Sundance Institute Announces Ignite and Adobe Fellows (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Charna Flam The Sundance Institute has announced the 10 fellows for its 2023 Ignite x Adobe fellowship. Those selected for the yearlong program include Rafaël Beauchamp, Omi Zola Gupta, Dylan Habil, Xiaoxuan Jiang, Alvina Joshi, Milla Lewis, Andrés Lira, Dallin Mello, Leonardo Pirondi and Chloe Xtina.

The fellowship is designed to support emerging fiction and documentary filmmakers ages 18 to 25, through the assistance with artistic and professional development.

The select fellows receive an artist grant supported by Adobe and Arison Arts Foundation, a one-year complimentary membership to Adobe Creative Cloud, access to Sundance Institute alumni mentors, the opportunity to develop relationships within the Ignite community and access to the Sundance Film Festival. “Being able to discover and support emerging filmmakers while offering a space for creative risk-taking, and to do so in particular with a new generation of artists, is truly enriching,” said Toby Brooks, assistant director, Sundance Ignite. “The 2023 Sundance Ignite x Adobe fellows reflect the rising voices that are crucial to inspiring independent storytelling.” More about the 2023 fellows: Rafaël BeauchampBeauchamp is a French Canadian filmmaker whose films have been screened at SXSW, Palm Springs, Leiden Shorts, and Inside Out film festivals, and works to create genre cinema that provides a commentary on modern societal issues. Omi Zola GuptaGupta, a UK and India-based writer and director, is an incoming student at NYU Tisch’s MFA Film program.

The filmmaker’s debut short film, “Birdsong,” premiered at SXSW 2023 and was acquired by The Guardian. Dylan HabilHabil, a Kenyan filmmaker, documentary photographer, cultural historian and media strategist, works