Film Independent has set animator Javier Barboza, cinematographers Gemma Doll-Grossman, Phillip Jackson, Garland McLaurin, Lidia Nikonova, Michael Tanji and Akina Van de Velde, directors Hannah Bang, Jaime Castañeda, Logan Jackson and San-San Onglatco, editors Calvin Chin, Marcus Heleker, Christopher Ma, Ziyang “Lucia” Wang and Skylar Zhang, executives T’Essence Minnitee, Eboni Robinson and Danni Xin, producers Sarah Al-Qatou, C.A. Barrow, Ebony Elaine Hardin, Trent Nakamura, Jera Wang and Rui Xu, writers Danielle Ellen, Henry Alexander Kelly, Justin Omori and Tumelo Tladi, and writer-director Jesus Celaya as the filmmakers for the 2022 edition of Project Involve, a free nine-month program for creatives from diverse backgrounds.
The nonprofit arts organization behind the Spirit Awards also today named Barboza as its fourth annual LAIKA Animation Fellow, who will receive a grant enabling production on a stop-motion animated short film.
Project Involve offers participants the opportunity to create short films, attend master workshops and industry networking events, and meet one-on-one with film industry mentors. Alumni of the program, currently in its 29th year, include Lulu Wang (The Farewell), Linda Yvette Chávez, Marvin Lemus and Aaliyah Williams (Gentefied), Effie T. Brown (Dear White People), Jon M. Chu (In the Heights) and Justin Simien (Dear White People).
This year, Panavision will provide an outstanding cinematographer in the program with a camera rental package valued at $60,000 for use on a future project produced in the U.S. Additional donor-named fellowships to be awarded at a later date are the sixth annual Amazon Studios Film Fellowship, the sixth annual Participant Fellowship and the 11th annual Sony Pictures Entertainment Fellowship. Each provides essential program support to Project Involve and includes a $10,000 unrestricted cash grant for a selected filmmaker participating in the program.
“Project Involve continues to be in the vanguard of building year after year a community of immensely talented and inclusive visual storytellers within the industry,” said Associate Director Francisco Velasquez. “We’re thrilled to welcome the 2022 Project Involve Fellows to this community and can’t wait to see what we’ll create together.”
Film Independent also looks to bolster upcoming filmmakers from diverse backgrounds through Filmmaker Labs (across Directing, Documentary, Episodic, Producing and Screenwriting); its Fast Track finance market and Fiscal Sponsorship, and additional Grants and Awards, which provide over one million dollars annually to visual storytellers.
More information on the organization can be found here.
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