AFI Announces 2026-27 Canva Fellowship Recipients
The American Film Institute has named six filmmakers as recipients of the 2026-27 Canva Fellowship at the AFI Conservatory.
The American Film Institute (AFI) has selected six recipients for the 2026-27 Canva Fellowship at the AFI Conservatory. The fellows, who began their Master of Fine Arts filmmaking program in August, will each receive a $40,000 scholarship over the course of their two-year studies.
The fellowship supports students across key creative disciplines. The program is now in its fourth year of partnership with the design platform Canva.
The 2026-27 Fellows
The six fellowship recipients represent distinct filmmaking crafts.
Program Leadership and Goals
Susan Ruskin, dean of the AFI Conservatory, linked the fellowship to broader educational goals. "At the AFI Conservatory, we are let Fellows to take the helm of creative departments across the entire filmmaking life cycle," Ruskin said. She stated the partnership with Canva prepares fellows to lead and share diverse perspectives worldwide.
Fellow Backgrounds and Experience
Divli Bhat, the producing fellow, is a film production student from San Jose State University. She has worked as a unit production manager, production coordinator, line producer, and first assistant director on award-winning short films like "Margie and Mannequin." Bhat is also a trained special effects makeup artist.
Screenwriting fellow Elizaveta Kurilova is a Los Angeles-based writer and director. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in the history of art from University College London, where she received the Frances Stracey Prize. Kurilova also completed the One-Year Conservatory in Acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. Her short films include "Come Swim With Me" and "Sheep and Ants and Sugar."
Lauren Moreno, the directing fellow, is a third-generation Mexican American filmmaker. She aims to center her Latino identity in her work to expand representation. Moreno's debut film "Palmdale" earned multiple awards and festival selections. Her first written film screened at the Official Latino Film Festival.
Cinematography fellow Colin Pham studied radio-television-film at the University of Texas Austin. His practical experience includes roles as a director of photography, assistant camera, and G & E professional. Pham grounds his cinematography in camera mechanics and storytelling, having contributed to award-winning shorts and larger projects.
Zoey Punteney, the production design fellow, minored in studio art at the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts. This background allowed her to develop her creativity in tangible ways. Punteney is also a content creator with a YouTube channel of 10,000 subscribers, where she discovered a passion for video editing. She hopes to work on major feature films.
Editing fellow Auberin Strickland is originally from Alaska and speaks French, German, and Italian. He prioritizes telling diverse stories in filmmaking. Strickland runs Crooked Footprint Productions with his brother, Dune Strickland. He has previously collaborated with filmmakers including Dmitry Vasyukov, Hunter Nolan, and Gina Papabeis.
