Film Matters is pleased to announce the winner of the seventh annual Masoud Yazdani Award: Lydia Spencer-Elliott for her FM 11.1 (2020) article, “Choreography to Choreocinema: The Symbiotic Relationship Between Surrealism and Dance.” Lydia recently graduated from the University of Exeter with a degree in both English Literature and Film Studies. She completed her journalism MA at City, University of London, and is now Acting Senior Features Writer at Grazia magazine.
This year’s judges also wish to recognize two other strong articles in the honorable mention category: Sarah Kazuko Chow for her FM 11.1 article “Anna May Wong: Navigating Asian American Racial Identity in Early Hollywood,” and Ben Werdegar for his “Forgotten Narrative of Palestine” FM 11.2 article. Sarah graduated from the University of Southern California in December 2021, where she majored in Film and Television Production. She hails from Oakland and is interested in writing, producing, and directing films that center on Asian American stories. Ben is a 2020 Stanford University graduate with a BA in Film and Media Studies, with an aesthetic focus on the use of music within visual media. Werdegar’s family has both Israeli and Palestinian heritage, which informs his interest in cinema that addresses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
This award would not be possible without the hard work of our judging panel. Therefore, we’d like to take a moment to acknowledge our 2021 judges:
Eleanor Gratz is a graduate student in the Film Studies Department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Stephen Lambros is a graduate student born and raised in Wilmington, NC. He double-majored in creative writing and film studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in the university’s Film Studies program. Beyond his studies, he enjoys writing books and screenplays.
Saifey Maynor is a graduate student in the Film Studies Department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Rachel Pittman is a graduate student in the Film Studies Department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Kate Wise is an MA student in Cinema and Media Studies at the University of British Columbia. Her current thesis explores the popularity of the K-pop group BTS and the importance of heightened parasocial relationships for fans during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to her research, Kate served as co-editor-in-chief for UBC’s film journal Cinephile and was recently published in the Vancouver-based arts magazine SAD Mag.
For more information, please visit: https://www.filmmattersmagazine.com/masoud-yazdani-award/
