CSUMB students wins $2,000 film commission's scholarship

Briana Gonzales, a student at the Cinematic Arts and Technology program at California State University, Monterey Bay, was named the 2017 winner of a $2,000 scholarship in the Monterey County Film Commission’s Director Emeritus Richard Tyler Film Student Scholarship Award Program. She is a Seaside resident, originally from Porterville, Calif.

Gonzales is set on pursuing a filmmaking career, and is focused on stop-motion animation which she feels offers opportunities to be creative and innovative. “It is rigorous work, but rewarding when I see my set and characters come to life,” Gonzales said in a statement.

“This award will allow me to invest in equipment and create a more intricate production set and well-constructed characters which would in turn show off my skills to studios and film festivals and help further my career in the art that is stop-motion animation,” Gonzales said.

The Monterey County Film Commission film student scholarship program was created in 2008 to provide financial aid and incentive to students of film as well as beginning filmmakers who reside in Monterey County or those enrolled in a college or university in the county. The fund was established as a permanent endowment with the Community Foundation for Monterey County.

Contributions to the film commission’s Director Emeritus Richard Tyler Film Student Scholarship Award Program were made by the Craig and Paula Tigerman family, in-kind support from the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and numerous local donors.

Donations are welcomed for next year’s program, according to Jeff Clark, film student scholarship committee chairperson and chair of the board of the Monterey County Film Commission. For more information call 831-646-0910 or email info@filmmonterey.org.