Russell Simmons and
Stan Lathan will launch the Alumni Def Filmmaker Award with New York University’s
Kanbar Institute, to help graduating film students from the Kanbar Institute of
Film and Television at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts
The finalist, who
will be chosen by judges from Kanbar and SLMG, will receive $300,000 in production
funding for features and up to $150,000 for documentaries.
The award was created
with Simmons’ and Lathan’s Simmons Lathan Media Group (SLMG) and
NYU’s Kanbar Institute of Film and Television.
"In our continued
effort to expand filmmaking opportunities for the most talented story-tellers
in Hip-Hop/Urban culture, we are extremely pleased to be partnering with the
Tisch School’s Kanbar Institute, which has educated some of the most talented
and acclaimed filmmakers in the industry today," said Will Griffin, president
of SLMG.
The contest is
open to Tisch film students who have graduated within the past 5 years and must
be in the Hip-Hop/Urban genre.
Hopefuls have until
February 15th to submit screenplays, treatments or films.
Tisch is one of
the most esteemed film schools in the world. This year, alumni of the school
dominated the 2004 Sundance Film Festival with nine films in competition, winning
10 honors in some 21 award categories.
The winner of the
Alumni Def Filmmaker Award will be announced May 1st. For additional information
or to apply, contact: Bradley Essex at 212.992.8461.
