Roc the Day

Roc the Day

This is the time of year when we think about giving back! We’re thankful for the filmmaking community RAFAS continues to foster through our Networking Workshops and Rochester Writers Workshop. It’s rewarding to connect filmmakers with projects and help see their scripts through the challenge of rewriting. With our annual Tom Hope Media Scholar Program, this year we recognized and awarded stipends to seven outstanding media production students.

If you find what we do at RAFAS valuable, why not show your support by donating through United Way’s ROC the Day 24-hour event? Your donation will help cover expenses that keep this 501(c)(3) running.

With enough generous contributions, we hope to bring back some our events and programs for 2026, including the Scriptitude short script competition and live event.

ROC the Day is December 2. You can find out more via
https://unitedwayrocflx.org/roc-the-day/causes/0fc05338-95c8-4a62-ba08-86f368b23684

We have a matching grant! An anonymous benefactor has already agreed to match funds raised through ROC-the-Day up to a cumulative maximum of $250.

Thank you,
Wayne Coughlin, Mike Boas, and the rest of the RAFAS board


Our 2025 Tom Hope Scholars. More about the scholarship here.

College Media Students Honored With Tom Hope Scholar Awards

College Media Students Honored With Tom Hope Scholar Awards

Some outstanding Rochester area college students tonight received Tom Hope Media Scholar Awards at a ceremony at the Irondequoit Conference Center at I-Square.

Jessica Savage, President and CEO of Dixon Schwabl + CO, was keynote speaker and award presenter at the event.

Sponsored by the Rochester Association for Film Arts and Sciences (RAFAS), the Tom Hope Media Scholar Program annually recognizes, and awards stipends, to outstanding media production students, welcoming them into the media profession. The award is named in honor of the late Rochester media icon Tom Hope, a nationally recognized pioneer in the use of film and video, who was named a Remarkable Rochesterian in 2021.

This year’s Tom Hope Media Scholars are:

  • Ben Burggraaff – Finger Lakes Community College
  • Colin O’ Brien – Rochester Institute of Technology
  • Tiago Davies – University of Rochester
  • Emma Sternberg – Genesee Community College
  • Kydian Suarez – St. John Fisher University
  • Colby Upham – Monroe Community College
  • Hunter Wright – SUNY Brockport

Student video work showcased at the event included:

  • an upbeat movie musical with songs written by RIT’s Colin O’Brien.
  • a video game produced by U of R’s Taigo Davies.
  • Freak Show, by MCC’s Colby Upham, a short film that speculates about our first
    response when hostile extra-terrestrials make a surprise visit to earth.

See the news coverage from News 10 WHEC.

Hope Scholar Awards

The 2023 Hope Scholar Award Ceremony is at 5:30PM Tuesday, April 11 at the the Irondequoit Conference Center at I-Square in Irondequoit, NY.

We’ll be welcoming these students into the ranks of Tom Hope Scholars:

  • Jenna Blakeslee — Monroe Community College
  • Caleb Cohn-Blank — University of Rochester
  • Olivia Fullerton — Finger Lakes Community College
  • Jason Kagan — SUNY Geneseo
  • Quamae Newsome — Rochester Institute of Technology
  • Amanda Spencer — Roberts Wesleyan University
  • Mitch Steedman — St. John Fisher University

As a special treat this year, 2022 Hope Scholar Rocio Ruiz will be our keynote speaker. She’ll tell us about her growth experiences in producing her grant-supported podcast series, 32/23: Remembering Kelsey and Matthew, which will debut soon on Spotify.

You can view her trailer, which was produced by 2020 Tom Hope Scholar Maddie Robbins, at https://youtu.be/tmV98RluVA0

Join us for Scriptitude! Live online table readings

 

 

2022 Winner Announced!

The Rochester Association for Film Arts and Sciences is pleased to announce this year’s Scriptitude winner, “Usurpation” by Rocket Ross.

For our live online table read event on December 15, 2022, actors will read the winning script. The other scripts read this evening will be selections from members of the Rochester Writers Workshop.

