College of Visual and Performing Arts Film and Video Studies

Alum advocates for authentic storytelling in the film industry

Shayla Brown — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 15:01:28 +0000

Alum advocates for authentic storytelling in the film industry Shayla Brown Mon, 11/18/2024 - 10:01

Since graduating from ��AV, alum Alex Plank, BA Film and Video Studies ’10, has worked professionally on films and television series as an associate producer and actor. Plank is also an autism activist who works toward more authentic neurodiverse representation in media.

“I want my work to show audiences that autistic people have our own stories to tell, which I think general audiences will relate to and benefit from learning from,” said Plank, who founded WrongPlanet.net, the largest online community for autism, while still in high school.

Alex Plank being interviewed by student Madison Koren. Photo by Samantha Sinagra.

Plank recently worked as an associate producer and actor on the film Ezra. The film follows the parents of an autistic son, Ezra, played by actor Willian A. Fitzgerald, as they go through a divorce. Ezra’s father, played by Bobby Cannavale, takes him on an adventurous road trip where they encounter old friends and new places. Plank plays a doctor assisting the family after the titular character has an accident.

Also appearing in the film are Rose Bryne, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert De Niro, and Tony Goldwyn, the director of the film. Getting to know Robert de Niro was a highlight, Plank said.

On October 22, Ezra was screened at the Johnson Center Cinema as part of George Mason’s Visiting Filmmakers Series. Plank did a post-screening Q&A where fans and fellow George Mason students heard about his experience on set, during which he acted as a consultant, guiding the cast and crew throughout the filming process.

“William is such a great person and actor, and I wanted to make sure to give him space and freedom while we were filming,” said Plank. “I remember for one scene, he was wearing a dinosaur costume and in between takes he kept turning back and forth, swinging his tail around.”

“He would stop while filming, but it was so natural. I showed it to Tony [Goldwyn] and he loved it so we kept that movement in the film,” he explained.

Other works of Plank’s include acting and/or producing on ABC’s The Good Doctor and FX’s The Bridge.

Plank says his courses with College of Visual and Performing Arts professors Cynthia Fuchs and Ed Gero were essential in preparing him to take on jobs such as these.

A still from the film Ezra featuring actors, from left to right, Robert de Niro, Bobby Cannavale, and William A. Fitzgerald. Photo by Bleeker Street Media LLC.

“Alex is very self-aware, and he knows how he operates. He's managed to turn that into a remarkable career,” said Gero. “He's also a terrific role model for so many people. I'm so proud and grateful that I was able to have an impact on him.”

Gero said that the importance of social and physical cues in acting is something he and Plank worked on a lot during their time together in his courses.

“Responding to physicality or facial gestures is a different experience for Alex, so how do we navigate that?” said Gero, who taught Plank in an Acting I course. “Together, we developed a physical vocabulary where we would look for a gesture or change of voice perhaps; some kind of cue that would give you the information for us to ask ‘how do I interpret that?’ and communicate to an audience that you've received it.”

Gero and Plank have kept in touch since Plank graduated from George Mason, which included Plank traveling to Pasadena to see Gero portray Antonin Scalia in The Originalist.

“I was just so delighted that he was even aware that I was doing this,” said Gero.

Plank is also a public speaker who has attended international conferences and is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, on the Committee for Disability.

“I think it’s important to also look at diversity in disability and make sure we’re representing autistic people who don’t necessarily look like me,” said Plank.

Connect with George Mason's Alumni Association

In This Story

Alex Plank

Edward Gero

Cynthia Fuchs

Topics

College of Visual and Performing Arts Film and Video Studies

Visiting Filmmakers Series

Alumni

Activism

Young Alumni Commissioning Project helps CVPA grad share her grandfather’s story through film

Shayla Brown — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 16:50:06 +0000

Young Alumni Commissioning Project helps CVPA grad share her grandfather’s story through film Shayla Brown Tue, 02/20/2024 - 11:50

Award-winning composer and songwriter William (Bill) Salter is the subject of the feature-length documentary, Just the Two of Us, named after his Grammy Award-winning hit song. He is also the grandfather of the filmmaker and ��AV alumna Jada Salter.

Jada Salter (right), Bill Salter (middle right), and family. Photo provided.

