The National Board of Review Announces 2015 Student Grant Winners

THE NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW ANNOUNCES 2015 STUDENT GRANT WINNERS New York, NY (July 6, 2015) – The National Board of Review announced today that it will be awarding grant money through the organization’s annual Student Grant Program to 23 filmmakers, including nine graduate students and fourteen undergraduate students. These schools include Brooklyn College, City […]

Stay Awake – Directed by Jamie Sisley

Brothers, a mother, songs from the seventies, Xanax, and a woman named Vicki. Stay Awake follows two teenage brothers through their weekly routine of finding their wandering mother and taking her to the hospital to detox from a prescription drug addiction. When it becomes clear that their mom may never get better, both brothers have to decide whether to remain in the cycle, or move on.

San Miguel – Directed by Cristina Tamez Rodriguez

San Miguel tells the story of Ana, a devout 9-year-old girl that has to deal with the solitude that comes with having a mother who remains in a paralyzed state of grief. Unable to go back or move forward, Ana’s only hope is to alleviate the pain of her mother through divine intervention.

Running Condition – Directed by Jeff Huston

An obscure birth defect left Julian’s eyes highly sensitive to light. Consumed with a fear of the outside world, he receded into the shadows. When he hires Katherine, a short-term assistant, an unexpected friendship blossoms. But his carefully constructed world begins to destabilize when his feelings for her intensify.

Q&A with Writer/Director Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, and Melonie Diaz

You all shot for a few nights on the actual BART platform where this tragedy took place. Can you talk about that experience?
Diaz: It was one of the most intense things. You can still feel the ghosts there, the presence of the pain and violence and fear and everything that went down that night. That day was special. We started off with a prayer. It was powerful.

Q&A with Richard Tanne

What did your writing process entail?
It kind of had the whiff of destiny, from the time I read the book.

Q&A with Oliver Hermanus

What was your experience working with the author of the memoir on which the film is based?
Oliver Hermanus: The first thing I did, when I was certain I would tackle it, was I met with [author Andre Carl van der Merwe] a few times.

Q&A with Michael Fassbender

When an actor does Macbeth on stage, they get to experience the character straight through. How was it playing it in a film?
It’s just a normal thing, really. It’s such a rare opportunity to do something in chronological order when filming; it just never really happens.