Film Student is T&T's 2020 Erasmus Scholar

22.07.2020

July 20, 2020,   Port-of-Spain: A gift of a camera became the start of something truly life changing for Antonio Wallace.  A student of Information Technology at UWI at the time, Antonio became so enamoured with the art of photography and filmmaking that he switched majors and entered the UWI film programme.  Now Wallace, who will graduate with a BA in Film Production and Major Film Studies this year, has been able to convert his passion for filmmaking into an opportunity to study documentary filmmaking in Europe, as part of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree (EMJMD) scholarship programme.  

Antonio has now joined the ranks of close to 100 students from across Trinidad and Tobago who have been awarded EMJMD scholarships since 2005.  He will join 23 other talented film students from around the world to complete an MFA in documentary film making at three prestigious institutions - Universidad Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias (Lusophone University of Humanities and Technologies ) of Lisbon Portugal, University of Film and Theatre Arts, Budapest Hungary and LUCA School of Arts, in Brussels Belgium. Antonio will depart for Portugal to begin his studies in February 2021, rather than this September, as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many universities to delay or institute remote learning for their students.  

It has long been a dream of Antonio’s to create ‘true Trinidad and Tobago, and by extension, Caribbean film’.  He already has projects in mind that he is anxious to complete upon his return to Trinidad.  He also hopes to use his skills to inspire other filmmakers to achieve their goals in the creative arts.

Ambassador Biesebroek underscored Antonio’s achievement saying:  ‘The EMJMD programme is extremely competitive.  Every year, thousands of students from across the globe apply, but only a fraction is accepted.  This scholarship offers not only the opportunity to study in some of the best tertiary institutions in Europe, but also a chance to visit multiple countries – as by its nature – the scholarship mandates that students study in at least three institutions across the EU to qualify for a degree.

And the experience is an enriching one for the Universities that participate in this programme as well.  Through these exchanges, they also learn from the students and can use the knowledge to further broaden their curricula and research base.  I wish Antonio all the best, as he embarks on what will be a memorable study experience.’

  Learn more about Erasmus +: https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/node_en.

Two men greeting each other