The Academy Announces 2017 Film Scholars Grant Recipients

Dr. Ross Melnick and Dr. James Tweedie have been named 2017 Academy Film Scholars by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and based on their proposals both Melnick and Tweedie receive a $25,000 Film Scholars grant.

Their respective book projects focus on Hollywood's foreign ownership and operation of movie theaters and the history and theory of Hollywood production design. 

"The Academy is delighted to support the noteworthy efforts of Melnick and Tweedie, whose unique visions will illuminate fundamental aspects of Hollywood history through new lenses," said Academy Grants Committee Chair Buffy Shutt. "We are confident these ambitious scholars will further the understanding and appreciation of motion pictures and hope their completed projects will spark inspiration in their peers and industry professionals alike."

Dr. Melnick is an Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies at University of California, Santa Barbara.  His project will examine the political, cultural, and industrial history of Hollywood's foreign ownership and operation of hundreds of motion picture theaters in Asia, Africa, Europe, Australasia, and South America from 1923 to 2013.

Dr. Tweedie is an Associate Professor of Comparative Literature, Cinema and Media, University of Washington.  His book project will construct both a history and a theory of Hollywood production design, as it foregrounds the contributions of designers to the look of studio films and explains why that contribution matters, why design should be placed at the center of the creative process when we consider the classical studio system and its contemporary successors.

Melnick and Tweedie join 12 Academy film scholars who are currently working on projects and 17 other scholars whose works have already been published.

Academy film scholars with projects in progress are Ellen Scott, Donna Kornhaber, Charles Musser, Emily Thompson, Stuart Liebman, John Belton, Harlow Robinson, Cari Beauchamp, Patrick Keating, Dan Streible, Thomas Schatz, and Laurence Kardish.

Established in 1999, the Academy Film Scholars program is designed to support significant new works of film scholarship. The Academy's cultural and educational wing – the Academy Foundation – annually awards grants to film scholars, cultural organizations, and film festivals throughout the U.S. and abroad.  Through the Foundation, the Academy also presents a rich assortment of screenings and other public programs each year.

For grant guidelines and information about the Academy Film Scholars program, contact Grants Manager Shawn Guthrie or visit www.oscars.org/filmscholars.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 7,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is under construction in Los Angeles.

FOLLOW THE ACADEMY
www.oscars.org
www.facebook.com/TheAcademy
www.youtube.com/Oscars
www.twitter.com/TheAcademy

Haute Tease

  • Business News: New York Media Summit 2015 – The State of the Ever Expanding Media Industry

    Digital Hollywood hosted its annual Spring New York Media Summit with players in the space presenting keynotes, symposiums, panel discussions and projections of the future as the divergent of entertainment, gaming, cable and traditional print, online digital and the exploding video space.

     
  • Celebrity Interview: Speaking with Phil Rudd of AC/DC on New Album and Euro Tour

    Phil Rudd, the bad boy drummer for the wildly successful Australian band AC/DC who has seen his share of troubles recently, is launching a new album, Head Job, and embarking on a Euro Tour with his new band-mates.

     
  • Une Démocratie 2.0

    La faiblesse du taux de participation lors du second tour des élections municipales confirme la désaffection de l’électorat pour les scrutins politique mais révèle encore plus la crise de confiance qui traverse la démocratie d’un pays pourtant attaché à son histoire libertaire.  

  • Hubble Telescope Discovers Over 200 Dwarf Galaxies

    The Hubble Space Telescope, in operation since the 1990’s and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s, (NASA), eye into the deep places of the universe, has discovered the existence of dwarf galaxies dating back to just after the big bang.

     
  • Travel Hints: Combating Frustrating Air Travel Aggravations

    With Thanksgiving travel just ahead of us and 24.6Million passengers expected to travel by air which equates to upwards of 65,000K extra passengers per day this year ­ a new study, from AAA, explains what consumers find most frustrating about air travel.

     
  • Intérêt, Ambition et Ancien Monde

    La démission du Premier Ministre Edouard Philippe et la nomination de Jean Castex ouvrent tacitement la campagne électorale du Président de la République. Et les questions de fin de l'ancien monde, d'intérêt général et d'ambition personnelle de ressurgir.