American Film Institute establishes scholarship in memory of Halyna Hutchins

Washington, Oct 24: The American Film Institute (AFI) has established a memorial scholarship in the name of Soviet-born cinematographer Halyna Hutchins who was accidentally shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin on the set of the movie “Rust.”
“As is profoundly true in the art of cinematography, words alone cannot capture the loss of one so dear to the AFI community. At AFI, we pledge to see that Halyna Hutchins will live on in the spirit of all who strive to see their dreams realized in stories well told,” the AFI said on its website on Saturday.
Halyna’s husband, Matt Hutchins thanked the AFI for establishing the scholarship. He wrote on Twitter that it will help support aspiring female cinematographers and also asked the media to respect the family’s privacy at the time of loss.
“Halyna inspired us all with her passion and vision, and her legacy is too meaningful to encapsulate in words. Our loss is enormous, and we ask that the media please respect my family’s privacy as we process our grief. We thank everyone for sharing images and stories of her life,” Matt wrote.
Hutchins had reportedly been advocating for better working conditions for the crew on the “Rust” film set at Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, before Baldwin accidentally shot and killed the camerawoman with a prop gun.
Baldwin said in a statement on Friday that he was fully cooperating with the investigation into the fatal shooting and has been in contact with Hutchins’ husband, offering support to him and his family. He added that he is heartbroken over the camerawoman’s death.
Hutchins was born and raised in Soviet-era Ukraine. She graduated from the International Journalism Department of Kiev University and collaborated with British documentary filmmakers as an investigative journalist before moving to Los Angeles several years ago. Hutchins’ works include Darlin’ (2019), Arch Enemy (2020) and Blindfire (2020).

(UNI)