Tuesday, October 11, 2011

NYU fund honours three pic projects

Readers from the Chris Columbus/Richard Vague film fund are Nicholas Brennan (second from left), Alexandra Gordon and Chloe Zhao. Venture capitalist Vague reaches far left Tisch alum Columbus is third in the right. The Kanbar Institute of Film, TV & New Media at NYU's Tisch School from the Arts has selected three readers of their 2011 Chris Columbus/Richard Vague Film Production Fund. Tisch students Nicholas Brennan, Alexandra "Sasha" Gordon and Chloe Zhao will get an overall total of $225,000 to create docu "Hard Rock Havana," "It Needed to be You" and "Lee," correspondingly. The winning three were among a large number of students to submit scripts for that award. After passing with the first stages, runners up needed to pitch and discuss their ideas -- such as the feasibility and budget from the projects -- having a group that incorporated "The AssistanceInch producer and Tisch alum Chris Columbus and venture capitalist Richard Vague. "We needed to consider whether these kids could really get these films made," Columbus told Variety. "50 percent of it's the script and 50% is, 'Do you've got a realistic budget?'?" Brennan's "Havana" follows Cuban heavy-metal band Zeus while Gordon's "You" centers around a NY jingle author on the road to self-discovery. Zhao's "Lee" informs the storyline of the daring Lakota boy around the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Columbus/Vague honours support Kanbar's recent alumni and thesis students in the grad and undergrad programs by supplying financing for his or her first features. Those who win include Andrew MacLean and Dee Rees, who used their honours to create "Around the Ice" and "Pariah," which tested at Sundance this season. Focus will release "Pariah" in December. Contact Rachel Abrams at Rachel.Abrams@variety.com

No comments:

Post a Comment