News

The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (UCLA TFT) has named award-winning producer Stephanie Allain as the 2020 recipient of the PGA/UCLA Vision Award, the highest distinction presented by the UCLA TFT Producers Program in consultation with the Producers Guild of America. Allain, who has championed visionary filmmakers of color and women for more than 20 years and has worked on a diverse slate of films, receives the award for her “career that exemplifies an extraordinary vision as a producer in all aspects of film, art, and business, and who leaves an indelible mark on the industry.”

Allain’s producing credits include Hustle & Flow, Something New, Beyond the Lights and Dear White People. She also co-produced the 2020 Oscars, becoming the first African American woman to do so in the 92-year history of the awards ceremony. Allain a member of the Producers Branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the Writers Guild of America and sits on the boards of the Producers Guild of America and Women in Film. She is a founding member of the gender parity project ReFrame, and from 2012–2016 served as the director of the L.A. Film Festival, where she programmed films directed by women and filmmakers of color.

“Stephanie’s commitment as a producer to authentic stories that shine a light on the Black experience is evidenced by the thoughtful projects she has championed and spearheaded through the years,” says Barbara Boyle, head of the Producers Program. “Her contributions to the entertainment industry are profound and long-lasting, and we are thrilled to present her with this year’s Vision Award.”

"I’m so honored to have been selected by UCLA and the PGA to receive the 2020 UCLA Vision Award, dedicated to inspiring social change, through entertainment,” said Allain in a statement. “This is my life’s work and I’m excited to announce the winners of the Promise Social Impact Producing Scholarship, which will enable a new generation of producers to tell stories that have the power to bring us together.”

As this year’s Vision Award recipient, Allain will have the honor of announcing the winners of a new UCLA TFT scholarship prior to the upcoming academic year. The Promise Social Impact Producing Scholarship is a $100,000 fund aimed at attracting the brightest and most talented students in the field of social impact motion picture/television producing. Inspired by the 2017 Armenian Genocide drama The Promise, which was considered instrumental in the successful campaign towards U.S. congressional recognition, the scholarship will be awarded to multiple recipients who will be called Promise Scholars. They will be selected by UCLA TFT producing faculty allocating the scholarship fund between incoming and current students needing financial assistance to attend the program.

“The support from The Promise Social Impact Producing Scholarship will allow UCLA TFT to offer competitive financial packages as we continue to recruit the world’s best students to our Producers Program,” says Interim Dean Brian Kite. “By working with the PGA in the scholarship process, we are able to connect even more closely with our entertainment industry colleagues.”

Allain will receive the PGA/UCLA Vision Award, co-presented by the Producers Guild of America and UCLA TFT, at an in-person ceremony tentatively slated for June 2021. Past recipients include Lynette Howell Taylor, Ryan Murphy, Michael De Luca, Joe Roth, Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner, Hawk Koch, Mike Medavoy, Cathy Schulman, Gale Anne Hurd, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Johnson.

Posted: August 3, 2020