Six aspiring filmmakers at the American Film Institute Conservatory just received a combined $240,000 in scholarships, marking a significant investment in their burgeoning careers. The 2026-2027 Canva Fellowship recipients began their Master of Fine Arts filmmaking program in August, receiving $40,000 each over the two-year program, according to AFI. The financial and educational investment highlights AFI's commitment to fostering the next generation of diverse cinematic talent.

Top-tier film education is essential for career advancement. However, its prohibitive cost often excludes promising diverse talent, creating a barrier to industry entry.

Fellowships like the AFI Canva program are increasingly vital for democratizing access to elite training. They foster a more inclusive and innovative future for cinema.

  • Divli Bhat, Elizaveta Kurilova, Lauren Moreno, Zoey Punteney, Colin Pham, and Auberin Strickland are the six recipients for the 2026-2027 Canva Fellowship, according to Variety.com.
  • AFI's own announcement separately names Maghsoud “Hami” Eghrari and Brianna Kolybaba as fellows without specifying their cohort year, according to AFI.com.
  • The 2026-2027 Canva Fellows began their Master of Fine Arts filmmaking program in August, according to Variety.com and AFI.
  • Each Fellow in the two-year AFI Conservatory MFA program will receive a $40,000 scholarship, according to AFI.
  • A total of $240,000 will be awarded to the six recipients of the 2026-2027 Canva Fellowship, according to AFI.

Who are the 2026-2027 AFI Canva Fellowship recipients?

The six 2026-2027 AFI Canva Fellowship recipients include Divli Bhat for producing and Elizaveta Kurilova for screenwriting. Lauren Moreno was selected for directing, Zoey Punteney for production design, Colin Pham for cinematography, and Auberin Strickland for editing, according to Variety.com. The detailed list of current fellows, alongside recognition of previous cohorts, underscores the program's consistent role in identifying and nurturing specialized filmmaking talent across various disciplines.

AFI also announced recipients for the 2025-2026 Canva Fellowship, indicating an ongoing annual program. Maghsoud “Hami” Eghrari was named the Screenwriting Fellow, and Brianna Kolybaba the Production Design Fellow, according to AFI.com. This creates an ambiguity regarding the complete list of current or recent Canva Fellows, potentially indicating different cohorts or incomplete information across sources.