Salter created the film after receiving a 2021-22 Young Alumni Commissioning Project (YACP) from Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) and with encouragement from her professors as well as former classmate and executive producer on the film, Taylor Spears. Salter premiered the documentary at Mason on Feb. 3, as her 87-year-old grandfather watched remotely on Zoom.

“I really enjoyed the freedom of creating what I had envisioned in my head. I sat down [to write] my vision for the film and did not hold anything back,” said Salter, who majored in film and video studies with a concentration in editing.

The application process for the YACP “happened overnight,” said Salter, who said she learned of the project the same day applications were due. “It’s all a blur now, but Taylor called me, and we spent all night just writing and writing trying to figure out the best way to describe this film that we had no idea how we were going to make.”

Thanks to the commissioning project, 16 CVPA alumni have been granted awards anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 in the past five years to support the creation of new artistic works in film, dance, visual art, music, and game design.

Salter got the idea for the documentary after hearing Will Smith’s remake of the hit song that was originally performed by Bill Withers and written by her grandfather, Withers and Ralph MacDonald. She made a post on Tik Tok explaining her family’s history with the song, which gained a lot of attention. “Just the Two of Us” was simultaneously going viral on the social media app at the time.

As a child, Salter wanted to be a singer, so her grandfather tried teaching her how to play the guitar. But she struggled to get the hang of it.

“He told me ‘You don't have to be a singer. You don't have to be on stage directly. You can do something like me behind the scenes.’ Now I'm doing that and I'm very happy he gave me that advice,” said Salter, who transferred to Mason from Rutgers University in 2018 and graduated from Mason in December 2020.

Although Salter’s film mainly focuses on her grandfather, who was born in Harlem, New York, in 1936, it also heavily features other family members and accomplished musicians, who impacted her grandfather’s life and career.

Featured individuals include Salter’s ex-wife and Jada’s grandmother, Olive, and musicians including Dennis Collins. The film also includes footage of accomplished Motown artists recording and performing songs written by Salter and his partners.

“I wanted to show just how much of a passion piece this film is to me; how it would honor my grandfather and his legacy,” said Salter. “I am his biggest fan, so I wanted to shed light on him and his work as not many people know who is responsible for so many songs that are listened to worldwide.”

Following the screening at Mason, Salter spoke with Mason film professor Lisa Thrasher about the film. Salter said her film editing classes with faculty members Maura Ugarte and Amanda Kraus helped with her storytelling and script writing.

“The best part of the film was seeing the love of her family and the way Jada conveyed how her beautiful family is a huge part of American history,” Thrasher said.

Salter, who is currently a video producer at the U.S. Department of Justice, is brainstorming future projects including travel videos, more artists’ stories, and other professionals who have done groundbreaking work behind the scenes, “so they can get the shine they deserve,” she said.

In This Story

Lisa Thrasher

Maura Ugarte

Amanda Kraus

Learn More about the College of Visual and Performing Arts

How the Young Alumni Commissioning Project Supports Al Refai and Wahls' Visionary Projects
March 12, 2024
Young Alumni Commissioning Project helps CVPA grad share her grandfather’s story through film
February 20, 2024
Recipients Announced for the 2024 Young Alumni Commissioning Project Awards 
January 10, 2024
Getting a creative career boost through CVPA’s Young Alumni Commissioning Project
June 26, 2023
Young Alumni Commissioning Project Announces Recipients of Fourth Round of Funding
June 2, 2022

This content appears in the Fall 2024 print edition of the Mason Spirit Magazine with the title "Just the Two of Them."

Mason film student’s inclusive festival celebrates its second year

Shayla Brown — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 20:27:11 +0000

Mason film student’s inclusive festival celebrates its second year Shayla Brown Fri, 01/05/2024 - 15:27

As a film student at ��AV, Roberto Ferreira De Araujo wanted to celebrate diversity and highlight the full spectrum of experiences represented by the LGBTQ+ community.

During his first semester at Mason in fall 2022, Ferreira De Araujo and two of his classmates created the Here and Queer Film Festival as a final project for KJ Mohr’s FAVS 399 Curating and Programming course.

Roberto Ferreira de Araujo posing with the 'Here and Queer Festival' poster during on screening day. Photo provided.

“Growing up, I didn't see a lot of films with queer characters, and when I did, they always involved crimes, violence, and diseases,” said the film and video studies major. “I struggled to find a film that I really loved, so I attempted to find those films with this festival.”

