The Shockwaves Podcast and Etheria proudly announced the formation of the Stephanie Rothman Fellowship for women film students who are, or want to, make horror, science fiction, action, fantasy, and thriller films. The fellowship is open to any identifying women in an undergraduate or graduate university or college film school program around the world. Applications will be open from December 1, 2017 through April 1, 2018. The brainchild of horror scholar and USC film professor Rebekah McKendry and festival pioneers Heidi Honeycutt and Stacy Pippi of Etheria, the world’s most respected annual showcase of new sci-fi, fantasy, action, thriller and horror films directed by women, the fellowship is meant to recognize and reward the creativity and passion of female film students with an innovative take on genre filmmaking.
“If women directors want to work in mainstream film and television, they need to focus their work in the popular genres of horror, comedy, science fiction, and action films,” says Etheria Director of Programming Heidi Honeycutt. “We want to encourage female film students to contribute to the collective genre film culture and make films that audiences love.”
“I want to help other female filmmakers achieve their fullest potential and turn their dreams and visions into a reality,” says Rebekah McKendry, PhD. “By giving women the tools they need to succeed, we can begin to reshape the industry into a more gender neutral place.” Mckendry is the former marketing director of the world-famous horror magazine Fangoria, former editor of Blumhouse.com, and currently teaches cinema studies at USC.
The recipient of the inaugural Stephanie Rothman Fellowship will be announced in June, 2018 at the Etheria Film Night showcase at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California. In June 2017, Etheria honored director Rothman with the festival’s Inspiration Award for her body of directing work in horror, comedy, and thrillers such as The Student Nurses (1970), The Velvet Vampire (1971), and Terminal Island (1974). Rothman was hired by producer Roger Corman in 1966 to direct additional scenes for a horror film release, making her the first woman in history to direct a modern horror film. Rothman attended USC for film and was a co-founder of Dimension Films.
This fellowship will be awarded by passionate genre film professionals (who also happen to be genre film fans) looking to encourage and monetarily aid like-minded women filmmakers. The fellowship funds can be used towards any film school-related expenses or to fund a film. There is no submission fee. Qualifying students are encouraged to apply via Filmfreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/TheStephanieRothmanScholarshipForWomenStudentFilmmakers
