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2021-22 Mitchell Scholars Featured In LSA Magazine

SCREEN TIME

 

The new Mitchell Scholarship supports students in film, television, and media who want to become media professionals and connects them with Hollywood producers, screenwriters, TV writers, and filmmakers who can help show them the way.

 

by Gina Balibrera and Katie Vloet

 

Please note that these bios were submitted in Fall of 2021 and are published for archival purposes only.

Winter 2022

 

Peter Benedek (at center) Michigan alum, and Founder of the United Talent Agency, met with this year’s Mitchell Scholars (L to R) Johannes Pardi, Nick Ferraina, Brendan Dewley, Ashely Morrow, Jacob Shin, and Sawyer Rewa, and the fall and winter advanced screenwriting seminar students on Friday, February 12, 2022, in the FTVM Conference Room.Mr. Benedek discussed his career as an agent and the building of UTA into one of the premiere talent agencies in the world. He answered students' questions about how to enter the Entertainment Industry -- both on the business and on the creative side -- and discussed all the various positions they hoped to hold.


Photo courtesy of Mary Lou Chlipala 

Fall 2021


Photos courtesy of Mary Lou Chlipala   

 

FTVM Mitchell Scholars kicked off their fall programming by attending a screenwriting seminar with writer and producer Bill Collage and Professor Jim Burnstein (above, top middle) on September 24, 2021 -- and a meet and greet with Department Chair Yeidy Rivero and Dean Curzan on October 1, 2021 (above, bottom right). On Thursday, October 5, 2021, the scholars were invited to  the SOUL screening at the Michigan Theater followed by a Q & A with co-writer and co-director Kemp Powers (below).


Photo courtesy of Mary Lou Chlipala  


On Friday, November 12, 2021, FTVM Associate Chair and Production Faculty David Marek (at far right) conducted a hybrid seminar for the current cohort of Mitchell Scholars in which he discussed how to navigate the world of film festivals. Drawing on his own experiences as an independent filmmaker, Marek discussed the research and strategies involved in discovering how to choose which festival is "right for your film" -- and shared a festival submission template for students to investigate. 


Photo courtesy of Mary Lou Chlipala


On November 15, 2021, our John H. Mitchell Visiting Professor in Media EntertainmentJanet Leahy (top, center) met with the acclaimed 2020 and 2021 recipients of the Mitchell Scholarship in person in our FTVM conference room.  Ms. Leahy and the students examined the inner workings of the Mad Men writers' room, the relationship between writing and producing for television, and how to transition from life at University of Michigan to the working world in Los Angeles and elsewhere.