Benenson Awards Help Students Explore Paths Through Filmmaking

Anastacia and John
Anastacia Pogodina (left) and John Kang (right) are two recipients of the Benenson Award in the Arts. 

The world of filmmaking is a notoriously insular industry. For students at Duke interested in succeeding in the field, it isn’t only the physical distance from Hollywood that can make the leap into film complicated. The connections and specialized knowledge necessary to break into the industry can be hard to come by.

Duke’s Benenson Awards in the Arts helps students make these connections.

The Benenson Award provides undergraduates with summer funding for a variety of training experiences, research opportunities or projects in the arts. For many students, arts projects and internships may not be feasible as part of their Duke education without added support to make those experiences possible.

Two recent recipients used their Benenson Awards to pursue film projects, from the earliest staging of screenwriting to editing the final product, and left with not only technical skills but lasting connections.

John Kang: Manhattan Editing Workshop

John Kang is a rising senior majoring in Neuroscience and Cinematic Arts. He began the Manhattan Editing Workshop in the summer of 2022 with an already established interest in screenwriting and directing but wanting a better understanding of the film editing process.

“I felt as if editing was the least appreciated,” he said. “I didn't really know what it meant to be a good editor. I really wanted to find out what separates an ‘okay’ editor from a ‘good’ editor to a ‘great’ editor.”

zoom screen of John Kang and 7 other classmates
John Kang (top right) participated in the Manhattan Film School remotely in the summer of 2022.

The Benenson Award made it possible for Kang to participate in the six-week editing workshop where he was able to learn from experts in the field, including editors who worked on recent films like "Crazy Rich Asians" and "In the Heights."

“It was a great opportunity for me to meet people who were passionate about the craft, and also just to be in an insulated space with the teachers,” Kang said. 

Learning from these full-time professional editors and filmmakers, he was able to better understand what a life in the industry would look like and how different perspectives can shape each person’s work.

“Durham has a robust art scene, but it’s small compared to New York or LA, especially for film. So being able to get real world experience was huge,” Kang said. “Seeing how each of us in the cohort took a different angle based on where we were coming from was a really eye-opening approach, just to see how different people’s experiences and perspectives could lead to different products.”

“Ironically, I don't know if I want to edit anymore,” Kang said. “But this gave me the space and time to figure it out for myself. I think the really cool thing about the Benenson is that it gives you the resources to be able to do that without having to carry the burden on your own.”

Anastacia Pogodina: Prague Film School

Anastacia Pogodina already knew she wanted to study film in Europe when a Duke professor recommended the Prague Film School. As a Theater Studies major, the senior was excited to learn about the filmmaking process and the similarities and differences between it and what she focuses on in her academic studies.

Much like Kang’s experience in his editing program, Pogodina got to experience a much grander view of the filmmaking process than she had before, learning all the various steps from start to finish.

Prague Film School Students
Anastacia Pogodina studied film at the Prague Film School in a four-week summer program.

“I enrolled in this program because I wanted to see how the process of filmmaking actually happens because I didn't get much of that experience at Duke,” she said. “I had the chance to be on film sets and see the academic process for other students who are enrolled in that school full-time. It's interesting to observe and learn more about the industry.”

Originally from Russia, Pogodina was interested in exploring stories of Russian and Ukrainian refugee families in the midst of war and used this as a catalyst for a short film she created as part of the program.

“I think the most exciting part was that, because it was such an international crowd, I learned a lot from other people's cultural experiences, what brought them to Prague and their professional and academic experiences elsewhere working in different industries that have to do with filmmaking. That was very valuable for me.”

One of the students she connected with was a Ukrainian woman from Kyiv living in Prague. The two bonded over their various experiences, working together to incorporate those experiences into their art.

“That was very helpful for me, just to even cope with what’s going on in general, not just for my career, but on a very personal level,” Pogodina said. “Art can serve as a means of dealing with all the terrible things that are happening in the world, and you can really connect with others through art. I think that's one of the most valuable things art can give you.”

Benenson Award makes way for student exploration

Connecting with others through art is not only a valuable personal experience but can also be a powerful tool for success in niche industries like film. Both Kang and Pogodina found that the connections they made and the people they met were crucial to helping them feel more at ease in the fields they were interested in exploring.

Through learning about the more technical aspects of filmmaking to expanding horizons by being introduced to people in different parts of the film scene, both students were able to build upon their Duke education. The rich cultural experiences and opportunities to explore new professions were extremely valuable, regardless of whether they ultimately pursue those paths.

The Benenson Award encourages this kind of exploration, making a way for students to test various artistic adventures and find their passion with some financial support for these endeavors.

Interested in learning more about applying for the Benenson Award? Applications for the 2023 summer awards are open through March 20 at 11:59 p.m., and more information can be found at https://arts.duke.edu/benenson-awards-in-the-arts/.