2007 Fusion Arts Program

Profiles of Last Year's Student Participants

Egypt

Born in Cairo, he is a student at the Academy of Arts, Higher Institute of Cinema. He wants to be a director and believes that screenwriting is the first milestone for a good movie.  He has not traveled before, and thinks that this program will benefit him throughout his life and career. His special interests are reading, football (soccer) and cooking.

Abou
Born in Giza, he is a student at the Academy of Arts, Higher Institute of Cinema. He has directed numerous short films in English and Arabic, and his work experience includes being an assistant director on two feature films. He has previously attended summer filmmaking programs in Paris and London.  He is a classical pianist and has participated in music competitions in several European countries. Special interests also include reading, art, history, writing and sports. He wants to pursue a professional career in filmmaking. 

Mayar
Born in Cairo, she is a student at the Academy of Arts, Higher Institute of Cinema with a special interest in editing. Her goal is to become one of the greatest editors ands screenwriters in Egypt. One goal while in the U.S. is to share her knowledge of Egyptian women and Egyptian society in order to clarify any misconceptions that might exist.

France

Born in Bois Guillaume, he is a recent graduate of the Lycée Jeanne d’Arc, Rouen with a Baccalauréat with Film Studies as a major.  He is currently in his second year of graduate studies at the same school, and hopes to write screenplays for films and television. He has been involved with the theater for 14 years and has composed music for short films. Interests include piano, composing and cinema. 

Oriane
Born in Saint-Nazaire, she attended ENS Louis Lumiere, Noisy le Grand where she received her Baccalauréat with high distinction.  After completing school, she would like to become a camera assistant and continue to develop her own screenplays. She has been playing the violin for 13 years, and also enjoys photography. She visited the American west with her family in 2002. 

Noemie
Born in Avignon, she received her Baccalaureat with distinction as a cinema major and in enrolled at the Lycée F. Mistral in Avignon, majoring in literature and film studies. She hopes to be accepted in the National Film School, and plans to spend her professional life writing for cinema and for the stage. Her interests include writing, reading and karate, and looks forward to meeting with students from the other countries.



Ali
Born in Beirut, he is currently a student at the Lebanese American University, majoring in Communications Arts. He has worked a freelance cameraman, editor, studio assistant and director on numerous projects. Special interests include photography, film special effects, and hope to work in a television station or production company in special effects.

Joseph
Born in Jounieh, he is a student at the Lebanese University, majoring in Theater Studies. His work experience includes being a freelance Photoshop artist, screenwriter, and drafting for an architecture firm. His special interests include music production, 3D animation, video effects and writing, and he hopes to be a film and television producer and director. One of his goals is to bridge the gap between traditional Arab values and those seen to be imported from the West. 

Tanya
Born in Beirut, she is a recent graduate from Notre Dame University (Lebanon), majoring in Communications Arts. While there, she produced, wrote, directed and editor a number of short films, documentaries, and music videos. Interests include music and photography, and she takes lessons in ballet and singing. Future goals include earning an MFA in production and directing in the U.S.

Mexico

Cavasola
Born in Mexico City, he is a student at the School of Political Science, National Autonomous University of Mexico, majoring in Communications Studies.  He has worked as a screenwriting assistant on several documentaries. His interests include film, photography, rock music and soccer.

Consuelo
Born in Saltillo, Coahuila, she is a student at the Centro Universitario de Estudios Cinematográficos, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. She has directed and edited several short films and was a host for two years of the “Hispano Rock” Spanish rock show. She lived for a year in Canada while in high school;  her interests include directing, writing, photography, costume design, Asian cultures, production design and more. She hopes to be a director or production designer as well as writing scripts. 

Jan
Born in Mexico City, he is a student at the Universidad Iberoamericana. He has participated in special film programs, including a cinematography workshop taught by Rodrigo Prieto (Babel, Brokeback Mountain). Interests include screenwriting, music, literature, contemporary art, architecture, foreign languages and cultures. After college, he hopes to pursue a master’s degree in screenwriting or film direction.

Philippines

Iyett
Born in Antipolo, Rizal, she is currently a student at Miriam College in Manila, majoring in Communication Arts and Advertising. She has written and directed several short films, and has been a host of an MTV-type show on the campus television station. She hopes to pursue a graduate degree in film production and then pursue filmmaking as a career, with an emphasis on conveying positive messages about the Philippine culture and traditions. Special interests include film criticism, history, dancing, photography and creative writing. She also participates in outreach programs at the college. 

Juan
Born in Manila, he is enrolled at the Department of Communication, Institute of Arts and Sciences, Far Eastern University.  He has written and directed several short digital films, and has worked as a freelance director.  He plans to earn a master’s degree in Film and Advertising at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, and then pursue a career as a filmmaker.  Special interests include video editing, writing, cinematography, ancient history, new technologies and the American legacy in the Philippines. 

Sherad
Born in Davao City, Mindanao, he is currently enrolled at the Department of Communication, Loyola School of Social Science, Ateneo de Manila University. He has written and directed several short films, some of which have won major awards in the Philippines. He plans to pursue a master’s degree in Filipino Literature, Social Science Studies or Visual Ethnography, using film production. Special interests include immersion in communities of indigenous peoples, literature and film theory.

United States of America

Rachel
A senior at the University of Texas in Austin, she will receive a dual degree in Radio, Television, and Film & Public Relations. During this month of May, she is working as an intern at the Cannes Film Festival with the American Pavilion;  she has also been a volunteer at several other regional film festivals in Texas. 

Michael
A senior at the University of North Texas in Denton where he is a double major in Radio/Television, Film and English. He has completed several courses in film production, film history and writing, as well as having completed senior level course work in philosophy. He looks forward to this program since he believes “that a great story and great screenplays come from the acknowledgement and consideration of all kinds of points of view,” and he is eager to meet new people in Fusion Arts.   

Shaun
A third year student at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, he is majoring in Theatre Studies and English with a Certificate in Film/Video/Digital. His special interests include performing as an actor in musical theater. He wants to write and produce his projects for the screen, and hopes that the Fusion Arts program will give him the opportunity to share his experiences with the international students. 

Gisella
A third year undergraduate at Columbia College in Chicago, she has taken numerous classes in screenwriting, production, film theory, editing and production. Last year, she placed first in a screenplay competition for her short script. She has written, directed and edited several short projects at Columbia. 

Paul
A screenwriting major at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Paul has also worked for MTV and Comedy Central, and currently works as a laboratory technician at a marine laboratory. He has traveled throughout the country and hopes to share those experiences with the international students as well as being a visible resource as a student here at USC.