach effort. Application information will be communicated through diplomatic cultural channels, at international film festivals, universities and through local and national cultural and media organizations.
Those selected will make two films on location in Washington, D.C., and New York City using the advanced video technology housed at The Documentary Center. Fellows will meet with top U.S. broadcast executives and will share their work with filmmakers across the U.S. In addition, this year’s program will feature a “Teacher Engagement Project” to encourage area secondary school teachers to use international documentaries in their classes. There also will be opportunities for the public to interact with the filmmakers through programs and events throughout the fellowship period.
Over the last 20 years, 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 Golden Hugo. 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.
GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs, which includes The Documentary Center, provides state-of-the-art facilities and world-class faculty in journalism and public communications. The school teaches how ideas and information are communicated through the media and combines liberal arts education with professional skills, promoting a combination of theory and practice. It is part of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, the largest of the University’s academic units with more than 40 departments and programs for undergraduate, graduate and professional studies.
Please visit The Documentary Center for application information and more on the Fellowship. The application deadline is December 4, 2009.
For more information about GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs, visit www.smpa.gwu.edu.
For more information about the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, visit www.columbian.gwu.edu.
For more news about GW, visit www.gwu.edu/explore/newsevents.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Michelle Sherrard - 202-994-1423 - mcs1@gwu.edu
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