We extend our heartiest congratulations to ATDP alum Geoff Quan, who was recently invited into Film Independent’s prestigious Project:Involve film mentorship program as a director. A long-time member of the ATDP family, Geoff attended courses at both Elementary and Secondary Division—everything from Math Analysis to Shakespeare—and later went on to earn a degree in Cognitive Science from UC Berkeley. At Berkeley, he took a screenwriting course on a whim and immediately fell in love with it, describing the experience as “incredibly intimidating and exhilarating at the same time.”
Upon graduating from Cal, Geoff honed his filmmaking skills at Columbia University, where he earned an MFA, and he has subsequently had tremendous success in the film industry as a writer, director, and producer. His films and productions have received two Student Academy Award nominations and have screened internationally at over 50 festivals, including Sundance, Cannes, and Tribeca. As if that weren’t enough, Geoff has also taught directing at Columbia University and Sarah Lawrence College and has shot videos for New York Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. Geoff is currently knee-deep in post-production on his latest short, “Be Still,” which he co-wrote and directed last summer.
Geoff’s latest accolade is working as a director in Film Independent’s Project:Involve, a nine-month mentorship program in Los Angeles that is designed to support independent filmmakers and increase diversity in the film industry. Geoff, who was one of only 33 filmmakers selected for the program, discovered Project:Involve when applying for another Film Independent project. “Film Independent is such an important supporter and advocate for indie filmmakers,” says Geoff, “and it was an organization I wanted to be involved with.” During Project:Involve, he will work with a team to craft a three-minute short film around the project’s central theme, which this year is Common Ground. “I’m not sure about the specific stories that will be told yet,” Geoff admits, “but I’m looking forward to using the fellowship experience to develop these films.”
In addition to directing a short film, with the Project:Involve fellowship, Geoff will work one-on-one with a film industry mentor and attend monthly filmmaking seminars and workshops on everything from pitching to cinematography. Though the program has just begun, Geoff is already enthusiastic about working with his fellow filmmakers. “To me, filmmaking is such a collaborative process,” he observes, “and I’m always looking for creative, talented people to work with. Ultimately, I hope to forge strong working relationships with some of the other fellows.” And despite the forthcoming long hours in front of the storyboard and in the cutting room, Geoff certainly has an exciting, creatively stimulating journey ahead. Congratulations, Geoff, from all of us at ATDP!
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