“Roberto is building a safe and celebratory space for communities at Mason in particular. It comes at a crucial time with the majority of students being in their late teens and early twenties,” said Mohr, who is the director of the Maryland Film Festival and the director of programming for the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Florida. 

“It's such a crucial moment in one's life to be grappling with these issues and to feel that net of support can be, frankly, a matter of life and death,” she said.

Ferreira De Araujo found inspiration to create the festival after completing an internship with the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in the summer of 2022, where he was involved in programming films, he said.

“I knew that I wanted to make something around films and showcasing films,” said Ferreira De Araujo, who transferred to Mason from Northern Virginia Community College and is graduating this spring. “I would spend 40 hours a week just watching films and writing notes about it, creating lists of the themes and how would that be presented.”

The first festival was such a success that Ferreira De Araujo decided to hold a second iteration this November in the Johnson Center. “I received such positive feedback [last year] and noticed a strong interest in a second edition. It motivated me to start working on this year's programming,” he said.

The 2023 festival featured short films from all over the world including work from Mason students and faculty, including Djola Branner, director of Mason’s School of Theater, whose film, Mighty Real, was shown at the festival.

“It’s important to me to show more queer films and have more representation. I'm trying to put content out there that I wish I had when I was [younger],” said De Araujo. “These films not only provide entertainment but also contribute to meaningful conversations surrounding queer experiences.”

“I wanted people to [leave the festival] with the assurance that no matter what, they would always have a community out there that celebrates and supports them,” he said.

Additional reporting by Katarina Benson.

In This Story

KJ Mohr

Learn more about Film and Video at Mason

Topics

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

College of Visual and Performing Arts Film and Video Studies

LGBTQ+

Students

inclusive excellence

The Student Academy Awards recognized this student-directed film

Shayla Brown — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 17:56:06 +0000

The Student Academy Awards recognized this student-directed film Shayla Brown Mon, 11/06/2023 - 12:56

Andrew Opitz first came to ��AV as a freshman over a decade ago. After taking a hiatus from school, he graduated from the Film and Video Studies (FAVS) Program in May 2023. Opitz’s film, Jazz, which he directed for his senior capstone, was a semi-finalist in the Student Academy Awards Alternative/Experimental category.

^{“Jazz started years ago when I first came to Mason as a student. I would be driving, and little ideas would come into my head, but they were very skeletal, shallow ideas,” said Opitz.}

Film and Video Studies students at the Best of Film at Mason 2023.
Photo by Emily Schneider/CVPA

"Film was the first art that swept me off my feet. Music inspires me just as much,” said Opitz, who enjoys listening to different eras of music from the 40s to the 70s.

Opitz describes the film as a story about a jazz musician, “trying to get to a show and we’re under the impression that he’s playing in front of thousands of people at this theater,” said Opitz, “but when we get there, he’s playing on the street. That little twist that he is technically playing at that theater and in front of lots of people who are passing by was all I had. The hard part was fleshing it out.”

Opitz’s film, along with seven of his classmates' films, was featured at the annual Mason Film Festival, hosted by FAVS program director Cynthia Fuchs.

Although Opitz’s film received much acclaim after its release, he and his team faced challenges throughout the filming process.

“There are problems every which way you turn, especially with student films where it's very spur of the moment and you do what you can. Problem solving is probably the biggest job of a lot of the people on the set. That's the nature of filmmaking,” said Opitz.

Andrew Opitz during the Q&A portion of Best of Film.
Photo by Emily Schneider/CVPA

Iana Lee, a senior film and video studies major with a concentration in producing, joined the production team of Jazz in the early stages after signing up at one of Mason’s production fairs.

“Mason has a great filmmaking community. Everyone is very much motivated to be making films and everyone wants to get involved, which is very helpful when you need to pull people together for a film crew,” said Lee. “The professors at Mason are knowledgeable and experienced in filmmaking. They will support you through the process and that was what I needed, so we're supported from all sides of the community, which is nice.”

Rebekah Wingert-Jabi is a Peabody Award-winning filmmaker and adjunct professor in Mason’s FAVS Program.

"There is deep talent and ability among the film students at Mason,” said Wingert-Jabi who helped the students to make small edits including color and sound adjustments to their films. “These tweaks can make the difference between a film that is almost where it needs to be and a film that is polished. Andrew had the patience to go through that tedious process with Jazz, and it clearly paid off."

