The Fellowship Forum is an annual celebration of cinematic creativity, hosted by the Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts at the School of Arts and Humanities. Photos by Rich Soublet.
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A dozen students, faculty and alumni gathered to share their projects, which ranged from experimental documentaries to immersive narratives and global research on media and film.
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Fellowships are a cornerstone of The Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts, fostering engagement, exploration and innovation in film.
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The 2025 Fellowship Forum featured a dynamic three-part program, blending film clips with lively panel discussions in 40-minute sessions. The panel discussions were moderated by the Center's Director Michael Trigilio as well as Visual Arts Professor Mariah Garnett.
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The event showcased diverse artistic visions and dynamic research produced by student, faculty and staff fellows, offering audiences an inspiring look into the creative work shaping the future of cinematic arts.
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Established in 2022, the Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts promotes research, scholarship, teaching, production and exhibition of film and moving-image arts.
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Fellows are engaged in a variety of disciplines, spanning visual arts, literature, film studies and theatre and dance.
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Nearly 50 filmmakers and scholars have received funding and access to professional filming equipment thus far. Pictured here are current fellows Miles Ortiz-Green, Robert Twomey, Alexander Lowe, James DeLisio, Lennon Lilienthal-Wynn, Hande Sever, Sophia Cleary, Joe Riley, Wentao Ma, Jamil Baldwin, Jorge Sánchez Cruz and Blake Riesenfeld.
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The fellowship program was launched in 2022 through the generosity of the Israni Family, whose support also made this dynamic center possible. Pictured here are Deepak and Varsha Israni with Michael Trigilio and close family and friends of the Isranis.
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The study and production of moving-image arts has been steadily growing for years at UC San Diego. That growth accelerated this fall with the launch of a new major in cinematic arts, now open to all current and prospective students.
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Fellowships provide funding and access to professional production equipment, enabling filmmakers and scholars to bring their creative visions and research to life.
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