International Fellows
Kathryn W. Davis Fellowship for International Understanding Through Film
A tireless advocate for international relations, Kathryn Davis is resolute in her conviction that mutual understanding, respect, and lasting peace cannot be realized without genuine dialogue through the sharing of ideas, cultures, and dreams. Inspired by her lifelong efforts to create a more harmonious world, the Kathryn W. Davis Fellowship for International Understanding Through Film makes it possible for filmmakers, educators, and programmers from around the world to live, work, and teach on the JBFC campus. As ambassadors of their region, Fellows provide insight into the dynamics of their culture through film, media, and teaching.
Fellows have opportunities to screen their films, lead seminars on the cinema of their region, teach courses, provide professional development, and use the Media Arts Lab’s production facilities to work on personal projects. Previous Fellows have come from Burkina Faso, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Spain, Iran, and Romania. Fellowships are competitive and awarded through an application and interview process.
The Fellowships range from two to eight weeks in length. Established and emerging international artists working in all film genres (animation, documentary, video art, narrative, etc.) and disciplines (screenwriting, sound design, cinematography, etc.) are encouraged to apply. The Fellowship now extends to film curators and media educators engaged in groundbreaking work; they are also encouraged to apply.
For more information, please contact Managing Director Dominick Balletta at dballetta@burnsfilmcenter.org
| Current Fellows | |
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Photo: Russell Peborde |
Lucio Gregoretti Spring 2013 Lucio Gregoretti has written the music for approximately 100 plays and film scores, working with directors including Carlo Lizzani, Margarethe von Trotta, and Lina Wertmüller. He also has composed many operas and symphonic and chamber music pieces, receiving commissions from numerous organizations and international festivals. His music has been performed around the world. We are thrilled that Mr. Gregoretti will be coming to the JBFC as our latest Fellow. During the month of March, he will attend screenings, present public programs, and work with students. March 7, 7:15 |
| Past Fellows | |
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Zhu Rikun, China Fall 2012 Zhu Rikun is one of the best known figures in Chinese independent cinema, an unwavering proponent of independence from the censorship and commerce of China’s mainstream movie business. In 2001 he founded Fanhall Studio, a production and distribution company whose goal was to stimulate the development of independent Chinese cinema. He produced many of the hardest-hitting Chinese films in recent years, including such major works as Xu Xin’s Karamay and Li Hongqi’s Winter Vacation. Zhu was the organizer of the Beijing Independent Film Festival and the Songzhuang Documentary Film Festival during a decade that saw a flourishing of Chinese independent film. Zhu joined us as a film programmer and educator and also worked on postproduction with the filmmaker/artist Wang Wo, a close associate, who designed the Fanhall complex. Wang Wo has been teaching at the Li Xianting Film School, the first independent film school in China, since 2008.
Zhu Rikun curated the series Hidden China. |
 Apichatpong Weerasethakul in UCCA, Beijing, 2011. Photo: Lv Haiqiang, courtesy of the photographer |
Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Thailand During his residency, Weerasethakul used the Media Arts Lab to do all the postproduction on a pair of short films, Mekong Hotel and Ashes, both of which were screened at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. May 3 - 8
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Mihai Chirilov, Romania
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Yolanda Pividal, Spain Summer 2011 Yolanda Pividal is an independent documentary filmmaker, journalist, and TV producer from Spain. She has won three Emmy Awards and produced and edited short documentaries for the CUNY TV television series “Nueva York.” She spent the summer of 2011 at the JBFC editing her first feature documentary film, Fighting Kites, and teaching "Unscripted: Adventures in Nonfiction," a three-week documentary-making course for 16-18 year olds. Look for Fighting Kites on a JBFC screen in Fall, 2011! |
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Bahman Farmanara, Iran Spring 2010 Born in Tehran, Bahman Farmanara is one of the founding figures of the Iranian New Wave of the 1970s. As well as being an acclaimed director, he is an influential screenwriter, producer, and distributor who is responsible for bringing many key international films to our shores. During his stay as the JBFC International Filmmaker-in-Residence, he presented six of his own works and a selection of documentaries about his homeland. "Experiencing Iranian Culture through a Master's Films" - New York Times February 28, 2010 |
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Ido Haar, Israel |
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Namik Kabil, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
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Fanta Régina Nacro, Burkina Faso Spring 2009 The JBFC Media Arts Lab's first filmmaker-in-residence, Nacro lives and works in Burkina Faso, the West African land formerly known as Upper Volta, which is the home of FESPACO, the continent's largest film festival (now in its 40th year). One of only a handful of female African filmmakers, Nacro studied at the INAFEC film school in the Burkina Faso capital, Ouagadougo, and earned a master's degree from the Sorbonne in Paris. In a career spanning more than 20 years, she's depicted Africa's traditions and harsh realities, but she often turns her lens with comic joy on issues of sexuality, gender relations, and modernity. In 1993, she founded her own production company, Les Films du Défi, whose mission is to create, produce, and distribute films, support new filmmakers, and raise awareness of African films. She has won two dozen awards for her work in festivals around the world, from Cannes to San Francisco. While at the JBFC, Nacro presented several of her films at the theater (The Night of Truth, Bintou, and Konaté's Gift) and taught film classes at the Media Arts Lab. |
