Tabatha Laanui ’15 has been chosen to receive the Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television (LMU SFTV) Fellowship as part of Film Independent’s signature diversity mentorship program, Project Involve.
Laanui will receive a $10,000 grant while participating in the nine-month mentorship and support program, which is geared toward emerging filmmakers from underrepresented communities. Each fellow will have access to resources that will help them develop their skills, form relationships and creative partnerships, and make short films. Now in its 27th year, Project Involve has launched the careers of the creators behind many popular films and TV series, such as Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians); Jomo Fray (Selah and the Spades); LaToya Morgan (Into the Badlands); Justin Simien (Dear White People); and Lulu Wang (The Farewell).
Film Independent is a leading non-profit that has helped filmmakers make their movies, build an audience for their projects, and work to diversify the film industry. SFTV partners with Film Independent on several initiatives, including The Portal, the groundbreaking annual immersive storytelling showcase featuring top projects from around the world, which premiered at LMU’s Playa Vista campus in 2018. SFTV will be hosting the Film Independent Forum at the Playa Vista campus in 2020, where panels and workshops will give attendees the tools they need to get their projects off the ground.
