Autistic MFA Film student Justis Fiduccia awarded NBCU Academy's Original Voices Accelerator Fellowship for documentarians and journalists.
Justis Fiduccia, MFA Film student at The City College of New York, was accepted into NBCU Academy’s new Original Voices Accelerator Fellowship six-month program. Fiduccia, Class of 2025, is a documentary filmmaker with autism. The program is for U.S.-based student filmmakers and film critics interested in documentary film, journalism and inclusion
The Original Voices Accelerator is a pipeline to launch the generation of diverse creatives behind the camera and in the bylines with an annual convergence at the nation’s oldest journalism school and leading independent documentary film festival, introducing them to bold ideas, films, and leaders.
“I want to prove that no matter what limitations you have or how that limitation is perceived by others, anyone can reach their goals if they, not only seize any opportunity presented, but push through any hardship with determination and a ‘Yes, I can do it,’ attitude,” said Fiduccia.
The Accelerator program matches each Fellow with an Artist Mentor. Fellows attend an immersive day of workshops with leading artists and industry experts at the forefront of inclusion and innovation. They attend the Based on a True Story Conference (BOATS) hosted by the Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism at the University of Missouri, an NBCU Academy Academic Partner, on the intersections of documentary film and journalism, followed by three days full of viewing and reviewing the best new creative nonfiction films at True/False Film Fest. A grant of $8,000 is awarded each Fellow to defray travel and production costs.
CCNY's MFA program is in the Division of Humanities and the Arts. The Original Voices Accelerator cohort is comprised of 10 students from a mix of public and private institutions, including Harvard University, New York University, Duke University, University of Texas at Austin, Brigham Young University, Spelman College, University of Central Florida, Mount Holyoke College, and University of Hawaii.
About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Lightcast puts at $3.2 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. In 2023, CCNY launched its most expansive fundraising campaign, ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College mission. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
Thea Klapwald
e:
tklapwald@ccny.cuny.edu