Film student captures major award from Directors Guild of America

Marcie Revens/DGA

From left, ASL interpreter Emily Fawcett Gerstein '19, Gabriel Ponte-Fleary, and Vashti Anderson, assistant professor in RIT's School of Film and Animation celebrate Ponte-Fleary's recognition at the Directors Guild of America Student Film Awards for African American, Asian American, Women and Latino Directors. The ceremony took place Dec. 18 in New York City.

Gabriel Ponte-Fleary ’18 (visual media), ’26 MFA (film and animation) won the Jury Award for Best Documentary (East Region) at the 2024 Directors Guild of America Student Film Awards for African American, Asian American, Women and Latino Directors. 

He was recognized by the Directors Guild of America (DGA) for Un Viaje de Fe (A Journey of Faith), an emotional documentary about the faith and hardships of a Nicaraguan family who migrated to the U.S. All 2024 winners were selected by a blue ribbon DGA member panel. 

Ponte-Fleary is also the assistant director of visual communications for the Department of Access Services in RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf.

DGA’s National Board originally established the Student Film Awards for African American, Asian American, Women and Latino Directors to address underrepresentation of directors of color and women directors in feature filmmaking. Since, the awards have honored and promoted diverse directors in film schools and universities around the country. 

Ponte-Fleary is the first Deaf or Hard of Hearing director honored in the Documentary category, now in its fourth year of being awarded. Tayton Troidl ’22 (film and animation) captured the inaugural Best Documentary: East Region recognition in 2022.

"Receiving this award was an incredible honor," Ponte-Fleary said. "It gave me the privilege of making history while proudly representing my communities — the Deaf, Latino, and Venezuelan communities — along with RIT and its outstanding film program. I hope to see more filmmakers with disabilities gain recognition and opportunities to showcase their exceptional talents."

Ponte-Fleary and the rest of the honorees were recognized during a ceremony Dec. 18 at the DGA Theater in New York City.


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