New York, U.S.A. – The Adrienne Shelly Foundation (ASF) announced on July 31, 2012 that in continuing its mission of supporting women filmmakers it has awarded five new production grants.

ASF is a non-profit organization named in honor of the late actor, writer and director Adrienne Shelly, whose life was tragically cut short on November 1, 2006.

The five grants, awarded in conjunction with ASF partners Columbia University, Boston University, Tribeca All Access, Women in Film Finishing Fund and American Film Institute, are presented each year to talented women filmmakers to help support their artistic achievements and aid in the advancement of their careers, while remembering the legacy that Adrienne left behind.

The five new 2012 grant honorees are:

• Natasha Johns-Messenger – awarded the Adrienne Shelly Foundation Best Female Director Award through Columbia University for her film ‘Blackwood’.
• Anika Poitier – awarded the Adrienne Shelly Foundation Production Grant through the American Film Institute for her film ‘Black Irish’. Poitier is the daughter of famed actor, writer and director Sir Sidney Poitier.
• Kim Rideout – awarded the Adrienne Shelly Foundation Production Grant through Boston University for her film ‘The Dog House’.
• Rose Troche – awarded the Adrienne Shelly Foundation Filmmaker Grant through Tribeca All Access for her film ‘Xanadu’.
• Christina Eliopoulos – awarded the Adrienne Shelly Foundation Grant through the Women in Film Finishing Fund for her film ‘Demon on Wheels’.

“Each year we set out to find talented, committed women filmmakers who possess a similar passion, spirit and vision for which Adrienne was known.

This year’s recipients perfectly embody the values and vision of ASF and we couldn’t be more proud to shine a spotlight on the exceptional work that they’ve done,” said ASF founder and executive director Andy Ostroy.

“We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with some of the industry’s finest academic and filmmaking institutions and help these talented women pursue their filmmaking dreams.”

About The Adrienne Shelly Foundation

Formed in January 2007, the Adrienne Shelly Foundation supports the artistic achievements of female filmmakers through a series of scholarships and grants, distributed through partnerships with Women in Film, IFP, Nantucket Film Festival, Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute, Columbia University, Boston University, American Film Institute and Rooftop Films. Since its inception, it has awarded over thirty grants to female filmmakers all over the world.

For more information, please visit www.adrienneshellyfoundation.org.

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Craig Duff, former director of multimedia and chief video journalist at TIME, will join the Medill faculty in February as a clinical professor, Dean John Lavine announced recently.

Since 2008, Duff was responsible for overseeing multimedia, video and podcast production at TIME, where he also trained reporters to use video and produced his own visual work as the magazine and website expanded digital production, both online and in tablets. He was recognized with a News and Documentary Emmy for his series on “The Iconic Photo,” a project that explained the back-story of several famous works of photojournalism.

Prior to TIME, Duff worked for more than four years with The New York Times on documentary television projects and web video journalism, and for 10 years with CNN and Turner Broadcasting, where he co-created and oversaw production of two cultural news magazine series and visual specials. He was also senior producer of CNN’s environmental unit.

“As a working video journalist who wears all the hats – reporter, producer, photographer, writer and editor – I am a living example of what is possible and expected in journalism today,” Duff said. “Most importantly I think I bring a sense of optimism. The challenges are many in the news business right now, but the opportunities are still there for those who are curious and tenacious enough to pursue them and make them happen.”

Duff has built up his academic credentials during the past few years with the thought of eventually moving to academia full time. He currently is an adjunct associate professor at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. In 2008 he was a Ferris Professor of Journalism in residence at Princeton, where he taught a seminar on multi-platform journalism. In 2006 and 2007 he was a Knight International Journalism Fellow at the Center for Electronic Journalism at the American University in Cairo.

Duff holds a Master of Arts degree in Radio, Television and Film from the University of Texas at Austin.

“At Time, we regularly have Medill students interning in our newsroom, and I have been very impressed with the caliber of journalists the school produces,” Duff said. “I’m thrilled to come to Evanston to teach such smart young people and work with the strong Medill faculty.”

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