Fueling Bold Visions in Film: The Robert E. Pristo Filmmaking Award

Every movie starts with a dream, and since 2020, the Robert E. Pristo Filmmaking Award has been the launchpad for Cinematic Arts students wanting to turn their filmmaking dreams into reality. 

Made possible by the generosity of anonymous donors, the Pristo Award has supported a wide range of filmmaking expenses: from hiring actors and securing locations to covering equipment rentals, production design and post-production costs. Past awardees have explored a remarkable range of genres, spanning narrative films, documentaries and even installation pieces in museum settings. While proposed projects must engage with the moving image, most ultimately emerge as single-channel films meant for the theater.

And along with meeting financial needs, the Pristo Award gives student directors the confidence to take risks, empowering them to push their ideas further and to bring their bold, original visions to life.

“The freedom and permission to experiment allows students to think unconventionally and to develop their creativity,” explains Shambhavi Kaul, director of Cinematic Arts and associate professor of the practice with Art, Art History and Visual Studies. “The results are reflected in the 26 highly accomplished student projects that have been supported by the Pristo Award over the past five years.” 

Kaul adds that the award also provides an equally valuable facet that shapes student directors as much as it supports their work. “The application process is highly competitive and requires a well-developed grant proposal, so students must think critically about every aspect of their project and clearly communicate that vision,” she shares. “This exercise exposes them to the funding processes that they’ll need to successfully navigate throughout their filmmaking careers.” 

Although the Pristo Award is open to both juniors and seniors, most applicants tend to be seniors. Kaul explains, “Because faculty work closely with seniors on their capstone-thesis projects, we’re also able to guide them through the application process. By that stage, students are developing substantial film projects and it’s a natural moment to apply.”

She stresses that highly motivated juniors with strong ideas have been just as successful — like current senior Kulsoom Rizavi, who received the award in 2024. With a double major in Computer Science and Political Science and a minor in Cinematic Arts, Rizavi used her Pristo to document the death of a glacier.

Rizavi explains that filming began in the summer of 2023 with an ambitious vision that started in Iceland and eventually expanded to Mexico and Oregon the following year. What started as a single-location project quickly grew into something far more complex than anticipated — and the Pristo Award was essential in bringing her thesis documentary across the finish line. 

“The Pristo provided not only the financial means to move the film forward but also the reassurance that my work mattered,” she shares. “Documentary filmmaking demands months of research, planning and perseverance through every stage of production and post-production. By the final stretch, I realized how vital support is in ensuring a project doesn’t remain raw footage but becomes a finished film ready to share with audiences.”

Although applications are now open, this will mark the final cycle for an award that’s helped give young filmmakers their first stage. Kaul shares, with some reluctance, that the donor-funded Pristo Award has reached the end of its funding cycle. And while it’s still unclear whether another resource will take its place, she is certain of one thing: the impact it has had on Duke students has been profound.

“The award recognizes students who are truly ready to take up the challenges of independent thesis work,” she shares. “It is formal acknowledgement by a panel of faculty that a student’s project proposal is thoughtful and conceptually bold, and the award provides the funding necessary to facilitate the project’s realization.” 

Kaul acknowledges that the department will feel the loss, not only in funding but in the spirit of affirmation the award represents. The Pristo has always been more than a grant; it has carried with it a message from Duke and the Cinematic Arts community: Daring ideas matter, student visions are worth investing in and boldness is not only welcomed — but expected. 

“Our students understand that the award is an acknowledgment of their maturity. It’s more than a milestone — it can be a defining moment in a student’s growth.”

Application Open

The Robert E. Pristo Filmmaking Award application cycle is open through November 25, 2025. For more information and to apply, please visit the Cinematic Arts website.