Support Rawyan: First Bangladeshi at American Film Institute

Hello,

I’m Rawyan Shayema, the first Bangladeshi student at the #1-ranked American Film Institute (AFI), pursuing my MFA in Cinematography.

In 2022, I launched a crowdfunding campaign and raised 65 lakh BDT (around $54,000 USD) with the incredible support of people from all walks of life. Scholarships came from BRAC, BRAC Bank, IPDC, and a generous woman named Dr. Fatima Hossain. The rest came from friends, family, and hundreds of kind-hearted people across Bangladesh and abroad— some donating as little as 100 BDT.

But despite the funding, I was denied a U.S. visa — not once, but three times. I had to return nearly all the money. People laughed at me, and I felt ashamed to ask again.

After years of setbacks and suffering, I finally received my visa in 2024 — on my fourth attempt. I secured support again from BRAC, BRAC Bank, IPDC, and Dr. Fatima Apu, but I couldn’t recover the rest of the returned crowdfunding. Still, I made it.

I began my studies at AFI in Los Angeles last year.

AFI's tuition is $70,000 USD per year, and that doesn’t include living expenses. I received a $30,000 scholarship from AFI (15k per year), and already took out a loan of 19.6 lakh BDT to continue my first year. I’ve also applied for a new bank loan from the USA (with the high rate of interest) that begins in August 2025 to cover my second year.

Right now, I’m crowdfunding to:

-Pay off the remaining debt for my first year

-Cover living costs in LA (where rent is sky-high)

-Sustain myself through the remaining months of my first year

-For my Visual Essay Production (Class Project)

Living costs in LA are also super expensive. For the first 4 months, I lived in a tiny studio apartment with two other Bangladeshi women and a 3-year-old child, sharing a single bed for $500/month — 1.5 hours away from school by bus (more than two hours at night).

Now I live 40 minutes away by bus, in a living room shared with four others, in a 2-bedroom apartment.

AFI is extremely intense. I often have classes from 9 AM to 9 PM, making it nearly impossible to work on the side. To manage my daily expenses, I sometimes cook for a fellow student in exchange for help covering my food costs. Every bit of support counts.

Why This Journey Matters

There are very few women cinematographers in Bangladesh — and none have yet been able to sustain a career in fiction or narrative cinema. Most either leave the industry or remain limited to short-term, unstable work in television or documentaries due to a lack of opportunities, support, and access to training.

I want to change that.

This journey is bigger than just my dream. Becoming the first Bangladeshi woman to graduate from AFI means blazing a trail for others to follow. I want to return home not only with pride but with the power to pave the way for more Bangladeshi women to enter and thrive in cinematography.

Before coming to AFI, I worked with global organizations like CNN, Al Jazeera English, SBL and others. I understand that this amount of money may seem modest in the grand scheme of things or in the near future. However, at this moment, the financial pressure is significantly impacting my ability to fully concentrate on the intensive academic demands at AFI.

I’ve already spent four years fighting for the chance to be here, facing multiple visa rejections and rebuilding my path from scratch. I don’t want to give up now — not after coming this far.

How You Can Help

There are 3 ways you can support me:

-Pre-hire me as a cinematographer for your future project — let’s collaborate when I graduate.

-Donate any amount — no amount is too small.

-Share this campaign with your networks.

Every bit of help matters. If you donate, please leave your name — I would love to thank you personally. One day, I hope I can repay your generosity and make you proud.

How to Donate

GoFundMe:

Click to Donate

For U.S. / Europe Supporters (PayPal):

paypal.me/RawyanShayema

Bank (USA):

Rawyan Shayema

Bank of America

Acct: 325197734773

For people in Bangladesh:

•⁠ ⁠Rawyan Shayema

⁠Bank code: 060

BRAC Bank, Gulshan-1 Branch

House 50, Road 03, Gulshan-1, Dhaka 1212

SWIFT Code: BRAKBDDH

⁠Routing # 060261726

Account # 1501103821309001 (Savings)

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for considering supporting my journey. Your generosity will help me focus on my studies and achieve my dream of becoming a cinematographer who tells stories that resonate across cultures and borders. Your support means the world — not just for me, but for the future of women filmmakers in Bangladesh.

Previous link of Gofundme- https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-rawyan-to-study-cinematography-at-afi