UNCSA School of Filmmaking alumni earn notable honors during 2023-24 school year

Several alumni from the School of Filmmaking at UNCSA earned notable honors with prestigious career development opportunities during the 2023-24 school year. Awarding organizations include the Television Academy Foundation, the Directors Guild of America (DGA), The Art Directors Guild, The American Society of Cinematographers and more.

"I am incredibly proud of our Filmmaking students for earning such prestigious accolades,” said School of Filmmaking Dean Deborah LaVine. “Their creativity, hard work and commitment to excellence are truly inspiring. These achievements showcase the remarkable talents of our students and the collaborative spirit that defines UNCSA and the support they receive from our world-class faculty. I am honored to celebrate their successes and look forward to the continued impact they will have on the industry."

Alums Tim Shibles (B.F.A. ’24) and Mark Jabourian (B.F.A. ’23) were a part of the Television Academy Foundation’s 2023 intern cohort. Shibles focused on art direction and set decoration during his internship at James Pearse Connelly, an Emmy Award-winning design services company.

"I've always had a flair when it comes to design, but if it wasn't for my best friend in high school, I know for a fact I wouldn't be where I am today,” he told the Academy. “He introduced me to some of my favorite TV shows like ‘Game of Thrones,’ and along the way, I found what spoke to me individually. I'm looking forward to working alongside him in the television industry at some point."

Jabourian earned a special visual effects internship at CoSA VFX, a visual effects studio that provides visual effects for television, movies, streaming and more. The internship was the first of its kind with the company.

"I think the Television Academy Foundation Internship Program is one of the most valuable, validating experiences I've had in recent years,” Jabourian shared. “It allows seasoned industry professionals to support your strengths, while also showing you how to alter or make the most of your weaknesses."

Alumna Mary Louise Renegar (B.F.A. ’24) won a Directors Guild of America Student Award jury prize in the best women student filmmakers’ East Coast category for directing the narrative film “The Chaperone.” The film is about two discontented women who accompany one another on their travel and become more than strangers.

Several Filmmaking alumni were involved in the film including writers Emma Chandler (B.F.A. ’24) and Priscilla Witt (B.F.A. ’24), producer Cassidy Scott (B.F.A. ’24), cinematographer Joshua Campbell (B.F.A. ’24), editor Matthew Valledor Cruz (B.F.A. ’24), production designer Leela Hoerschelmann (B.F.A. ’24), and School of Design and Production alumna Jade Soto (B.F.A. ’23), who was the hair and makeup designer. This is second year in a row that a Filmmaking student from UNCSA has won a DGA jury award.

In addition, Filmmaking alumnae Emma Reynolds (B.F.A. ’23) and Kat Garrido (B.F.A. ’23) have each won an Art Directors Guild Production Design Initiative Award. Both Reynolds and Garrido submitted a 15-page portfolio as part of the application process for the job placement and training program.

Also, from the School of Filmmaking, alumnus Rob C. Givens (B.F.A. ’05) was nominated for an American Society of Cinematographers Award in the one-hour regular series category for his work on an episode of the CW show “Gotham Nights.”

Finally, Filmmaking alumna Wesley Broome (B.F.A. ’15, M.F.A. ’24) was recently offered an internship at PBS North Carolina with a focus on national productions. It is set to begin this month.

About the School of Filmmaking

Consistently recognized as among the nation’s best training programs for filmmakers, the School of Filmmaking has produced some of today’s most creative storytellers.

The award-winning faculty have decades of real-world experience and a passion for mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in concentrations that include animation, cinematography, directing, film music composition, picture editing and sound design, producing, production design and visual effects, and screenwriting. Students are able to develop individualized portfolios through collaborations with other students from different disciplines which enables them to learn industry standards and protocol and practice their craft on state-of-the-art sound stages and studios with professional equipment. Through the curriculum, faculty and staff are able to connect students with visiting guest artists and gain exclusive access to never-before-seen films, shows and scripts. The film school’s Media + Emerging Technology Lab (METL) is dedicated to the exploration and production of immersive storytelling content. Students have the added benefit of annual trips to Los Angeles and New York City to connect with industry professionals. The film school also maintains partnerships with the RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem and the Sundance Film Festival.

Notable alumni from the School of Filmmaking include Vera Herbert (“This is Us,” “Don’t Make Me Go”); Danny McBride (“The Righteous Gemstones,” “Eastbound & Down”); David Gordon Green (the “Exorcist” and “Halloween” franchises, “Manglehorn”); Zach Seivers (“Nomadland,” “Raymond & Ray”); Brett Haley (“Hearts Beat Loud,” “The Hero”); Rebecca Green (“It Follows,” “I’ll See You in My Dreams”); Jody Hill (“The Righteous Gemstones,” “Vice Principals”); Jeff Nichols (“The Bikeriders,” “Loving”); Martha Stephens (“To the Stars”); Aaron Katz (“Land Ho!” “Gemini”); Kaitlyn Ali (“Queen & Slim,” “The Trial of the Chicago 7”); Tim Orr (“Raising Victor Vargas,” “Joe”); Will Files (“The Batman,” “Stranger Things”); and Zoë White (“The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Westworld”).

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June 12, 2024