Hollywood dream: AFI, Conservatory

Saulius Lukoševičius is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Eleonora Jonusiene.

Donation protected

INTRO
I am Lithuanian cinematographer who wants to fame it's country name worldwide. Last year, I was awarded as the Best Cinematographer of the year in LAC (Lithuanian Association of Cinematographers) awards.

Recently I got into one of the best cinematography schools in the world, AFI (American Film Institute) in Los Angeles for 2018-2020.

I am at the beginning of my career, I didn't have the opportunity to gather such financial resources that AFI requires, so I am looking for any possible support so that I can realize my dream.

AFI
Oscar winning cinematographers graduated here who made such films as Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Batman Begins, Hateful Eight, Hugo. As well such directors as David Lynch (Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks), Terrence Malick (Life of Tree), Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream). I have been working on documentaries a lot and now I feel that it’s time for me to concentrate on fiction filmmaking. These studies will give me a chance to be experienced enough to compete with other cinematographers and to work on big productions all over the world. I believe that I will meet new talented people with whom I will collaborate on future projects and who will lead me towards being a successful team player.  

COST OF ATTENDANCE AFI 2018-2020
Tuition: $116 688
Available Funds (AFI scholarship, Government's support+perso nal savings): $90 400
Missing/Financial support ambition: $26 288
Cost of Attendance Link

WAYS YOU CAN HELP
Donate through GOFUNDME platform:
Make a payment directly to the AFI:
Account Name: American Film Institute 
Address: 2021 NORTH WESTERN AVENUE LOS ANGELES, CA 90027 
Bank Name: Bank of America 051001204 (ACH)/026009593 (WIRE)
Account Number (IBAN): 2086097524 
Swift Code: BOFAUS3N 
Beneficiary Info: Saulius Lukosevicius, ID 1008422
Contact me ([email redacted]) if you need an invoice with your company details and AFI will prepare it.

BIO
I come from a small town of Lithuania called Vilkaviskis. Since I can remember myself, I have been surrounded by photo cameras. My father is a photographer, so I was strongly influenced by him and got interested in photography in my early childhood. I was seventeen when I got my hands on a semi-professional digital video camera. Moving images helped me to capture emotions and real life in a more intimate and creative way compared to photography. Soon, I realized that cinema is the perfect form that I needed. So, at the age of nineteen, I passed all the needed tests and got into the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, department of Film and TV Cinematography. During my third year of studies I took part of the Erasmus program and I went to the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts in Bulgaria. This new experience of studies abroad was revelatory and gave me possibilities of international collaborations. That’s why during and after my studies I have been participating in various international workshops and master classes. Besides Lithuania, I went to Romania, Germany, Russia, Serbia to take part in workshops, where not only I acquired knowledge and experience, but also developed my personal network and got to know many young talented directors and producers from all over the world.
After four years of studying I graduated and started making films as a freelance cinematographer. In 2013, I became a member of Lithuanian Association of Cinematographers (LAC). My filmography contains ten short films, four full-length documentaries and a one feature. The films were screened in many international film festivals and a few of them got prestigious awards. For instance, a short film "Winter" (Zima) screened in more than two hundred fifty festivals and received fourteen awards (Locarno, Clermont-Ferrand), including European Film Academy’s nomination for the best short. Furthermore, my first documentary feature “Paradise Gowns” won 2 awards in famous cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond Festival and brought to me the most important of all, Lithuanian Association of Cinematographers’ award for the best cinematography last year. These moments of recognition encourage me to look for new international projects, to work abroad, and to make films for wider audiences.

ADVENTURES
It seems that somehow I always find myself in adventurous projects, distant places and extreme conditions. In winter of 2013, I spent a month travelling on a Trans-Siberian train through Russia making a short documentary. In 2015, I shot my first documentary feature on an archipelago in Finland. In 2016, I filmed a feature documentary about a crazy Russian priest who flew around the world in a Roziere balloon in 11 days that launched in Perth, Australia. Last summer, I shot in Tian Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan that required training myself how to climb, to be physically strong and to survive in harsh conditions. I shot my first feature narrative in Azerbaijan with 50 crew members who barely spoke English.

VIDEO