Donation protected
Greetings fellow human beings,
I am Ninä (Nino) Benashvili from Tbilisi, Georgia, and I have been accepted at NYU Tisch Graduate Film Program. I am launching this birthday fundraiser to help lighten my student loan burden for graduate school.
My debut medium-length documentary, "Children of Nikozi" has recently been awarded a Bronze Remi at one of the oldest indie film festivals— World-Fest Houston International Film Festival, where directors such as David Lynch, the Coen Brothers, and many more received their first awards.
"Children of Nikozi" is a story of a war-torn village in the ongoing conflict zone of Nikozi, Georgia, where the villagers turned to art for healing. Just like Nikozians, I believe that through creating and engaging with various forms of art we have the potential to transcend politics, tear down the walls of hatred, and erase the concept of "us and them".
I chose the visual language of cinema as my means of expression when I was eight and I have not deviated from this path since. This is my purpose and my passion because I believe it is how I can have a positive impact on this world. I will use every opportunity that life in or outside of graduate school gives me and I will work and study with everything I have.
NYU Tisch Graduate Film Program is among the most competitive film schools in the world for admissions, and this year the department received more applications than ever before, making this the most selective class to date. I am also the first Georgian female filmmaker to get into this program. Growing up in Georgia I never could imagine, that one day I would study where Jim Jarmusch, Spike Lee, Chloé Zhao, Ang Lee, Martin Scorsese, and many other great filmmakers started their journeys. Of course, there is a reason why so many great filmmakers graduated from this program—it is truly one of the best film programs (if not the best) in the USA and the world.
Not to single out any of the faculty, just look at this list !
I am lucky to have received a scholarship on the graduate level but there is still over $65,000 left for tuition, living expenses, film projects, health insurance, and so on. My estimated contribution according to FAFSA is $0.00. (A poor artist, this cannot be! :) ). Clearly, there is no way for me to avoid student loans but with your support, I might be able to cover health insurance, living costs, or interest rates on my unsubsidized student loans. Every penny that I have saved, every penny that I have been given in scholarships and crowdfunding will go towards seemingly endless education costs.
So, if you like supporting emerging young artists, if seeing samples of my work, or reading this hopefully not a needlessly braggy story made you want to donate to lighten my financial burden—thank you! A time will come when I will be doing the same. Perhaps for you, for your child, or someone you care about.
-----------------
You can find more samples of my art here.
"Children of Nikozi" Official Trailer
-----------------
I am Ninä (Nino) Benashvili from Tbilisi, Georgia, and I have been accepted at NYU Tisch Graduate Film Program. I am launching this birthday fundraiser to help lighten my student loan burden for graduate school.
My debut medium-length documentary, "Children of Nikozi" has recently been awarded a Bronze Remi at one of the oldest indie film festivals— World-Fest Houston International Film Festival, where directors such as David Lynch, the Coen Brothers, and many more received their first awards.
"Children of Nikozi" is a story of a war-torn village in the ongoing conflict zone of Nikozi, Georgia, where the villagers turned to art for healing. Just like Nikozians, I believe that through creating and engaging with various forms of art we have the potential to transcend politics, tear down the walls of hatred, and erase the concept of "us and them".
I chose the visual language of cinema as my means of expression when I was eight and I have not deviated from this path since. This is my purpose and my passion because I believe it is how I can have a positive impact on this world. I will use every opportunity that life in or outside of graduate school gives me and I will work and study with everything I have.
NYU Tisch Graduate Film Program is among the most competitive film schools in the world for admissions, and this year the department received more applications than ever before, making this the most selective class to date. I am also the first Georgian female filmmaker to get into this program. Growing up in Georgia I never could imagine, that one day I would study where Jim Jarmusch, Spike Lee, Chloé Zhao, Ang Lee, Martin Scorsese, and many other great filmmakers started their journeys. Of course, there is a reason why so many great filmmakers graduated from this program—it is truly one of the best film programs (if not the best) in the USA and the world.
Not to single out any of the faculty, just look at this list !
I am lucky to have received a scholarship on the graduate level but there is still over $65,000 left for tuition, living expenses, film projects, health insurance, and so on. My estimated contribution according to FAFSA is $0.00. (A poor artist, this cannot be! :) ). Clearly, there is no way for me to avoid student loans but with your support, I might be able to cover health insurance, living costs, or interest rates on my unsubsidized student loans. Every penny that I have saved, every penny that I have been given in scholarships and crowdfunding will go towards seemingly endless education costs.
So, if you like supporting emerging young artists, if seeing samples of my work, or reading this hopefully not a needlessly braggy story made you want to donate to lighten my financial burden—thank you! A time will come when I will be doing the same. Perhaps for you, for your child, or someone you care about.
-----------------
You can find more samples of my art here.
"Children of Nikozi" Official Trailer
-----------------
Organizer
Nino Benashvili
Organizer
Baltimore, MD