“It’s been a saga getting to the finish line, but I finally did it,” said Opitz.

Learn more about Mason's Film and Video Studies

Film was the first art that swept me off my feet. Music inspires me just as much.”

In This Story

Rebekah Wingert-Jabi

Topics

College of Visual and Performing Arts

College of Visual and Performing Arts Film and Video Studies

Students

Alumni

Getting a creative career boost through CVPA’s Young Alumni Commissioning Project

Shayla Brown — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 17:16:15 +0000

Getting a creative career boost through CVPA’s Young Alumni Commissioning Project Shayla Brown Mon, 06/26/2023 - 13:16

In This Story

Kyle Finnegan

Cynthia Fuchs

Filmmaker Kyle Finnegan thinks monosodium glutamate, more commonly known as MSG, is misunderstood.

“I was so fascinated by the idea that so much culture and history could be contained in a tiny little grain,” said Finnegan, who graduated from the ��AV’s Film and Video Studies program in 2017. In fact, Finnegan was so intrigued by the ingredient that he decided to make a documentary about it.

CVPA Dean Rick Davis, alum Kyle Finnegan, and associate professor Cynthia Fuchs at the film screening. Photo by Emily Schneider.

“Chef Tim Ma defying the negative stigma of MSG and sharing his culture was really inspiring to me, so I was happy that he trusted us to tell that part of his story,” Finnegan said.

Finnegan’s short documentary film “MSG: Mysterious Savory Grains” was partially funded by Mason’s Young Alumni Commissioning Project (YACP) and was recently screened at the Johnson Center Cinema.

The YACP is a program that provides recent College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) alumni with grants between $2,500 and $5,000 to support the creation of new work.

“‘Young’ in this case refers to how long a student has been out of Mason,” explained Rick Davis, dean of CVPA. “If you graduated within the last 10 years, you can apply. It doesn't matter how old you are.” Sixteen alumni have received awards since the program began in 2019, producing musical works, narrative and documentary films, photography, dance, and more.

“It can be hard to get started in the arts, especially with original creative projects,” said Davis. “A lot of artists get hired to do work for other people, and that's great. If you wanted to do something that's truly your own vision and your own voice, it’s hard to get started until you have a track record.”

Adrienne Godwin, director of programming at CVPA, oversees the project.

“An artist can't just be excellent at their craft and expect to make it today,” Godwin said. “Artists are now having to be marketers, business managers, and have a keen awareness of how to speak about themselves in a way that engages with different audiences. I think one of the great things about this grant is that it gives alums the opportunity to hone in on those skills.”

Even with the support of the YACP, creative work still has its challenges. Finnegan shared some of his at the June screening, where he discussed how his production team still had to troubleshoot various situations during the filmmaking.

“Mason filmmaking has such a spirit of DIY, and we will do what’s needed to get the shot, and that was the spirit every day during this production,” said Finnegan, who works at 522 Productions directing branded documentaries.

Kyle Finnegan and Cynthia Fuchs during the Q&A portion of the film screening. Photo by Emily Schneider.

He gave an example of when the team conducted a remote interview with an MSG expert who lives in Toronto. “We couldn't travel to Toronto, so we did a Zoom recording,” which was fine until the video feed stopped working, Finnegan said.

“I asked myself ‘What feels right for the time we’re drawing inspiration from—the late 60s, early 70s.’ The tape recorder that we bought came out the same year that [there was a significant rise in] stigmatizing MSG. This felt like the right time period, so we filmed with the recorder running and used her audio over top of it,” he explained.

“For me, MSG makes food delicious, and delicious foods bring people together,” said Finnegan. “If I can communicate that through this film, hopefully people walk away wanting to try it for themselves.”

The YACP program is accepting applications through September 8, and all qualified CVPA alumni are encouraged to apply.

“I've written a lot of grants and I've done a lot of interviews throughout my career, and even if you don't win the award, it's great to get your work in front of this panel because in addition to their work as Mason faculty, they are out working in the field,” said Godwin. “You never know what could come from someone seeing your work, even if you don't win one of the awards.”

