THE GOTHAM ANNOUNCES STUDENT FILMMAKERS AND ENTREPRENEURS SELECTED FOR 2024 GOTHAM EDU FILM & MEDIA CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
by The Gotham Staff on June 17, 2024
Fifth Cycle of the Gotham EDU Program Includes Scholarships in Support of Students from Underrepresented Backgrounds, Internship Placements, and Focus Areas in Entrepreneurship, Representation, and Digital Storytelling
New York, NY (June 17, 2024) – The Gotham announced today its selections for the Summer 2024 cohort of The Gotham EDU Film and Media Career Development Program, The Gotham’s eight-week program for catapulting students into the media workforce with mentorship, candid industry insights, comprehensive resources, and support in developing their selected projects.
The expanded 2024 curriculum will span networking, development, pitching, marketing, public relations, independent filmmaking, television writing, digital storytelling, and entrepreneurship, with workshops, peer-to-peer sessions, and open conversations that allow students to explore opportunities and carve a strategic path into the media industry. In previous EDU cycles, session leaders have come from Showtime, FilmNation, Amblin, CAA, Archer Gray, PBS, Cinereach, and MTV.
“We are thrilled to host 30 students from colleges and universities around the country for this year’s Gotham EDU Career Development program,” said The Gotham’s Deputy Director, Kia Brooks. “Providing resources and access to industry leaders will help shape the bright futures of these remarkable students.”
The Film and Media Career Development Program is supported through corporate sponsorships including: MoviePass and MTV. Philanthropic support for this program is led by Soledad O’Brien and the Burke Family Foundation. This combined support allows for the Career Development Program to provide full tuition for all 30 selected students, who represent 19 schools.
“Since its founding in 2019, The Gotham EDU has welcomed over 200 students into the broader Gotham community. These students have been invited to expand their networks and form lasting creative partnerships that will benefit their careers well into the future,” stated Jeffrey Sharp, The Gotham’s Executive Director.
The student participants will also have the opportunity to attend this year’s Gotham Week. Select students will participate in paid internships at The Gotham and MTV Entertainment Group’s Ambassador’s Program.
The program now has 124 alumni representing 34 schools. Student alumni of the program have gone on to work at A24, Apple, Amazon Studios, CBS News, HBO Documentaries, PBS Kids, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Showtime Networks, Nickelodeon, Nike, NBC Universal, Paramount, and the United Talent Agency (UTA).
The Gotham EDU 2024 Career Development Program runs from June 17 to August 9, 2024. The first Career Development Program was held with 22 students in 2020. The Summer 2024 program will be the fifth edition with 30 students. It will continue to be run virtually to improve access for students across the country.
Another Gotham EDU initiative underway for 2024 is the Focus Features & JetBlue Student Short Film Showcase.
The list of the 30 students selected for the Gotham EDU 2024 Career Development Program are as follows:
Recipients of The Joel Schumacher | Sophia Cranshaw Scholarship supported by the MTV Entertainment Group:
Javier Cruz-Ginez, The Ohio State University
Kaya Trefz, New York University
Lauren Barina, Columbia College Chicago
Mahbuba Sumiya, Harvard University
Polly Chesnokova, Dartmouth College
Recipients of The Sidney Poitier Initiative Scholarship supported by MoviePass:
Ariana Neal, Columbia University
Busola King Adeboyejo, University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Lauren Luke, New York University
Olivia Charis, Yale University
Samuel Vargas, Miami Dade College
Recipients of The Executive Leadership Fellowship supported by Soledad O’Brien:
Abisola Mohammed, Ohio University
Gabrielle Santo, Hunter College
Recipients of the Burke Family Foundation include:
Alex Aljouni, University of California, Los Angeles
Bianca Vucetich, Nova Southeastern University
Chad Mow, Miami-Dade College
Sumana Syed, Columbia College Chicago
Julius Ewungkem Jr., Harvard University
Recipient of The Islamic Scholarship Foundation:
Sumana Syed
Gotham EDU Member Institutions:
Colgate University:
Brayden Barros-King, Colgate University
Hugh Carlin, Colgate University
Jieni Wu, Colgate University
John Cremins, Colgate University
Lincoln University:
Danielle Vignovich, Lincoln University
Supported by The Gotham:
Michelle Tang, Princeton University
Molly Smith, Yale University
Mrugesh Thakor, Pratt Institute
Oliver Schaffer, Emerson College
Osaro Lee, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Santiago Pacheco, University of Texas at Austin
Zaryah Qareeb, Emerson College
Sumana Syed, Columbia College Chicago
Julius Ewungkem Jr., Harvard University
Michelle Tang, Princeton University
Molly Smith, Yale University
Mrugesh Thakor, Pratt Institute
Oliver Schaffer, Emerson College
Osaro Lee, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Santiago Pacheco, University of Texas at Austin
Zaryah Qareeb, Emerson College
Ebun Adebonojo, New York University
About the Gotham Film & Media Institute
The Gotham celebrates and nurtures independent film and media creators, providing career-building resources, access to industry influencers, and pathways to wider recognition. The organization, under the leadership of Executive Director and award-winning producer Jeffrey Sharp, fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include Gotham Week, Gotham Labs, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gotham Awards, Gotham EDU, Owning It, and Expanding Communities.
# # #
PRESS CONTACT: