The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative is partnering with Snap on a program that empowers a senior student of color.
The Snap Originals Annenberg Inclusion Award will award the winning director $25,000 for their thesis film. Snap’s advisory team will guide him through his senior year and he will follow a filmmaker working on the set of Snap Original. At the end of the show, he will also be able to produce an unscripted short series for the company’s mobile platform, which he will direct. Applications will open this month and the winner will be announced before the start of the next school year.
“The next wave of filmmakers have the opportunity to change the world in new ways through storytelling on mobile devices, combining their incredible passion for truth and authenticity with innovative cinematic perspectives and technology,” said Anjuli, head of original content at Snap. Milan, in a statement. “Through Snap’s partnership with the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, we couldn’t be more excited to find an inspiring student early on in their journey and support their unique voice, talent, and vision for the future of filmmaking.”
The new award and partnership with Snap follows the initiative’s Accelerator Fellowship, which was announced in February and is also worth $25,000, to support and develop filmmakers of color who want to work on visual effects-oriented assets. According to AI2’s own research, less than 2% of the top 100 highest-grossing films each year between 2007 and 2021 were directed by a black woman.
“The Snap Originals Annenberg Inclusion Award is a platform to launch the next generation of filmmakers, providing a set of resources: financial, relational and informational,” said Stacey L. Smith, founder of the initiative, in a statement. “Short-form mobile content is a powerful medium for creative storytelling. Working closely with Snap will expose the winning director to insights and techniques that will support their short- and long-term creative interests. “
Source: Hollywood Reporter

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