While we have performed multiple script submissions in years past, this year only one entry met or exceeded the judging criteria.

Visit https://rafasny.org/scriptitude-live on the evening of December 15 to see our live streaming event!

 

Go online to join us live! Watch the show at rafasny.org/scriptitude-live

2022 Scriptitude Winner Announced!

2022 Scriptitude Winner Announced!

The Rochester Association for Film Arts and Sciences is pleased to announce this year’s Scriptitude winner, “Usurpation” by Rocket Ross.

For our live online table read event on December 15, 2022, actors will read the winning script. The other scripts read this evening will be selections from members of the Rochester Writers Workshop.

While we have performed multiple script submissions in years past, this year only one entry met or exceeded the judging criteria.

Visit https://rafasny.org/scriptitude-live at 7:00pm, December 15 to see our live streaming event!

 

About Scriptitude

Script Studio and the Rochester Association for Film Arts and Sciences, Inc. present a short script competition open to all residents of the United States. Up to four submissions will be performed at a virtual Table Reading Event open to the public.

This is a great opportunity to hear your work and the scripts of other writers performed by dedicated actors!

The cost for each entry is $25 for early bird deadline, $35 for regular deadline. The first 25 entries get free written critiques/coverage of their work (a $35 value). Feedback is a valuable part of the writing process, and we’re excited to provide this service to help writers with their future work.

Proceeds go to Rochester Association for Film Arts and Sciences, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not for profit educational corporation run entirely by volunteers.

Awards & Prizes

The writers of up to four quality scripts will receive $50 and a copy of Script Studio software (a $199 value). They will be cast with actors and presented at a public table read held virtually online.

See the full rules for entry at https://filmfreeway.com/scriptitude

ABOUT RAFAS
The Rochester Association for Film Arts & Sciences, Inc. (RAFAS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational corporation dedicated to independent film makers, high school students and college students that wish to improve their skills in all aspects of filmmaking and to create a sense of community and a platform for learning through special events.
www.rafasny.org

ABOUT THE ROCHESTER WRITERS WORKSHOP
Since 2008, the Writers Workshop has met every other week as a forum for table reads, discussion, suggestions, constructive critique and education.
www.rwwny.org

ABOUT SCRIPT STUDIO
Script Studio® is creative writing software for screenwriters, playwrights and novelists that helps you plan your story outline, develop characters, structure your narrative and professionally format your movie script, stage play, TV show or manuscript. Find out more at www.scriptstudio.com

Stream THE SHMOOVIES This Weekend – The RAFAS Short Movies Showcase!

Stream THE SHMOOVIES This Weekend – The RAFAS Short Movies Showcase!

The Shmoovies Returns!

Starting today, Friday May 7th, visit www.rafasny.org/shmoovies to experience this year’s line-up of short movies from Rochester filmmakers.

Because of the difficulties in creating films in 2020 we decided to take a different approach for the 2021 event. We have gone into the archives of RAFAS – from the Shmoovies, Mind2Movie and other exhibitions – to bring you some of the very best short films we have shown over the past 15 years. That includes films from past Shmoovies, the 72 Hour Mind to Movie competition, and the Rochester Movie Makers Summer Shorts series.

Special thanks to Blue Moon Films and RCTV to help make this festival possible.

So pop your popcorn, find a comfy place to sit, fire up the electronic device of your choice and visit www.rafasny.org/shmoovies this weekend!

Masks are not required. Donations appreciated.

Watch SHMOOVIES Now!

Make a Donation to RAFAS

See some past favorites!
Discover hidden gems!
Comedy, drama, horror, and more!

FEATURING FILMS FROM:

Ben Chatfield
James and Vince Coleman
Wayne Coughlin
Michael Del Rossa
Shawn M. Essler
Scott W. Fitzgerald
Will Graver
Stan Main
Mike McFadden
Dan Petracca
Derrick Petrush
Jason Ray
Ken Rhodes
Mike Russo
Boris Sapozhnikov
Mary Whiteside
Mike Boas