Hi, my name is Malik Julien and I’m raising funds to support my participation in the Semester in Los Angeles program for my graduating semester at the University of Texas at Austin. The Semester in Los Angeles Program, also known as UTLA, is an experiential learning venture that equips passionate students like me to launch our careers in Hollywood and the entertainment industry.

I recognize it is a privilege of mine to be able to present an ask at this caliber and I am beyond grateful. UTLA is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to extend my deep love for filmmaking and gain world changing experiences while living in Los Angeles.

I’m specifically raising money to secure housing and transportation costs for the months between January and May 2022. The program doesn’t cover these costs and as many of us know, the Housing market is increasingly expensive in California. I am a financially independent first gen student and I simply cannot afford 5 months of rent in Los Angeles and be financially comfortable when the program ends.

The total cost for Housing and Transportation is projected to be about $8,400 and between working, loans, and scholarships, I’m in need of raising a remaining amount of $2,000 so absolutely any kind of donation will be tremendously helpful. A huge Thank you in advance for helping my dreams become reality!

I know working and grappling with financial issues will hinder me from experiencing the program in its fullness and the benefits thereof.

Just a little about me!

I’m an independent filmmaker dedicated to curating images and stories about the working-class, Queer and African American communities in ways that are refreshing and complex. The purpose I hold as an artist is to portray Blackness as default and resist the othering process of underrepresented communities. I look forward to growing as a filmmaker in Hollywood and ultimately becoming a master at telling important stories about those often unsung, forgotten or misunderstood.

I will be making my directorial debut with the upcoming documentary, And They Were Loved which follows three young, queer, Black and Brown individuals pursuing self-identity while navigating the challenges of their existence in the American South.

Every share and any donation helps. I send you my deepest form of love and appreciation. Again, Thank you in advance for your kindness.