4 filmmakers receive $50K grants to make films at ASU’s Borderlands Studios

Borderlands Studios co-founders and the inaugural Visionary Fellows pose for a picture at the convening: (from left) Alex Rivera, Rodrigo Reyes, Aurora Guerrero, Cecilia Aldarondo, Peter Bratt, and Cristina Ibarra. (Photo by Adali Schell courtesy of ASU)

By Jessica Swarner

October 11, 2024

Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra, two filmmakers who received MacArthur “Genius Grants,” founded an initiative at Arizona State University’s Sidney Poitier New American Film School to develop films that, according to the school, “challenge conventional narratives about the borderlands.”

This month, that initiative—called Borderlands Studios—named its first four filmmaker fellows, who will each receive a $50,000 grant to develop new films.

The fellows will also receive access to resources at ASU’s Tempe, Mesa, and Los Angeles locations for their work.

“I am honored to welcome the new Borderlands Fellows as they help fulfill the promise of The Poitier Film School to uphold the legacy of its namesake by disrupting the status quo and breaking down barriers to educational and cinematic equity,” Cheryl Boone Isaacs, founding director of ASU’s film school, said in a press release.

Here are the fellows, along with their bios shared in the press release:

Cecilia Aldarondo: A Guggenheim-winning writer-producer from the Puerto Rican diaspora, known for her acclaimed documentaries “Memories of a Penitent Heart,” “Landfall” and “You Were My First Boyfriend.”

Peter Bratt: A Rockefeller Fellow, Peabody Award winner, and Emmy-nominated filmmaker whose work includes the Sundance award-winning “Follow Me Home.”

Aurora Guerrero: A Chicana activist and filmmaker, recognized for her Sundance-nominated debut feature “Mosquita y Mari” and her work on Apple+ series “Sanctuary.”

Rodrigo Reyes: A Guggenheim Fellow and award-winning filmmaker whose most recent work, “Sansón and Me,” was featured in the prestigious documentary series Independent Lens.

According to ASU, only 2% of film and TV writers and directors are Latino, despite Latinos making up about 20% of the national population.

Author

Jessica Swarner

Jessica Swarner is The Copper Courier’s newsletter editor. She is an Arizona State University alumna and previously worked at KTAR News 92.3 FM in Phoenix.

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