Syfy And Columbia University Present Imagine Greater Development Award

Syfy and Columbia University School of the Arts have awarded the first ever Syfy Imagine Greater Development Award, given to the top student filmmaker in the Columbia University School of Arts Graduate Film Program whose project best exemplifies creativity and imagination, to Gerry Kim, Producer, and Stephanie Wu, Director/Writer, for their film Green Plastic Sandals.

The 2010 award was presented by Thomas Vitale, Syfy Executive Vice President, Programming and Original Movies, during the Columbia University Film Festival on Friday, May 7 at the DGA (Directors Guild of America) Theatre in New York City.

In addition to mentoring from Syfy programming executives, the winners will receive $10,000 towards the production of their film, produced as a requirement for the MFA Degree from Columbia University School of the Arts. The winning film will be screened at the 2011 Columbia University Film Festival.

Columbia University School of the Arts is among the premier arts institutions in the United States, offering Master of Fine Arts degrees through four programs: Film, Theatre Arts, Visual Arts, and Writing, and a Master of Arts in Film Studies. The faculty includes both scholars and practitioners, providing a well-rounded program for emerging contemporary artists. Film Program Alumni include 2010 Best Director and Best Picture Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Point Break), Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry, Stop-Loss), James Mangold (Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma) and Albert Berger (Little Miss Sunshine, Hamlet 2).

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 96 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine Greater.)