Topics

Alumni

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

College of Visual and Performing Arts Film and Video Studies

Young Alumni Commissioning Project. alumni support

cvpa staff

Mason doctoral student uses horror films to explore identity and culture

Colleen Rich — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 20:25:09 +0000

Mason doctoral student uses horror films to explore identity and culture Colleen Rich Fri, 11/11/2022 - 15:25

Topics

Students

Cultural Studies Program

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Graduate Inclusion and Access Scholarship GIA

College of Visual and Performing Arts Film and Video Studies

Provost Newsletter

ARTS by George! Showcases the Arts at Mason and Raises Scholarship Funds

Zoe Harr — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 17:06:54 +0000

ARTS by George! Showcases the Arts at Mason and Raises Scholarship Funds Zoe Harr Tue, 09/06/2022 - 13:06

In This Story

Rick Davis

“An evening like no other,” ARTS by George! makes its in-person return on September 24. The philanthropic event, headlined by Emmy^® and Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth, raises support for student scholarships in visual arts, dance, music, theater, game design, film, arts management, as well as for the Mason Community Arts Academy, Green Machine Ensembles, and the Great Performance at Mason season at the Center for the Arts. Since its creation in 2006, ARTS by George! has raised more than $2 million for the arts at Mason.

“More than any single performance or exhibition or screening could ever do, ARTS by George! offers a window into the life and work – the very heart – of this great College of Visual and Performing Arts,” notes Rick Davis, Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA). “In fact, it’s kind of a stained-glass window, composed of many colors and shapes and designs representing the many programs we offer, and it casts a beautiful light on the interplay of students, faculty, professional guest artists, and the communities that we all serve.”

School of Music students perform at a previous ARTS by George! event.

ARTS by George! begins by bringing hundreds of CVPA students and faculty together to collaborate in a series of behind-the-scenes showcase performances and exhibits, ranging from musical cabarets to virtual reality demos. From the School of Music, a taste from the many offerings including jazz, piano, symphony orchestra, opera, as well as special performances by The Green Machine. Introducing its upcoming production of the laugh-out-loud love story Head Over Heels, Mason School of Theater will perform highlights from the musical featuring music of the Go-Go’s and more! Additionally, guests will be invited to performances from the School of Dance, student film screenings from the School of Film, and Computer Game Design demonstrations. Programming begins at 5 p.m., presented across 10 open studios and rehearsal halls on Mason’s Fairfax campus, which will also have sumptuous beverage and cuisine stations offered throughout.

Co-chairs of ARTS by George! Anne Bolger and Steven Golsch emphasize the importance of the event, stating, “This benefit raises important scholarship funds to help our talented students and community arts partners and share their art and inspire the world. We are proud to support these programs and students as they fulfill their lifelong dreams.”

Kristin Chenoweth headlines the event on September 24.

After the thrilling showcase festivities, guests will transition to the Center for the Arts for a Live Fund-A-Student Auction, leading up to the performance by Kristin Chenoweth. In this 8:30 p.m. concert, Chenoweth will sing music from her album For The Girls, a heartfelt tribute to the great female singers throughout history. The album includes Chenoweth’s personally charged interpretations of classic songs identified with such iconic artists as Barbra Streisand, Lesley Gore, Linda Ronstadt, Dinah Washington, Dolly Parton, and more. To learn more about Kristin Chenoweth, please visit her website. The evening culminates with a special champagne toast onstage with ARTS by George! ticketholders and Ms. Chenoweth.

This year, the winner of the Arts by George! 2023 scholarship is Film and Video Studies student, Tiffany Vu. Past recipients include Erblin Nushi (Film and Video Studies, 2018), Mariah Rogers (The Green Machine, 2020), and Alana Lyons (Mason School of Theater, 2021). Student scholarships allow for the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ (CVPA) students to explore creative projects while cultivating Mason’s enriching arts education and first-class performances.

Rick Davis encapsulates Mason and its community’s excitement, stating, “We’re delighted to be back to our full expression of CVPA’s contribution to the dynamo that is ��AV.”

To learn more about Arts by George!, visit the website.

