Each year, Film Independent awards the ELLE/Garnier Directing Fellowship to one filmmaker from our Directors Lab. The Fellowship carries a production grant of $10,000, funded by ELLE and Garnier. 

2010 ELLE/GARNIER FELLOW

A Small Act

As an impoverished boy in Kenya, Chris Mburu's life was dramatically changed when an anonymous Swedish woman sponsored his primary and secondary education. Now a Harvard-educated human-rights lawyer, he hopes to replicate the generosity he once received by founding his own scholarship fund to aid a new generation. This scholarship will educate bright kids in his village so they can also succeed and give back. But Chris is stunned when Kenya's public schools start failing, and only two new students qualify for sponsorship. Simultaneously, Kenya falls into ethnic-based election violence. After working on conflicts in neighboring countries, Chris knows that ignorance fuels ethnic hatred. Education has never been more important. Chris must decide what to do.

A SMALL ACT Trailer 2010 from Jennifer Arnold on Vimeo.

Jennifer Arnold graduated from UCLA and University of Nairobi with a BA in African History and returned to UCLA for a MFA in Film. Her award-winning short film Maid of Honor screened at Sundance before airing on HBO/Cinemax and Film 4. Jennifer returned to Sundance with her internet series The Mullet Chronicles. Jennifer also wrote a motorcross script, Speedway, which was selected for FIND’s Directors Lab and Fast Track Program. A Small Act premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and will air on HBO.

2009 ELLE/GARNIER FELLOW

Operation June Black

A righteous Christian teen sets out to save the soul of a sexy single mom, but ends up sleeping with her instead.

Bridget Bedard was raised in Utah, but escaped to New York City for many years before relocating to Los Angeles to write for television. She is currently writing for Ray Romano's new hour-long drama, Men of a Certain Age, with TNT.  Prior to that she wrote for the first season of the hit series Mad Men, which won a Golden Globe and Writer's Guild Award for Best New Series. As a graduate of NYU's prestigious MFA directing program, she has written and directed numerous award-winning shorts and was named Best Female Student director by the Director's Guild of America East. Her work has screened worldwide at festivals and on cable, including the Sundance Film Festival, the Sundance Channel, Canal Plus, and Channel Four, among many others. She is attached to direct several original scripts including one being produced by Lisa Kudrow, who will star alongside Thomas Hayden Church. Her work has been supported by numerous grants and foundations including Screen Gems, Inc., the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. She is represented by Industry Entertainment in Los Angeles, and United Talent Agency.

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