UpTilt Filmmaker Scholarships
The Joy James, aka Livity The Poet Memorial Scholarship $2000
The Joy James, aka Livity The Poet Memorial Scholarship $2000
The Joy James, aka Livity The Poet Memorial Scholarship $2000
Joy James, aka Livity the Poet Joy James (1979-2021) was an integral part of the Wilmington North Carolina's Theater, Film and Poetry community. Joy was born in St. Croix and moved to Wilmington in 2015. She performed her poetry at several of our film festivals and wrote, directed and starred in "Judging Eyes," which was shown at UpTilt i
Joy James, aka Livity the Poet Joy James (1979-2021) was an integral part of the Wilmington North Carolina's Theater, Film and Poetry community. Joy was born in St. Croix and moved to Wilmington in 2015. She performed her poetry at several of our film festivals and wrote, directed and starred in "Judging Eyes," which was shown at UpTilt in 2020. Joy had a magnetic personality, gentle spirit, and a passion for film. UpTilt is honored to name our female+ filmmaker scholarship, The Joy James, aka Livity The Poet Memorial Grant.
The Lisa Christine Hyatt Memorial Scholarship $2000
The Joy James, aka Livity The Poet Memorial Scholarship $2000
The Joy James, aka Livity The Poet Memorial Scholarship $2000
Lisa worked her entire life to use language in helping people better understand their hearts. Lisa helped establish a Women's Center, the Women's Resource Coalition and worked at an AIDS Hotline and Hope Line. In 2020, she joined the board of UpTilt Film Fest, provided invaluable feedback on film submissions and pushed the board members o
Lisa worked her entire life to use language in helping people better understand their hearts. Lisa helped establish a Women's Center, the Women's Resource Coalition and worked at an AIDS Hotline and Hope Line. In 2020, she joined the board of UpTilt Film Fest, provided invaluable feedback on film submissions and pushed the board members outside of their comfort zones to increase sponsorships in order to provide opportunities to female+ filmmakers. We are proud to name our North Carolina resident scholarship in memory and honor of Lisa Christine Hyatt.
The Silberman Family Emerging Filmmaker Scholarship $500
The Joy James, aka Livity The Poet Memorial Scholarship $2000
The Silberman Family Emerging Filmmaker Scholarship $500
The Silberman family is pleased to support the UpTilt Film Fest and emerging filmmakers in the industry. Andrew and Martha Silberman have been a huge support for their filmmaker daughter, Rachael, and all three continue to spread their love of film throughout their community and hope to inspire the next generation.
Meet Our Scholarship Committee
Brandi Berry, M.F.A
Brandi Berry is a tenured professor at Lincoln University in Oxford, PA, where she chairs the Department of Communication and teaches digital media courses. From 2020 to 2022, she served as Dean of First-Year Students. In 2021, she was awarded a Mellon Grant, which she used to produce a documentary about the Haitian song Lisette, also the title of the film.
Brandi serves as a Special Advisor to Gotham EDU and teaches documentary filmmaking for a restorative justice program. In 2024, she produced the film “Shirley” and launched a crowdfunding campaign for “Promises Kept”, an MFA thesis film.
Brandi’s teaching philosophy centers on the belief that the college classroom should be a safe space where students can explore their creativity, values, intelligence, and failures—free from parental oversight and the rigid constraints of grade school. She sees it as the ideal environment for students to discover and develop their unique superpowers. To her, investing in a student's mind is just as important as supporting their well-being.
For more details and to view her CV, please visit ProfBerry.com.
Cindy Hsieh, M.F.A
A native of West Virginia, Cindy received a B.A. in English and Biology from the University of Delaware in 2003. A figure skater from grade school through college, she then joined the professional ice show ranks and performed with Holiday on Ice, Willy Bietak Productions, and Woodstock Productions. In 2013, Cindy received her M.F.A. in film and video production from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she became good friends with Mariah Kramer, Brandi Berry, and Melissa Willenborg (all in the same cohort). She relocated to Atlanta, GA in 2017 and joined Local 600, the camera union. As a 2nd assistant camera (2nd AC), she has worked on various network television shows ("The Resident", "Dynasty") and feature films ("I, Tonya", "Slumber Party"), while freelancing with NBC during their broadcasts of the Summer and Winter Olympics.
Mariah Dunn Kramer, M.F.A
Mariah Kramer is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Cinema and Media Arts at Vanderbilt University, with a passion for storytelling that stretches far beyond the classroom. A co-founder of UpTilt Film Fest, Mariah is also a proud board member, dedicated to supporting women’s voices in film. When she's not teaching or giving back to the film community, she's making her own mark as an independent filmmaker. She’s been fortunate to have her work screened at festivals across the country, from Bend Film Festival to Cucalorus Film Festival, with her short documentary This Is My Home Now even making its premiere on PBS and the World Channel.
Her latest project, Shirley, dives deep into family history, telling the poignant tale of her maternal grandmother, who passed away from polycystic kidney disease at just 36, leaving behind six young children. Mariah’s work is inspired by the belief that while each of us has moments that feel uniquely personal, they are often deeply universal. Through her films, she explores the resilience of the human spirit, always aiming to capture the shared experiences that connect us all.
Suzannah Moore
Suzannah is a Toronto-based writer and filmmaker. Early in her career, she was a selected participant in the Canadian Media Producers Association mentorship program. While working production jobs on set, she continued to hone her writing craft in the University of Toronto Screenwriting post-grad, the Second City Sketch Writing Conservatory and most recently the Professional Writing and Communications program at Humber College. Additionally, she has worked in script development for various companies and independent writers (Marble Media, Coverfly, Wildling Pictures). She is elated to bring her passion for film and writing under one umbrella as UpTilt Film Festival’s Communications Manager!
Crickett Rumley
The founder and senior director of the Film Festival Department at the New York Film Academy (NYFA) in Los Angeles, Crickett Rumley has guided filmmakers to official selections at festivals ranging from Sundance to Bronzelens and to wins and nominations at the Student Academy Awards, the BAFTA Student Film Awards, the DGA Student Film Awards, and the College Television Awards. She is on the board of the Film Festival Alliance, serves as the Panels Director for the Tallgrass Film Festival, and has taught workshops and served on juries for festivals around the U.S.
Melissa Willenborg, M.F.A
Melissa is a documentary filmmaker, guest lecturer, and professional media producer with specialities in editing, audio acquisition, and camera operation. She is the sole proprietor of Zirin Productions LLC, a client-based media production company based in California's North Bay Area. Melissa's administered guest lectures on documentary filmmaking at Santa Barbara City College, Sonoma State University and City College of San Francisco.