Filmmaking alumna Summer Shelton wins producing award

Mount Airy native Summer Shelton, a 2008 graduate of the School of Filmmaking at University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), has won the Piaget Producers Award in the Film Independent Spirit Awards. Shelton produced “Keep the Change,” winner of Best Narrative Feature at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. It will screen April 13-19 at Aperture Cinema in downtown Winston-Salem.

Shelton’s films have premiered at some of the world’s most prestigious festivals, including Sundance, Venice, Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic, and Tribeca and New Directors/New Films in New York. She is the recipient of several prestigious film producing fellowships. She was co-producer of alumnus Angus MacLachlan’s “Goodbye to All That” in 2014, which was nominated for Best Narrative Feature at Tribeca. 

Film Independent is a distinct organization that has celebrated artist-driven filmmaking since 1980. Members are filmmakers, film industry leaders and film lovers.

“The members of Film Independent are professionals with unique vision and passion for storytelling,” said Film Dean Susan Ruskin. “That perfectly describes Summer Shelton, who has produced films that are incredibly well-crafted. This award from her peers is richly deserved, and we congratulate her.”  

“The members of Film Independent are professionals with unique vision and passion for storytelling. That perfectly describes Summer Shelton, who has produced films that are incredibly well-crafted. This award from her peers is richly deserved, and we wish her the best.”

Film Dean Susan Ruskin

For 21 years, the Piaget Producers Award has honored emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant sponsored by Piaget. 

More about Summer Shelton

Summer Shelton produced the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival Best Narrative Feature “Keep the Change” that was also awarded a FIPRESCI Critics’ Prize at the 2017 Karlovvy Vary International Film Festival. She recently wrapped postproduction on the feature “Maine” (2018) produced with Beachside Films. She was Executive Producer of “People Places Things” which premiered in U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival; produced “Icarus” (short) which premiered at the 2015 New Directors/New Films Festival; and produced “Little Accidents,” which had its world premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. She co-produced “Goodbye to All That” (2014) and “Adult World” (2013) both of which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

She has worked alongside critically-acclaimed director Ramin Bahrani as associate producer of “Goodbye Solo” (2008), an official selection of the Venice Film Festival; as co-producer of “Plastic Bag” (2009), the opening night short film of the Corto Cortissimo in the Venice Film Festival; as associate producer of “At Any Price” (2012), which premiered in main competition at the Venice Film Festival; and as producer of “Ég Anda” (2012), a short film created as part of Sigur Rós's Valteri mystery film experiment.

Shelton was the recipient of the inaugural Bingham Ray Creative Producing Fellowship awarded by the Sundance Institute (2012), a Rotterdam Producing Fellowship (2013) and Film Independent Sloan Producing Fellowship (2014).

by Lauren Whitaker

Originally published December 13, 2017 / Last updated March 23, 2018