CalArts alum Victoria Sendra (Film/Video BFA 12) was selected for the 2023 edition of the American Film Institute’s (AFI) Cinematography Intensive for Women (CIW), presented by motion picture equipment company Panavision. The intensive took place June 22-25 at the AFI campus in Los Angeles.
Spearheaded by AFI Conservatory Cinematography Discipline Head Stephen Lighthill, ASC, the CIW provides aspiring women and nonbinary cinematographers throughout the US an opportunity to gain professional hands-on experience and insights from industry experts, free of tuition costs. Over the course of four days, Sendra and 11 other participants joined masterclasses and discussions about the current state of cinematography, as well as “what it means to navigate this landscape” as cinematographers from historically underrepresented backgrounds.
“We are thrilled to champion this cohort of talented and diverse filmmakers,” Lighthill was quoted in AFI’s official announcement. “This opportunity – to help the participants continue to develop their craft at this stage in their career and provide them with the tools necessary to excel as a visual storyteller – is a wonderful honor for us all.”
Sendra is a New York City-based cinematographer and camera operator whose clients include Netflix, Discovery, and Pepsi. She currently serves as a producer, cinematographer, and editor at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, where she and fellow alums Lindsey Lollie (Dance BFA 12) and Paul Matthis (Music MFA 13) presented the collaborative piece The Next Step Is in 2013. Sendra is perhaps best known for her onstage work on playwright Lee Hall’s Broadway production Network.
Learn more about the CIW and the 2023 participants at AFI.
