Breadcrumbs

CAU Student Wins Top Prize in African-American Film Critics Association Build-A-Film Challenge Celebrating HBCU Legacy

02/05/2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sam D. Burston
404-880-6316 sburston@cau.edu

Schuyler Nickleberry, ‘20, Mass Media Arts major, to be recognized at 10th Annual AAFCA Awards, February 6 for short film paying homage to the Atlanta Student Movement

ATLANTA, GA – February 5, 2019 – Clark Atlanta University (CAU) is pleased to announce that Miss Schuyler Nickleberry, a junior majoring in Mass Media Arts, has won the 2nd annual African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA)’s 72 Hour Build-A-Film Challenge, sponsored by The Home Depot’s Retool Your School (RTYS) program. Ms. Nickleberry will be recognized at the 10th Annual AAFCA Awards in Los Angeles, CA on Wednesday, February 6th, 2019.

Schuyler was selected as a finalist after pitching her film idea with a 30 second concept snippet starring CAU’s 2018-2019 Man of The Year, Moses Kilpatrick. Ms. Nickleberry wrote, produced, directed, and starred in an original 5-minute short film, titled "REBUILD," inspired by the brave and powerful Atlanta University Center (AUC) students who led in the Atlanta Student Movement in the Civil Rights Era. Over the course of three days, she selected her cast, scouted and secured locations in the AUC, shot and edited the film.

“I was inspired by the simple fact that we walk on very historic grounds of each campus in the AUC that our ancestors fought for. We are wrapped in an abundance of legacy and most of us are not aware of or even care about. So that's what motivated me to create such a film that portrays that,” said Schuyler Nickleberry. “I, as an active student leader on my campus and in my community, share the responsibility of helping bringing the activism and movement behind the Atlanta Student Movement.”

Since 2009, the Retool Your School Program has provided over 2.1 million dollars in campus improvement grants that allow Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to make sustainable improvements to their campuses. The African American Film Critics Association 72 Hour Build-A-Film Challenge is a nationwide creative competition for young aspiring film makers to enter a film concept promoting the virtues of HBCUs. Contestants were given three days to create a film based on the theme "HBCU Legacy" and tie that in with the Home Depot RTYS Program.

As the grand prize winner, Ms. Nickleberry receives an all-expense paid trip to Los Angeles, where she will be recognized at the 10th Annual AAFCA Awards on February 6th, 2019. The AAFCA Awards is a premiere event on the Hollywood Awards Calendar that celebrates achievements in film and television and is considered a prime indicator for the Academy Awards.

Watch and share Ms. Nickleberry’s short film REBUILD here.

 

About African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA)

The African American Film Critics Association represents the leading black film critics in the world. The organization represents journalists who work in TV, radio and online, who reach a collective audience in excess of 100 million. Learn more at www.aafca.com.

 

About The Home Depot Retool Your School Program
The Home Depot strives to give back to our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) what they have so generously given to their communities - a strong foundation, renewed purpose, and distinctive character. Since 2009, the Retool Your School Program has provided over 2.1 million dollars in campus improvement grants that allow HBCUs to make sustainable improvements to their campuses. Learn more at retoolyourschool.com.

 

About Clark Atlanta University

Established in 1988 by the consolidation of Atlanta University (1865) and Clark College (1869), Clark Atlanta University (CAU) is one of the Nation’s foremost research institutions, offering students from around the United States and several foreign countries the opportunity to engage in 38 exciting areas of study at bachelors, masters and doctoral levels. Located in the historic heart of Atlanta, one of the world's great international cities, CAU’s nearly 4,000 students enjoy access to academic and co-curricular experiences, from forensic debate, to on-air broadcasting, to cancer research with world-renowned investigators. From the arts to zoology, CAU combines nearly 300 years of tradition with a solid focus on academic excellence to produce leaders who will shape the future of the global community. To learn more about Clark Atlanta University visit www.cau.edu.