Professor Bryan Powers

Professor Bryan Powers (Media Arts), as a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), just completed another year as a member of the selection panel for the 2021 GSA BAFTA Student Awards, watching and judging over 120 short films from this year’s 650+ submissions. BAFTA notes, "The GSA BAFTA Student Awards is an annual event celebrating the works of the next generation of talented and innovative storytellers from around the globe. 

Professor Bryan Powers (Media Arts), as a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), just completed another year as a member of the selection panel for the 2021 GSA BAFTA Student Awards, watching and judging over 120 short films from this year’s 650+ submissions. BAFTA notes, "The GSA BAFTA Student Awards is an annual event celebrating the works of the next generation of talented and innovative storytellers from around the globe. 

"The most rewarding thing about watching and judging the short films in the BAFTA Student Awards is that the films are produced by a new and upcoming generation of talented filmmakers from the best film schools around the world,” says Bryan. "The diverse narratives and distinct perspectives featured in the films are always inspiring. The level of the films’ production standards are quite impressive and often demonstrate innovative use of the formal aspects of filmmaking to convey the themes and issues they address."

In 2012, Bryan was a film student and the first recipient at Hunter College of a scholarship award from BAFTA-NY, their New York branch. "While not an award based on my filmmaking, but on my grades and an essay I composed, the award meant so much to me, coming from such a prestigious organization,” he says. "Along with the scholarship came a student membership to BAFTA-NY, where I was able to attend many special film screenings and other industry events. BAFTA was so supportive of my education that it’s been an honor to continue my affiliation with their organization — next on the level of a Young Professional membership, then to a full Professional membership as I embarked on my work as a filmmaker and a professor.” 

As a former BAFTA scholar, Bryan is excited to now be a part, however small, in BAFTA's mission to support other young student filmmakers. “This is something that I am very fond of,” Bryan says.