Perenchio Family Endowed Scholarship To Support Diversity At The AFI Conservatory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 28, 2020, Los Angeles, CA – The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today that it has received a $5 million gift from the Perenchio Foundation, established to fulfill the charitable wishes of Andrew Jerrold “Jerry” Perenchio, who passed away in 2017. The gift will fund the Perenchio Family Endowed Scholarship to support diverse voices at the AFI Conservatory.

“Though he was famously anonymous in his philanthropy, Jerry’s generosity knew no bounds,” said Bob Daly, Chair of the AFI Board of Directors. “Through this endowed scholarship at the AFI Conservatory, his legacy will continue to echo across generations in tomorrow’s storytellers.”

The first AFI Conservatory Perenchio Fellows will be announced in the coming months.

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, Sam Esmail, Brad Falchuk, Liz Hannah, Patty Jenkins, Janusz Kamiński, Matthew Libatique, David Lynch, Melina Matsoukas, Polly Morgan, Rachel Morrison and Wally Pfister, among others.

About the American Film Institute (AFI)
Established in 1967, the American Film Institute is the nation’s non-profit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring artists and audiences through initiatives that champion the past, present and future of the moving image. AFI’s pioneering programs include filmmaker training at the AFI Conservatory; year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center and at AFI Festivals across the nation; workshops aimed at increasing diversity in the storytelling community; honoring today’s masters through the AFI Life Achievement Award and AFI AWARDS; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films that uphold film history for future generations. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media
at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, YouTube.com/AFI, Twitter.com/AmericanFilm and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.

###
MEDIA CONTACT:
American Film Institute: Stacy Adamski, 323.856.7759, [email protected]