AFI SELECTS PARTICIPANTS FOR THIS YEAR’S CINEMATOGRAPHY INTENSIVE FOR WOMEN
Workshop Runs July 27-30 on the AFI Campus
Program Presented by Panavision
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Los Angeles, CA, July 26, 2024 – Today, the American Film Institute (AFI) announced the filmmakers selected for its 2024 Cinematography Intensive for Women (CIW) presented by Panavision. Alexis Chinery, Setare Gholipour, J. Amy Limpinyakul, Katerina Olkhovaya, Shannon Palmer, Kai Philavanh, Stephanie Rose, Nichole Ruiz, Nicole Simmons, Hil Steadman, Faye Tsakas and Sarah Winters are among the artists selected for the 2024 edition.
CIW is one of AFI’s tuition-free educational programs and is designed to provide emerging and aspiring cinematographers with additional training to help them advance in their education, craft and career. The curriculum is modeled after the AFI Conservatory MFA program and features hands-on master classes in the fundamentals of cinematography, along with discussions about the film industry and what it means to navigate such environments as women, nonbinary and historically underrepresented cinematographers. Spearheaded by AFI Conservatory Cinematography Discipline Head Stephen Lighthill, ASC, the intensive starts tomorrow, July 27, and continues through July 30 and will take place on the AFI Campus in Los Angeles.
“It is an honor to celebrate the fifth edition of the Cinematography Intensive for Women, and to continue to increase the presence of women cinematographers in the industry. We are grateful to all of AFI Staff and Faculty, and our partners at Panavision, for their unwavering dedication to ensure this program is a beacon of inspiration – and treasure trove of information – for young cinematographers,” said Lighthill. “We look forward to welcoming the new participants tomorrow on the AFI Campus and providing them with a unique and transformative learning experience.”
“Congratulations to all of this year’s participants,” said Panavision President and CEO Kim Snyder. “The AFI Cinematography Intensive for Women gathers such incredible talent and provides them with an invaluable opportunity to gain experience, further their filmmaking education, and expand their professional networks. We’re thrilled to return as the program’s presenting sponsor and to support these cinematographers at this exciting moment in their careers.”
Since its launch in 2018, CIW has featured prominent cinematographers as well as notable AFI Conservatory Faculty and Alumni as guest lecturers and teachers, including Emmy® nominee Autumn Durald Arkapaw, ASC (BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER); Emmy® nominee Ava Berkofsky (INSECURE); Natasha Braier, ASC, ADF (SHE SAID); AFI Conservatory Chair of Visual Storytelling Bill Dill, ASC (B.A.P.S., SOUL FOOD); Jih-E Peng (THE LIGHT AND THE LITTLE GIRL); Polly Morgan, ASC, BSC (THE WOMAN KING); Sandra Valde-Hansen, ASC (PLAN B, THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY); and more.
The AFI Cinematography Intensive for Women is presented by Panavision.
About the 2024 Participants:
Alexis Chinery
Alexis Chinery is a cinematographer based in Maryland whose passion lies in creating an even playing field for marginalized voices to be heard. Her degree in economics was a defining catalyst for her first job as a producer. After a year of producing, Chinery began to desire to be a more technical presence on set. In 2015 she began her journey as a cinematographer. She focused her efforts on shaping the story through frame composition and lighting and has been fortunate enough to DP and camera operate on productions under Apple TV+, A&E and BET, as well as some incredible independent works.
Setare Gholipour
Setare Gholipour is an Iranian-born cinematographer and filmmaker living in New York City. She regularly collaborates as a cinematographer, writer and director with other creatives and enjoys alternating between scripted and nonfiction projects.
Amy Limpinyakul
Amy Limpinyakul grew up in Chicago where she learned the importance of hard work and building a community – both ideologies that she carries to her work as a cinematographer. Recently, she was the 2nd Unit DP for THE BEAR, in which she was praised for capturing the essence of Chicago that is rarely showcased. Her second feature CECILY AND LYDIA AT THE WAYPOINT garnered much attention for its depiction of a lush yet eerie world. Limpinyakul’s approach to cinematography is rooted in empathy. Her professional experience tied with her upbringing gives her a unique perspective behind the lens.
