ANNOUNCING THE KAREN SCHMEER FILM EDITING FELLOWSHIP
Annual Fellowship Provides Extensive Opportunities for Film Editors;
Open Call for Submissions Begins; Matching Grant Challenge of $25,000
LOS ANGELES / NEW YORK – The Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship has been created
to assist editors in developing their talent and furthering their career aspirations. In
conjunction with American Cinema Editors (ACE) and other partners, the Fellowship offers
a wide array of opportunities for promising film editors, in both documentary and fiction.
THE FELLOWSHIP – The Karen Schmeer Editing Fellowship is a year-long experience
that encourages and champions the talent of an emerging editor. The Fellowship creates
opportunities to help cultivate an editor’s artistry and craft, and expand his or her
professional and creative community. Awarded once a year, the Fellowship honors the
memory of gifted editor Karen Schmeer (Fog of War; Fast, Cheap & Out of Control), who
was killed in a hit-and-run car accident at age 39, on January 29, 2010.
Recognizing that editors are seldom given sufficient assistance in their freelance career
paths, this Fellowship has been specifically designed by Karen’s friends and colleagues to
give broad support to both an editor’s creative development and career goals.
The Fellowship is a package intended to broaden an editor’s horizons, including:
• MENTORSHIP WITH AN ACE EDITOR – with guidance from ACE, the Fellow
will be given a mentorship with an established ACE editor who fits their particular
interests.
• FULL PASSES TO ACE EDITFEST IN NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES – the
Fellow will be provided with full passes to both EditFest NY (June) and EditFest
LA (August), weekend seminars with working experts in the field of editing.
• SXSW FESTIVAL FILM BADGE – full access to films, panels, mentor sessions
and more at the South By Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival in Austin, Texas,
held in March. www.sxsw.com/film
• IFFBoston FESTIVAL CHROME PASS – full access to films, panels and more
at the International Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston), held in April/May.
• MANHATTAN EDIT WORKSHOP CLASS – free class at New York’s premier
Apple, Adobe & Avid Authorized editing and training facility. www.mewshop.com
• TRAVEL EXPENSES / ACCOMMODATIONS – the fellow will be provided with
travel and accommodations to one of the events above, based on the fellow’s
preference (4 nights hotel, airfare, per diem).
• $500 ONLINE GIFT CERTIFICATE TO POWELL’S BOOKS – an online gift
certificate to Powell’s Books (Karen’s favorite), based in Portland, Oregon.
Additional opportunities for the Fellowship continue to be actively explored and will
be incorporated in the future.
OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS – the Fellowship will accept applications through
December 15, 2010, with the first Fellowship to be awarded in February 2011. More
details about the Fellowship and application requirements/forms can be found online at
www.karenschmeer.com
$25,000 MATCHING GRANT CHALLENGE – an anonymous donor has volunteered a
generous $25,000 matching grant for the remainder of 2010. Any donations to the
Fellowship received from August 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010 will be matched dollarfor-
dollar, up to a maximum total amount of $25,000. All donations are tax deductible,
through the ACE Educational Center, a 501(c)(3) corporation. To make a donation, either
online or by mail, please visit www.karenschmeer.com.
KAREN SCHMEER, A.C.E., was an award-winning film editor whose work included Errol Morris’
The Fog of War (Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary), Mr. Death, and Fast, Cheap and
Out of Control. She edited Sketches of Frank Gehry, directed by Sydney Pollack, The Same River
Twice, My Father the Genius, and the American Experience: A Brilliant Madness. Her fiction film
American Son premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. For the HBO film Sergio, Karen won
the Best Editing Award at Sundance in 2009. Karen was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and
attended Boston University. On her way home from editing Liz Garbus’ documentary about chess
phenomenon Bobby Fischer, Karen was struck and killed by a car fleeing a robbery in New York
City on January 29, 2010.
AMERICAN CINEMA EDITORS (ACE) is an honorary association of professional film editors that
celebrates and promotes the art of editing. Editors are included on the basis of professional
achievement, dedication to educating others, and commitment to the craft of editing.
www.ace-filmeditors.org
For more information about the Fellowship, applications, or the $25,000 matching, please
Twitter (@KarenSchmeerFEF)