Topics

CFA

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

College of Visual and Performing Arts Film and Video Studies

Green Machine

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Theater

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) School of Music

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

Computer Game Design

Mason Community Arts Academy

Two CVPA students use their creative skills as interns on Capitol Hill

Colleen Rich — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 19:13:33 +0000

Two CVPA students use their creative skills as interns on Capitol Hill Colleen Rich Tue, 08/16/2022 - 15:13

Mirella Guzman-Escobar. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

For ��AV senior Mirella Guzman-Escobar, the summer internship in the office of the House Creative Services, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) at the U.S. House of Representatives is more than great professional experience, it’s a foot in the door to a job she has dreamed of her entire life.

“I’ve always been interested in working in the government, mainly because my step-mom and my grandpa both work in the government, and I want to use my voice through my design,” said Guzman-Escobar, who is majoring in graphic design.

For Jacques Lykes, who graduates in August 2022 from Mason with a bachelor’s degree in film and video studies, it’s a step closer to achieving his dream of starting his own production company in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

Guzman-Escobar and Lykes are currently collaborating on a project called “A Day in the Life of an Intern.” Through captivating video and Instagram spotlights, this project highlights interns and their roles at the CAO, with the goal of promoting the internship positions and encouraging more engagement.

Jacques Lykes. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

“They’re really letting us be creative and making me feel like part of the team because I’m working on things that they’re working on, too,” Guzman-Escobar said of her colleagues at the CAO.

The students apply skills that they have learned from Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) as they prepare for their respective futures.

Lykes, who is originally from South Carolina, works as a multimedia intern for the CAO. He transferred to Mason from Northern Virginia Community College in his junior year.

He said FAVS 366 Video Production for Social Change, taught by GMU-TV Executive Director Richard Wood, “really prepared me to take on an internship like this.”

“Jacques takes pride in his work. He’ll put in the effort and the time, because it matters to him personally,” Wood said of Lykes. “I’m not saying Jacques got that from my class, I think that is who he was before, but it’s certainly something I harp on.”

Lykes’ academic adviser Lori Yi shared internship opportunities with him. “They were very adamant about making sure that film program students had opportunities outside of Mason,” Lykes said.

“Jacques’ ability to learn quickly, ask questions, and be adaptable has made him invaluable on student films sets,” Yi said. “He’s been an engaged part of our community from the very beginning, and I’m excited to see his future contributions.”

While searching for professional opportunities for the summer and throughout the application process, Guzman-Escobar said her typography professor and mentor Juana Medina offered her guidance.

“[She] impacted me a lot,” Guzman-Escobar said. “I used a lot of assignments that she gave us in class for my portfolio pieces, and it really helped me.”

As a graphic design intern, Guzman-Escobar helps her team with many of their projects, she said.

Working on hands-on projects, and with fellow Mason students, has been exciting, the interns agreed.

“Working with Mirella has been really great. She’s a fantastic person and one of our strong suits is how well we meld together,” Lykes said.

Topics

Students

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

internships

School of Art

College of Visual and Performing Arts Film and Video Studies

Tech Talent Investment Pipeline (TTIP)

Young Alumni Commissioning Project Announces Recipients of Fourth Round of Funding

Emily Schneider — Tue, 31 May 2022 20:27:39 +0000

Young Alumni Commissioning Project Announces Recipients of Fourth Round of Funding Emily Schneider Tue, 05/31/2022 - 16:27

In This Story

��AV’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the fourth round of its Young Alumni Commissioning Project Awards. Three alumni were chosen based on the artistic excellence, career impact, and feasibility of their proposals and will receive financial, marketing, and production support to have their projects presented by the College at a Mason venue during the 2022-2023 season. Two additional alumni were awarded an inaugural grant of financial support, designed to assist in the completion of their proposed projects, which were selected because of their timeliness and significance to the Mason community.

“In this fourth round of the Project’s commissions, we received proposals with uniquely personal and emotional perspectives,” said Rick Davis, Dean of Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts.

“Knowing the vital role of the arts in strengthening community in challenging times, we are elated that this program continues to support the visions of these young artists.” Davis continued, “In response to the great range of proposals, and in order to ensure that we are providing as much support as possible to our incredible alumni, we established an additional award this year, which provides a grant to help these artists take their project to the next level while removing the time frame for production or exhibition that is otherwise required. As usual, I can't wait to see what these great project ideas turn into once they’re fully developed.”

For consideration, applicants must have graduated from CVPA from the class of 2011 and after. Proposals could include original new work in any art form suitable for performance, exhibition, or screening in a Mason venue. The size, length, duration, magnitude, and content are at the artist’s discretion. Potential venues include Mason’s traditional theater spaces, galleries, and cinemas, but proposals for non-traditional venues, including digital spaces, were also considered.

