Checking in on the OTV Fellows - Part 1
As we gear up for the 2022 cohort of the OTV Fellowship program, we wanted to check in on some of our brilliant favs from 2019-21.
Check back in for reports on each year and see what they’re up to now!
Apply to be an OTV Fellow here.
Lena Elmigy - 2021
Ghareeb miniseries
What project were you working on during your fellows program?
Ghareeb Mini Series, Ghareeb غريب is about 3 Egyptian American women navigating assimilation, belonging, tradition & transformation.
How has the fellowship impacted your career?
The fellowship has provided me with invaluable resources in the community, including mentorship from Fawzia Mirza and Sarah Minnie. Through it, I was put in touch with other artists in Chicago who I intend to stay in contact with. The fellowship funding for Ghareeb undoubtedly made production possible, we wouldn’t have been able to move forward with our level of production value without it.
What's one thing you've learned from OTV that's helped you in your career?
OTV has taught me that with the right people, and in the right context, you can bring ideas and visions to fruition. Watching the content on OTV’s platform over the past few years has shown me narratives on screen that I’ve never seen before. OTV’s streaming platform made me feel confident making something as a beginner because I knew that there’d be an audience who would see it’s value and celebrate it for what it is and what it can turn into down the line.
Please list any significant career accomplishments or credits since your fellowship.
I successfully went into and completed production and post-production for Ghareeb, premiered it in front of an audience and am now applying to film festivals with it. I had an incredible cast and crew, and cherished and memorable experiences and relationships from the production.
Terrence Thompson - 2020
Streetlights
What project were you working on during your fellows program?
Streetlights: Desperate to toughen his image before his senior year concludes, Zach bonds with a group of neighborhood kids from a rival school, and finally attains the male camaraderie he’s always desired, but at a cost. “Streetlights” is a YA “dramedy” set in 2010 on the Southside of Chicago, exploring various social issues and class conflicts amidst the backdrop of our past decade.
How has the fellowship impacted your career?
Firstly, the monetary support gave me the necessary time to reevaluate my goals and artistic intentions, in order to better navigate my career approach. Secondly, the fellowship deeply extended my network, which has in turn allowed so many more relevant opportunities to find there way to me.
What's one thing you've learned from OTV that's helped you in your career?
One thing I've learned from OTV is that networking across will truly create opportunities quicker than putting Hollywood on a pedestal, and that one's proximity to Hollywood or the industry isn't what makes someone successful.
Please list any significant career accomplishments or credits since your fellowship.
Script Reader for Wondaland Pictures, Semi-Finalist in 2021 Stage 32 Television Drama Contest
Reshmi Hazra Rustebakke - 2019
Detour
What project were you working on during your fellows program?
Detour: Detour is a hilarious and poignant slice of Rita's life, a Bengali American mid
20s woman contending with her suicidal tendencies while she tries to scrape together a life of her very own, alongside her two best friends in Chicago, where skyscrapers and humanity collide.
How has the fellowship impacted your career?
I made some contacts that were super impactful to my development. It was also the first time I actually was paid to sit and write for a while, which I had never had that opportunity before, so it helped me setup that part of my life.
What's one thing you've learned from OTV that's helped you in your career?
I've learned to really try to visualize what it is that I want for myself. Success for me may look different than success for the next person. I always need to ask myself: what is it that I want?
Please list any significant career accomplishments or credits since your fellowship.
Directed Jade, written by Kyra Jones
Directed Jade: Navigating Healing, a documentary
Teaching at DePaul this quarter
Creative Producer on Ghareeb