Applications for the Stephanie Rothman Fellowship are now open. Launched to “recognize and reward the creativity and passion of female film students with an innovative take on genre filmmaking,” the Fellowship is designed to support women film students who are currently making horror, science fiction, action, fantasy, and thriller films or have ambitions to do so. Now in its second year, the Fellowship is open to any identifying women in an undergraduate or graduate university or college film school program across the globe. A press release announced that applications will be open from now until April 1, 2019.
The Fellowship is the brainchild of scholar and USC film professor Rebekah McKendry and Heidi Honeycutt and Stacy Pippi of Etheria, an annual showcase of new sci-fi, fantasy, action, thriller, and horror films helmed by women.
USC graduate Elizabeth Marshall was named the 2018 recipient of the Fellowship. She used its funds to complete post-production on “What Daphne Saw,” a horror short. She was selected on the basis of her script and personal statement. “In the months since being named the inaugural Stephanie Rothman Fellowship recipient, I have grown professionally and personally,” said Marshall. “In professional terms, the fellowship allowed me to bring to life a story that was very important and personal to me; a story I initially didn’t believe would have an audience. As a woman, finding confidence in your creative voice can be challenging because the focus has historically been on men’s stories. Receiving this prestigious award has affirmed my belief in myself and my vision as a genre filmmaker; I have a newfound confidence in my work, as well as the belief that my voice has a place and matters.”
The recipient of the second Stephanie Rothman Fellowship will be announced June 22. The Fellowship’s namesake is known for directing titles such as “The Student Nurses,” “The Velvet Empire,” and “Terminal Island,” and other works in the horror, comedy, and thriller genres. A USC alumna, Rothman was a co-founder of Dimension Films.
Find more information about the Fellowship and apply over at Filmfreeway. There’s no submission fee. If you’d like to donate money to the fund, you can do so via PayPal at RothmanDonations@yahoo.com.
