A graduate from The University of Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Arts has been given a rare scholarship from the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles, California—but that assistance is just the tip of the financial iceberg he faces. 

Sean Grattan graduated in May with a BFA (First Class Honours). His goal to make “beautiful, intelligent and challenging independent films” is set to be realised after being accepted into the highly competitive Masters in Film and Video programme at CalArts. In offering Sean the US$10,000 scholarship the director of the programme wrote:

“The faculty who screened your work thought it was exceptional and we really hope you will be able to join us in the fall. We can assist you with a $10,000 scholarship. This is a very high scholarship for our program and it reflects how strongly we feel about you and your work. We feel that CalArts will be a perfect environment for you to continue to make films and to evolve as an artist. We have a great faculty and an exceptional student body and we very much want you to be a part.”

Founded by Walt Disney in 1961, CalArts aims to create an environment where artists across all disciplines can work and experiment together in order to push the boundaries of their chosen fields. Sean says such an ethos is key to his own artistic vision and development and as a result, he applied only to CalArts for postgraduate study.

“So much of our world is geared towards production and consumption, to the point where the meaning of an individual’s existence is largely determined by the market value of their abilities. I am fascinated by the role that narrative
plays in this process, and I want to inspire people to consider their lives in a way that is temporarily free from the burden of these external pressures,” says Sean, who says the art of moving images is an excellent medium for communicating new ideas about the world we live in.

In order to complete his three-year masters at CalArts, Sean needs to secure  NZ$90000 per year. In addition to applying for several scholarships, Sean will hold a fundraising event he hopes will help raise awareness of his work and help meet his goal. Sean’s film Work And Not Work will screen at a special fundraising evening at the Academy Cinema in Auckland at 8pm on Tuesday 11th August. The film explores the notion of labour and production as evidenced in the monotonous routines of the workers at an industrial factory. A dramatic narrative slowly emerges from this rule-governed environment. All proceeds will go towards Sean’s education costs.

As part of his commitment to remaining active in the community, Sean will also screen a new film, Looking At You With Contempt as part of an exhibition at Newcall Gallery (Level 1, Newcall Tower, Hohipere St, Grafton). The film is an abstract film noir, with no violence and no romance, only innuendo. It is an investigation of the act of looking at other people and what pleasure or pain this act may create. The exhibition will be mounted from 29th July – 14th August and the film will play at select times throughout this period. A special opening will be held at 6pm on Tuesday 28th July.

Sean will also host a screening for another new film, Getting To Know Where, made in collaboration with current Elam student Shannon Te Ao. The film is a fictional account of a small family living in rural Waikato. Mirroring the subtle pace of everyday country life, “action” is minimal and the dialogue seemingly natural. It utilises non-actors in an attempt to complicate the conventional notions of performance and drama. It will screen at 6pm on Thursday 16th July at Artspace Gallery in Auckland (Level 1, 300 Karangahape Rd, Newton).

Through these endeavours, Sean is optimistic that he can raise the money required to graduate from one of the leading film programmes in the United States.

“My aim is to follow in the footsteps of such renowned experimental New Zealand filmmakers as Len Lye and Florian Habicht by contributing to the growing international reputation of New Zealand art and film. As a result of my experiences at CalArts I am confident that when I return to New Zealand, I will be well equipped to share my knowledge and passion with the local community which I will do by re-engaging with the filmmaking process here,” says Sean.

To view a sample of Sean Grattan’s work visit www.seangrattan.com

For more information about CalArts visit www.calarts.com

The University of Auckland’s National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries comprises the School of Architecture and Planning, Elam School of Fine Arts, the Centre for New Zealand Art Research and Discovery (CNZARD), the School of Music and the Dance Studies Programme.