The Young Alumni Commissioning Project is made possible by a generous bequest from the estate of Linda E. Gramlich for the support of young artists and by donors to Mason’s Giving Day, including Shugoll Research.

2023 Recipient of the Young Alumni Commissioning Project Award Including $5,000 in Commissioning Support
Juan Megna

Juan Megna

Juan Megna (Doctor of Musical Arts, 2021) received the Young Alumni Commissioning Award and $5,000 in commissioning support. In 2015, Juan started a master’s degree at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati. In this city, he played with Phil deGreg group, Rusty Burge, Steve Alee, among others, and got the degree in 2017.

In 2017, Juan moved to Fairfax, Virginia to pursue his doctoral degree at ��AV. Juan played with Wade Beach, Wayne Wilentz, and Steve Kirby in the Washington DC musical scene, among others. Also, he formed The Juan Megna Quintet. The repertoire is centered on a mix of Juan’s compositions, blended jazz, Argentinian and Afro-Brazilian rhythms.

At ��AV he leads the Latin-American Ensemble. The DownBeat Magazine has awarded this group with the 42nd (2019), 43rd (2020), and 44th (2021) students awards as an “Outstanding Performance”.

As an active researcher, Juan performed a clinic at the Jazz Education Network, New Orleans 2020, entitled "The Brazilian 16th-note phrasing through Cabula rhythm, Samba, and Bossa Nova", focusing on developing Afro-Brazilian popular genres.

Megna's new project, which this award will fund, is titled Trailblazer, an album of original compositions that will build a dialogue between jazz and Afro-Brazilian genres. The concept for the project is inspired by traditional melodies and rhythmic patterns of Candomblé (a diasporic religion syncretized from traditional religions of West Africa and Roman Catholic Christianity). “It is a real honor to receive this generous award coming from my alma mater institution,” said Megna. “It will help me crystallize a project that I dreamed of for so many years.”

2023 Young Alumni Creative Development Award Winners Including $3,000 in Commissioning Support

Carlehr Swanson

Carlehr Swanson (vocalist, pianist, speaker) is a 1st year Ph.D. student at the University of Virginia. She is a graduate of ��AV and the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami with degrees in Jazz Vocal Performance. Before college, Carlehr accompanied and directed multiple church choirs. She credits this experience as significantly influencing her musicality. Upon entering college, she realized the absence of gospel music in higher education. Consequently, she co-founded and directed the Frost Gospel Ensemble. Her research interests include gospel music, Black studies, women's studies, and civic engagement. Giving back to her community and connecting with others has been an important theme in Carlehr's life, as she brings people together to serve a greater good. She is the founder and director of the organization, "Music is Unity," where she takes music performances to people who may not experience them otherwise. Throughout this year, she has planned and performed more than a dozen virtual events for the community.

Swanson receives the Creative Development Award for Growing Pains, an extended play record of original music, combining the styles of jazz, R&B, and gospel, exploring love, loss, faith, and hope along the transition to adulthood.

Kyle Finnegan

Born in the same place as American cinema (the great state of New Jersey), Kyle Finnegan is a filmmaker living in Alexandria, VA. He graduated in 2017 with a BA in Film and Video Studies. After shooting and editing for several years, he currently works at 522 Productions with a focus on directing branded documentaries. His work won him a DC TIVA Peer award in 2021 and he’s interviewed all four of Time Magazine’s heroes of 2021. He has created short documentaries exploring subjects ranging from car hackers in Seattle to an artsy coal mining town in Utah. Whether it’s a film, a website, or a delicious meal, he aims to create something every day.

Finnegan’s award will support his new documentary film, exploring the complicated role of MSG (monosodium glutamate) in the United States, as influenced by pervasive misinformation and the uniting love of food across cultures. "I'm excited to have received a grant from the institution that has supported so much of my development as an artist," said Finegan. "I'm looking forward to making a mouthwatering film about the complex world of MSG."