Katerina Olkhovaya
Katerina Olkhovaya was born and raised in Moscow where she studied political science and worked in journalism before moving to New York in 2017 to study documentary filmmaking. Shortly after, she fell in love with cinematography and enrolled in a cinematography conservatory program. Since graduating, she’s been working on short films, music videos and documentaries as a cinematographer, gaffer and AC.
Shannon Palmer
Shannon Palmer is a cinematographer hailing from Baltimore, MD. Originally making a name for herself in documentary filmmaking, her work now spans commercials, narratives and episodic. She has shot for streaming platforms Amazon Prime Video (ALWAYS JANE, 2021), ESPN+ (ABBY’S PLACES, 2022) and Showtime (XY CHELSEA, 2019) and gained recognition for the experimental documentary MAKING OF PANTHERA (Vimeo Staff Pick, 2019). Palmer has shot for many large brands, including Under Armour, Amazon, Nike, Adidas, HBO, Target, P&G, Baileys, Haagen-Dazs and more. She is currently represented by Neer Motion.
Kai Philavanh
Kai Philavanh is a Korean-Southeast Asian cinematographer based in Los Angeles. Her interest in visual storytelling led her to Syracuse University where she received a bachelor’s degree in film. She began her career as a technician at rental houses and has since worked on a variety of projects that range from narrative, documentary, music videos and commercials. With a visual style that draws from her background in documentary and photography, Philavanh aims to capture the emotional nuance and unexpected beauty of the human condition in her images.
Stephanie Rose
Stephanie Rose is a Peruvian-American cinematographer and camera operator based in Phoenix, Arizona. Inspired by the grassroots media creation she witnessed while living in Egypt during the 2011 uprising, she went on to receive an MA in Screen Documentary from Goldsmiths, University of London. Having primarily worked on documentaries for companies like Netflix, Al Jazeera and Bloomberg, she is now seeking pathways into narrative filmmaking. Deeply curious about the realms of the unseen, Rose is also a certified death doula and a student of indigenous dreamwork traditions.
Nichole Ruiz
Nichole Ruiz is an LA-based cinematographer, who comes from the Philippines where she earned her degree at the University of the Philippines Diliman before honing her craft at the New York Film Academy. With a vibrant portfolio spanning feature films, shorts, music videos and web series, Ruiz’s work is celebrated, notably her feature TAHANAN (HOME), which won the grand prize at the Culver City Film Festival in 2022. Co-founder of Howling Gale Entertainment, she champions diverse perspectives in entertainment. Ruiz’s passion for visual storytelling and responsible filmmaking drives her to create impactful narratives that resonate deeply with audiences.
Nicole Simmons
Nicole Simmons is a cinematographer based in Dallas, Texas. Originally from Oklahoma City, Simmons began her film journey at the University of North Texas earning a BA degree and continuing education with a degree from the Art Institute of Dallas. Simmons’ passion and mission in filmmaking is to tell compelling stories through the art of cinematography. Working in the film and television for over 10 years, Simmons has worked on several feature and short films, narrative and reality television shows, and a host of smaller projects. Her goal is to share stories that blend traditional and innovative cinematography techniques and provide social commentary.
Hil Steadman
Hil Steadman is a New York-based cinematographer and photographer. Born and raised on a tree farm, Steadman’s interest in creating images is rooted in patience, observation and curiosity. Their work explores queerness, community, music, unique characteristics of people and objects, and what you see when you look with love. Steadman studied closely with Peter Hutton, Larry Fink and Stephen Shore. Steadman’s work has been featured on sites that include Rolling Stone Magazine, The New York Times, Paper Mag, NPR, Stereogum and The Fader. Based in Brooklyn, NY, they freelance full-time and co-founded a small production company called Anima Works.
