Sundance Institute has introduced the individuals chosen for the 2023 Momentum Fellowship, a program “designed to assist and supply teaching to mid-career artists with a concentrate on profession improvement,” per Deadline. Launched in 2018, the fellowship was “created to assist storytellers from traditionally marginalized communities who’ve not too long ago achieved a noteworthy accomplishment, comparable to a regarded function movie or collection,” and “offers fellows with a full-year program of deep, custom-made assist across the targets they’ve recognized for themselves to stage up of their craft and profession.” Eligible artists embrace these “figuring out as ladies, non-binary and/or transgender, Black, Indigenous, and/or folks of colour, and artists with disabilities.”
The Momentum Fellowship consists of an unrestricted artist grant, skilled teaching, year-round assist from Sundance Institute employees, and extra.
Eight fellows had been chosen this yr, and 7 of them are ladies: Francisca Alegria (“The Cow Who Sang A Track Into the Future”); Rita Baghdadi (“Sirens”); Michelle Garza (“Huesera”); Nikyatu Jusu (“Nanny”); Kate Tsang (” Marvelous and the Black Gap”); Charlotte Wells (“Aftersun”); and Violet du Feng (“Hidden Letters”).
“Through the years, the fellows chosen for Momentum have all skilled success with their not too long ago accomplished tasks. This has typically been a vital second for artists to obtain inventive and tactical assist as they concentrate on a significant path ahead,” mentioned Michelle Satter, Sundance’s founding Senior Director, Artist Applications. “That is the place Momentum is each aptly named and distinctive within the business – the fellowship is custom-made to the wants of particular person filmmakers as they transfer ahead with their subsequent steps, making selections that’ll guarantee they’ll maintain a profession that offers them thrilling and well timed inventive alternatives.”
Previous fellows embrace Cristina Costantini (“Mucho Mucho Amor”), Ekwa Msangi (“Farewell Amor”), and Christina Choe (“Nancy”).
Learn extra in regards to the Momentum Fellows beneath, courtesy of Sundance.
Francisca Alegria is an award-winning filmmaker who’s quick movie And the Entire Sky Match within the Lifeless Cow’s Eye acquired the award for Finest Worldwide Fiction Quick at Sundance Movie Competition. Her debut function The Cow Who Sang A Track Into the Future premiered at Sundance Movie Competition in 2022 and was supported by the 2017 Sundance Institute Screenwriters and Administrators Lab together with the Catalyst Discussion board.
Rita Baghdadi is an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker recognized for the intimacy of her daring, character-driven movies. Her newest function, Sirens, premiered on the 2022 Sundance Movie Competition and received the Grand Jury Prize at Outfest. Rita’s work has been supported by Sundance, Tribeca, Netflix, HBO, IDA and Movie Unbiased.
Michelle Garza is a director and screenwriter who graduated from CCC in Mexico Metropolis and Goldsmiths in London. Her debut function Huesera premiered at Tribeca 2022 the place it received the Finest New Narrative Director and the Nora Ephron awards. Michelle additionally received the Citizen Kane award for one of the best new director at Sitges 2022.
Nikyatu Jusu is a author and director and her first function movie, Nanny, was developed on the Sundance Institute’s 2020 Administrators and Screenwriters Labs and debuted on the 2022 Sundance Movie Competition, the place it received the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize. Her observe up authentic function movie screenplay was acquired by Common Studios and Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions. She works as an Assistant Professor of Directing and Screenwriting, Movie and Video Research, on the Faculty of Visible & Performing Arts at George Mason College.
Bing Liu is a China-born, Midwest-raised filmmaker. His directorial credit embrace Minding the Hole, America To Me and All These Sons. Bing was supported by the Sundance Institute’s 2020 Administrators and Screenwriters Lab on his first fiction function which is at the moment in improvement.
Kate Tsang is an artist/filmmaker creating imaginative, offbeat tales with coronary heart. Her debut function Marvelous and the Black Gap premiered on the 2021 Sundance Movie Competition. She wrote on the Emmy-nominated reveals Journey Time: Distant Lands (HBO MAX) and Steven Universe Future (Cartoon Community).
Charlotte Wells is a BAFTA profitable Scottish filmmaker whose debut function, the award-winning Aftersun premiered in Critics’ Week at Cannes. Previous to Aftersun, Wells wrote and directed three quick movies, Tuesday, Laps, and Blue Christmas. She is a graduate of the MBA/MFA program at NYU the place she was supported by BAFTA NY and LA. Charlotte, along with her mission Aftersun, was supported by the Sundance Institute’s 2020 Administrators and Screenwriters Labs.
Violet du Feng is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. She has directed, produced or govt produced 13 movies together with the newest Tribeca-premiered and Sundance Documentary Movie Program supported Hidden Letters. Her essential producing credit embrace Pricey Mom, I Meant to Write about Dying, Singing within the Wilderness, Confucian Dream, Maineland and Please Keep in mind Me.
Supply: Women And Hollywood