2023 Young Alumni Artistic Support Grant Winners Including $2,000 in Unrestricted Support

Mohammed Saffouri

Mohammed Saffouri is an award-winning Palestinian-American filmmaker based in Fairfax, Virginia. Saffouri distinguished himself early on in his film career by earning a Capital Emmy for his debut documentary film, The First. His next film, Touchline, was recently selected to participate in Tribeca Film Festival. Touchline will be the first Jordanian film to be screened at Tribeca, and Saffouri will be the first alumni from ��AV to have a film screened at Tribeca in the festival’s history. Saffouri graduated from ��AV in 2020 with a degree in Film and Video Studies and a concentration in Film Directing. Throughout his eight years in the film and media industry, he has directed three films, produced four films, written three films, and created more than ten promotional videos for companies and non-profits. His work has been screened at such festivals as the Washington DC International Film Festival, the Virginia Film Festival, the Malmo Arab Film Festival, and others. Saffouri is currently developing his first narrative feature film.

Saffouri’s award will support the development of his first narrative feature film, a deeply personal story about the experience and perseverance of a Muslim-American immigrant woman in the United States. "I'm always happy and thankful to see how ��AV is the first to support its alumni and students," said Saffouri. "This is the first grant I get into this project, and I'll make sure to make them proud when this project is done."

Left to Right: Meagan Arnold, Hannah Looney, and Mike Rose

Meagan Arnold (Film, 2018), Mike Rose (Film, 2016), and Hannah Looney (Film, 2018) began collaborating on creative projects together as students in the Film and Video Studies program at Mason. Over the past 6 years and alongside Film at Mason alumnus Jason Cortez (BA, 2015), the group has produced numerous fashion, narrative, and music video projects. Often working under the alias ‘negativs,’ their recent project FLORENCE toured internationally at the Sarajevo and Croatia Fashion Film Festivals.

Arnold, Rose, and Looney receive the award to assist in the creation of Momentum/Memoriam, an experimental music video that explores and contextualizes the group’s grief over the loss of their late collaborator and Mason alum, Jason Cortez (Film, 2015).

"Jason Cortez was an award-winning filmmaker and a 2015 graduate of the Film and Video Studies program at Mason. He lost his life on September 10, 2021, at the age of 29. Momentum//Memoriam is an experimental, fashion music video honoring Jason’s legacy as an artist, as well as the impact he left on his closest artistic collaborators," said Arnold.

"We are at the beginning of a long process in creating art for, and posthumously with, our dear friend. Jason left behind many projects unfinished, and we bear a responsibility to complete his life’s work. We have several projects planned in the coming years to celebrate Jason and to continue his artistic vision. Momentum//Memoriam will be our first venture into creating art as a collective since he passed."

Information about the next round of applications will be announced at a later date. Details on previous year's recipients and criteria for consideration can be viewed on the Young Alumni Commissioning Project website.

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Mason Trailblazer: Nikyatu Jusu

Colleen Rich — Mon, 02 May 2022 17:25:40 +0000

Mason Trailblazer: Nikyatu Jusu Colleen Rich Mon, 05/02/2022 - 13:25

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Nikyatu Jusu

Mason professor and filmmaker Nikyatu Jusu. Photo provided

��AV professor and filmmaker Nikyatu Jusu has had a busy 2022.

In January, Jusu, assistant professor of directing and screenwriting in Mason’s Film and Video Studies Program, had her first feature film, “Nanny,” premier at the Sundance Film Festival, where she was awarded the Grand Jury Prize. Jusu is only the second Black woman director to win the prize, and the first horror director to do so.

In March, “Nanny,” which follows a undocumented West African nanny taking care of a privileged child on the New York’s Upper West Side, was acquired by Blumhouse and Prime Video for worldwide distribution.

But before she got to Sundance, Jusu was already creating a buzz. Variety named her to its “Directors to Watch” list, and IndieWire included her on its “22 Rising Female Filmmakers to Watch in 2022” list. She was also awarded the inaugural MPA Creator Award from the Motion Picture Association.

This was Jusu’s second time at Sundance. In 2019, her short vampire film “Suicide By Sunlight,” a project funded by the production grant "Through Her Lens" sponsored by the Tribeca Film Institute and Chanel, made its debut at the film festival.

Jusu's films have played at festivals nationally and internationally garnering her laurels and awards including a Directors Guild of America Honorable Mention. Three of her short films were acquired by and aired on HBO, her most recent being “Flowers.” This project was also awarded a Rooftop Films/Adrienne Shelly Foundation Short Film Grant.

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