The PGA established the Debra Hill Fellowship in 2005 following the passing of Debra Hill, a pioneering producer, beloved mentor and long-time member of the Producers Guild’s Board of Directors. The Guild established the Fellowship to honor and extend Debra’s legacy, including her ardent support of such issues as producers’ creative rights, women in entertainment, and a variety of green and environmental initiatives, as well as her commitment to teaching and mentoring successive generations of producers. Debra’s visionary idealism has been incorporated into the Fellowship’s mission statement, which notes that the award "has been established to provide financial support to a promising producer as they embark on their career "to change the world."

The Debra Hill Fellowship is typically awarded annually to an individual completing an accredited graduate program in producing, and whose work, interests, professionalism and passion mirror that of Debra Hill. Schools whose programs qualify for consideration include: American Film Institute, Chapman University, Columbia College Chicago, Columbia University, New York University, North Carolina School of the Arts, University of Arizona, UCLA and USC. The size of the grant varies with the support that the Fellowship receives in any given year. Significantly, the grant cannot be used for further educational expenses, but is intended to assist the recipient in launching a producing career, providing funds to secure overhead, option material, and covering other professional expenses.

The Debra Hill Fellowship, which is administered through the Producers Guild of America Foundation, isn’t just a way of honoring a beloved colleague, but a logical extension of the mission of the Producers Guild itself. As a grant dedicated explicitly to emerging producers, it represents the Guild’s most significant outreach and commitment to the next generation of talented young storytellers.

 Article in Produced By magazine on Debra Hill and the Fellowship's legacy - What a Legacy Looks Like: Debra Hill

 

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• If you are interested in supporting the Debra Hill Fellowship, you may do so through a 100% tax deductible donation to the Producers Guild of America Foundation. (Donations go exclusively toward grants presented as part of the Fellowship. All Guild staff and administrative costs associated with the Fellowship are covered by the Guild.)
  
  
• Further queries may be submitted to pgaadmin@producersguild.org

   

Fellowship Recipients

2005
Lucienne Papon, UCLA

2006
Rachel Vine, Columbia

2007
Eleonore Dailly, USC

2008
Jessica Daniels, Columbia

2009
Not presented

2010
Jacob Jaffke, Columbia

2011
Not presented

2012
Deniese Davis, AFI

2013
Rob Cristiano, Columbia

2014
Ashleigh Foster, USC

2015
Monique Keller, USC

2016
Diego Najera Martinez, USC 

2017
Montserrat Gomez, USC 

2018
Asia Coleman, AFI 

2019
Lauren M López de Victoria, Columbia University

2020
Not presented

2021
Not presented

2022
Maggie Bailey, University of Texas at Austin

2023
Zofia Sablinska, AFI

2024
Karen Madar, NYU