Faye Tsakas
Faye Tsakas is a Greek-American cinematographer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. She was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Cinema in 2023. Her work has screened at SXSW, Hot Docs, IFFR, True/False Film Festival, AFI FEST, Camden Film Festival, Champs Elysées Film Festival, Rooftop Films and Palm Springs International ShortFest, among others, and has been distributed and featured by The New Yorker, NYTimes Op Docs, Vimeo Staff Picks, Nowness and Paper Magazine. She received her BA in American Studies from Cornell University and her MFA in Documentary Film and Video at Stanford University.
Sarah Winters
Sarah Winters is a Los Angeles-based cinematographer who specializes in character-driven indies, lifestyle branded content, comedy and documentary. Raised in Chicago, Winters grew up an avid reader and poet. She went to Occidental College to study literature, then to USC for film school where she discovered a love of camera and the emotive ways that photography was similar to poetry. She started studying camera full-time, inside and outside of classes, working as an unpaid camera assistant on countless sets until she graduated in 2017 and began freelancing full-time. She prioritizes creating set environments that are communicative, inclusive and down-to-earth.
CIW is part of the AFI Conservatory’s Department of Innovative Programs, which also includes the landmark AFI DWW+ program. Through a range of learning opportunities, Innovative Programs serves a diverse community of aspiring visual storytellers to cultivate cutting-edge technological and media-making skills, bridge access to professional networks and place participants on an upward career trajectory. Learn more at Conservatory.AFI.com/Innovative-Programs/.
About the American Film Institute (AFI)
The American Film Institute (AFI) is a nonprofit organization with a mandate to champion the moving image as an art form. Established in 1967, AFI launched the first comprehensive history of American film and sparked the movement for film preservation in the United States. In 1969, AFI opened the doors of the AFI Conservatory, a graduate-level program to train narrative filmmakers. The Conservatory, which counts Deniese Davis, Affonso Gonçalves, Susannah Grant, Matthew Libatique, David Lynch, Melina Matsoukas and Rachel Morrison as Alumni, is ranked the #1 film school in America. AFI’s enduring traditions include the AFI Life Achievement Award, which honors the masters for work that has stood the test of time; AFI AWARDS, which celebrates the creative ensembles of the most outstanding screen stories of the year; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and the AFI Archive that preserve film history for future generations. AFI exhibition programs include AFI FEST and year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Maryland. AFI Movie Club is a destination for movie lovers from around the world to celebrate and engage with the art form every day. Other pioneering programs include workshops aimed at increasing diversity in the storytelling community, including AFI DWW+ and the AFI Cinematography Intensive for Women. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, YouTube.com/AFI, X.com/AmericanFilm, TikTok.com/@americanfilminstitute and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.
About the AFI Conservatory
The AFI Conservatory opened its doors in 1969 to an inaugural class that included Terrence Malick, Caleb Deschanel and Paul Schrader. Today, the Conservatory offers a two-year MFA degree in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting. In a collaborative production environment, AFI Fellows learn to master the art of storytelling, collectively creating up to 175 films a year. Fellows actively participate in the entire life cycle of a film, from development through production and exhibition.
Alumni of this elite program, ranging from modern masters to bold new voices defining the state of the art form, include Andrea Arnold, Darren Aronofsky, Ari Aster, Deniese Davis, Sam Esmail, Brad Falchuk, Affonso Gonçalves, Susannah Grant, Liz Hannah, Patty Jenkins, Janusz Kamiński, Matthew Libatique, David Lynch, Melina Matsoukas, Polly Morgan, Rachel Morrison and Wally Pfister, among others.
About Panavision
Panavision is the world-class provider of end-to-end solutions that power the creative vision of filmmakers. Panavision’s comprehensive offerings include unparalleled optics, proprietary camera and lighting systems, and state-of-the-art post-production services. Driven by a passion for collaborative innovation, Panavision provides the content-creation industry with the highest standard of quality and service.
Panavision’s portfolio includes the renowned brands Light Iron, Panalux, LEE Filters, Direct Digital and Island Studios. For more information and locations worldwide, visit Panavision.com.
Press contact:
American Film Institute
Shari Mesulam, [email protected]
