As the recipient of the William A. Camfield Undergraduate Fellowship, Ayla Davis will work as an intern in the coming academic year in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Film team and assist in previewing and evaluating a diverse range of films for programming consideration, updating the archival database of the history of films shown at the MFAH, and assisting with the circulating collection of films by Robert Frank.
A rising senior majoring in Visual and Dramatic Arts - Film, Ayla talks about her fellowship goals:
“Having previously interned with the film team at MFAH, I feel sure that this fellowship would push me to keep growing as a film student. The sheer exposure to a wide variety of films would not only develop my artistic perspective and cinematic language, but also motivate me to work harder at my filmmaking. Frankly, working in such a film-focused environment during my fall internship was what ultimately drove me to the decision to spend my last undergraduate summer filming a documentary. During further work on the documentary in the academic year, this fellowship would provide a wealth of resources for thinking critically about my own work and experimenting with different methods of storytelling. Moreover, I would be surrounded by colleagues who are knowledgeable about the film industry and are equipped to advise me, support me, and give me feedback on my projects. Meeting with partner organizations would expand my network of local artists, from whom I could learn a great deal.”