Following the 30th Annual Gotham Awards in January, five graduate student filmmakers from schools across the US, have received distribution on JetBlue’s seatback entertainment systems under a dedicated movie category beginning 1 June.
The selected short films and filmmakers include Cousins (Mandy Marcus, Brooklyn College), Anita (Sushma Khadepaun, Columbia University), Mud & Honey (Molly Sorensen, Temple University), No Law, No Heaven (Kristi Hoi, University of California Los Angeles), and Things That Happen in the Bathroom (Edward Hancox, University of Texas, Austin).
“Following last year’s success, we expanded the program to consider projects from 16 schools across the country. We are thrilled, not only by the high-quality stories coming from daring and innovative students, but by the strong partnership we found for a second year with Focus Features and JetBlue, and for the first time with the Westridge Foundation,” said Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham. “The Gotham exists to champion underrepresented voices and this program does just that in bringing together forward-thinking creators and industry partners.”
“The arts are critical to the fabric of our New York hometown and will pave the way to the recovery of tourism, business and the hearts of New Yorkers, which is why JetBlue is thrilled to partner with The Gotham, Focus Features, and the Westridge Foundation for the second year in a row,” said Elizabeth Windram, Vice President of Marketing, JetBlue. “We are excited to continue to offer a runway for the next generation of student filmmakers and provide our customers with a discovery platform for inflight entertainment that includes not only the latest blockbusters but also up-and-coming student films that make our entertainment curated and something you won’t find anywhere else.”
The Gotham is a US-based member organisation of independent storytellers that connects artists with essential resources at all stages of development and distribution.
