The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced a scholarship fund for women cinematographers after the death of Halyna Hutchins on Thursday. The late cinematographer was accidentally shot with a prop gun on the set of the upcoming film Rust by actor Alec Baldwin.
According to Variety, the Halyna Hutchins Memorial Scholarship Fund aims to help female cinematographers build sustainable careers in the movie business and will be available for students studying in AFI. Hutchins had graduated from the institute in 2015.
Inaugurating the fund, the AFI said in a statement, “We pledge to see that Halyna Hutchins will live on in the spirit of all who strive to see their dreams realized in stories well told.”
Director-writer Olia Oparina also explained the essence of the scholarship fund. She told Variety, “Throughout her career, she was an advocate for female DP’s and directors, familiar with the struggles women face in the entertainment industry. After overcoming many hurdles, Halyna began to get offers on big-budget films like ‘Archenemy’ and ‘Blindfire,’ features she was proud to lend her vision to.”
The late director of photography’s husband, took his social media to urge people to donate funds to AFI. “Thank you to Halyna’s friends and mentors at AFI for establishing a scholarship to honor her memory and support aspiring female cinematographers. Anyone seeking to honor her memory, please direct your giving to this fund,” he wrote.
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Meanwhile, tributes continued to pour in for Hutchins. Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas condoled her death on Instagram. She said, “I’m so shook. I cannot imagine what everyone involved in this tragedy is feeling. There are no words. No one should die on a film set. Period. My heart goes out to Halyna Hutchins’ family and everyone who knew her.”
The director of Rust, Joel Souza, who was also injured in the accident, told Deadline, “I am gutted by the loss of my friend and colleague, Halyna. She was kind, vibrant, incredibly talented, fought for every inch, and always pushed me to be better. My thoughts are with her family at this most difficult time.”
Due to the incident, the production of Rust has been closed down and investigations into the matter are ongoing.