Federica Belletti Awarded BAFTA-Yugo Short Film Commissioning Grant
Writer-producer Federica Belletti has been awarded the BAFTA-Yugo Short Film Commissioning Grant for her film “Arya.”
The annual prize, now in its fourth year, is awarded to a short film project focusing on wellbeing among 15 to 25-year-olds.
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Third-year BAFTA Newcomer Belletti, who will receive a $12,000 grant, was selected by a jury comprised of film industry figures.
They included Abby Bentley (marketing director at Yugo), Constanza and Doménica Castro (founders of 271 Films), Bryan Dimas (producer and co-founder of LatinX in Animation), producer Marianne Gray, Film Mode Entertainment VP Lydia Ianni, last year’s grant-winner Mishal Mahmud, actors John Pirkis and Danny Ramirez, director Rachel Raimist and TV writer and creator Taneka Stotts
“We are committed to doing all we can to help remove the barriers that talented people from all walks of life face when entering and developing a career in our industry,” said BAFTA’s Matthew Wiseman, executive director and head of North America. “From grassroots programs in local schools, to international student competitions, it is vital we create opportunities to inspire new voices and help shape the future of our industry. Initiatives like the BAFTA-Yugo Commissioning Grant are important to our mission as an arts organization, and we are so delighted to be able to conclude a productive year by providing financial support to this important project.”
As part of BAFTA’s commitment to bringing new voices into the entertainment industry, this year the organization hosted a 10-week virtual internship program with the Los Angeles Unified School District and welcomed 15 local residents to its inaugural four-year Vance Byrd Mentorship Program.
The Yugo BAFTA Student Awards, which took place in July, saw a record-breaking 715 submissions from film students in 36 countries.
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