ASIFA-Hollywood and the Animation Educators Forum (AEF) announced the recipients of the 2015 AEF Scholarships. From a pool of 113 applicants, three were selected for the $5,000 scholarship and six were selected for the $2,500 scholarship. Scholarships are merit-based and designed to support college students in continuing their education in the field of animation. The awards may be applied to tuition, books and supplies, animation hardware or software and senior or graduate thesis production.
The $5,000 recipients are: Tomek Pilarski, University of Arts, Poznan, Poland; Alan Huynh, California State University, Long Beach; and Anastasiia Platoshyna, Sheridan College. The $2,500 recipients are: Michael Trikosko, Ringling College of Art and Design; Eustace Ng, Sheridan College; Michael Linhart, Griffith College; Sarah Chalek, MOPA,; Joanna K. Stopyra, Academy of Art University; and Tiffany Rodriquez, California College of the Arts.
“ASIFA’s original mission was to connect Western animation studios with Eastern European studios,” said Aubry Mintz, AEF chair and board member of ASIFA-Hollywood. “One of the recipients was from the University of Poznan in Poland. It’s nice to see this international relationship thrive so many years later.”
Mintz went on to say, “The success of this scholarship in its inaugural year is a testament to the dedication of 12 passionate educators who meet regularly outside of their busy schedules to discuss effective ways to improve animation education. With the support of ASIFA-Hollywood, the AEF steering committee is incredibly proud of the awardees of this scholarship and it is our hope this will offer support for their efforts and will serve as an expression of our confidence in their bright futures.”
“ASIFA-Hollywood is really gratified to be able to support both the Animation Educators Forum and now this very important initiative,” said Frank Gladstone, ASIFA-Hollywood executive director. “We are looking forward to continuing to fund the program and, in fact, are committed to seeing it grow as more students and schools find out about the scholarships.”
ASIFA-Hollywood supports a wide range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, Animation Aid Foundation, animated film preservation, special events, classes and screenings.
ASIFA-Hollywood is a professional organization dedicated to promoting the art of animation and its annual Annie Awards ceremony, created in 1972 by veteran voice talent June Foray, celebrates the people who create it.
