BAFTA Gives Record Financial Aid To Film & TV Students In U.S.

EXCLUSIVE: BAFTA says it has made a record annual contribution of $113,500 to those studying MFA programs and other film and TV courses in the U.S. this year.

The 2018 students getting support come from the UK, the U.S., Ghana, Peru and Iran, with some scholarships targeting underrepresented groups and communities. A full list of recipients is below.

Students will receive up to $10,000 of financial aid towards their graduate studies. Of the 20 recipients, nine students will study in New York institutions through the BAFTA New York Media Studies Scholarship Program, while 11 were awarded scholarships through BAFTA Los Angeles, to support studies at film schools in the U.S.

The U.S. scholarships are funded by BAFTA events, membership dues, and through donations from individuals and companies. Scholarships for British and Chinese students studying in the UK are set to be announced later this year.

“At BAFTA, we make it a priority to foster and support the next generation of talented filmmakers. It is vital that we give them the opportunity to tell their own stories,” said BAFTA Los Angeles Chairman Kieran Breen. “These talented students have the potential to change our industry by making their voices heard and bringing to the screen fresh perspectives that more fully represent our diverse culture and experiences.”

“Supporting the next generation of artists is one of the key foundations of BAFTA New York’s mission and we could not be more thrilled with this talented group of recipients,” added BAFTA New York Chair Arianna Bocco of IFC Films. “We look forward to working with them now and in the future and could not do this without our amazing partners whose continued support is truly invaluable.”

BAFTA U.S. Scholars in 2018:

Pigott/BAFTA Scholarship

Bella Randle Racklin: Social Documentary Film at School of Visual Arts
Rhys Jones: Filmmaking (MFA) at New York University
Clare Byrne: Writing for Film and Television (MFA) at University of Southern California
Lola Blanche Higgins: Film Directing (MFA) at American Film Institute
Catherine Wignall: Screenwriting (MFA) at University of California, Los Angeles

BAFTA New York Documentary Scholarship in Honor of John F. Grist

Rafael Samanez: Film, Documentary Specialization (MFA) at City College of New York

BBC America Diversity Scholarships

Zubaira Ahmed: Television Production (MFA) at Brooklyn College
Emmanuel Adu Poku: Film, Documentary Specialization (MFA) at City College of New York

DLT Entertainment Scholarship

Taylor Silver: Television Production (MFA) at Brooklyn College

HBO Scholarship

Rashad Frett: Graduate Film (MFA) at NYU Tisch School of the Arts

King Features Animation Scholarship

Jess Hock: Cinema Arts (MFA) at Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema

Taffner Family Charitable Trust Scholarship in Honor of Donald Taffner Sr. and Eleanor Taffner

Bahareh Khosravi: Television Production (MFA) at Brooklyn College

Woman of Her Word Disabilities Scholarships

Shannon Ryan: Cinema Arts (MFA) at Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema
Shannan Shaughnessy: Cinema Arts (MFA) at Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema

Nigel Lythgoe Television Scholarship

Edward Hancox: Film and Media Production (MFA) at University of Texas at Austin

Hunter Foundation Scholarship

Rachel Main: Dramatic Writing (MFA) at New York University
Gavin Laing: Producing for Film, Television and New Media (MFA) at University of Southern California

Access for All Scholarship