Шотландская режиссерка стала первым обладателем престижной стипендии Fulbright BAFTA

Highland filmmaker makes history with Fulbright BAFTA scholarship A Highland filmmaker is set to make history after becoming the first Scotland-based recipient of the prestigious Fulbright BAFTA Scholarship. Róise Nic an Bheatha, based in Inverness, has been awarded $66,000 (£51,000) to undertake a year-long master’s degree in Film Directing at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, New York. The award will support the filmmaker as she develops her directing skills and builds international connections, with the ultimate ambition of bringing that experience back to Scotland. Róise, a writer and director, hopes to use her studies to help elevate Gaelic and Irish-language cinema and bring Celtic-language stories to audiences around the world. Speaking ahead of her move to New York, she said the scholarship was a significant achievement for Celtic-language filmmaking. “My Fulbright journey has been a long and competitive one, but securing this award for Celtic-language filmmaking is a true testament to the fact that our stories are world-leading and capable of winning top-tier international funding,” she said. “I’m flying to Manhattan next week and I can’t wait to throw myself into the heart of global cinema. “In a world that feels increasingly polarised, I truly believe storytelling - especially through minoritised language perspectives - is vital for building empathy and understanding.” Her long-term ambition is to bring the skills and contacts gained in the United States back to Scotland and put them towards strengthening the country’s screen industry. “My ultimate goal is to bring the skills and connections I make in America back to Scotland, channelling them into Celtic-language cinema to help build Scotland’s screen industry and bring original feature films to the world stage,” she said. The Fulbright programme is regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious and competitive scholarship schemes, promoting cultural exchange and academic and creative achievement. Its alumni include some of the most influential figures in literature, arts and culture, including American writers Sylvia Plath and Maya Angelou and composer and musician Philip Glass.