AVPA Alum Sophia Lafaurie-Munoz Wins Top Honors At GFS Film Screening

Culver City CA

03 October, 2021

1:34 PM

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By Judith Martin-Straw, Culver City Crossroads October 1, 2021 First film? Top honors – that's the way to introduce yourself to the industry as an adult. After graduating from Culver City High School and the Academy of Visual and Performing Arts in June, Sophia Lafaurie-Munoz did not take any time to slow down; she jumped right into a demanding film program with Ghetto Film School. The prestigious non-profit that runs programs in Los Angeles, New York and London accepted only 30 students for the summer. The fellowships offer intense training, and culminate with each student writing, casting, producing, shooting and editing a four minute film. On her maiden voyage as a film maker, Sophia's 'Violets,' was named as one of the top three in a field of 21 entries. 'Violets,' love story without dialogue, stars Ava Ayala and Sydney Halbert. The top ten films were chosen to be screened at the Landmark in West Los Angeles on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, and the top three films were all given equal status as 'the best.' "Honestly, it was a huge privilege that I got accepted in to GFS. It's such an amazing school and I learned so much about movie making in the just the span of a summer. It's hard, yes, but it's all worth it. This is what I'm passionate about." Lafaurie-Munoz was deeply appreciative of her cast and crew, saying "Everyone [working on the film] did such an amazing job, and this is such an honor; not just that my first film got shown on a big screen, but getting recognized for that – it felt like a dream." The jury that gave out the honors included Rich Appel and Alec Sulkin, showrunners on 'Family Guy,' Alexi Gonzalez, filmmaker and producer of 'On My Block,' Emily Gordon, screenwriter of 'The Big Sick,' Daquan Saxton, filmmaker and producer of 'Ovals,' and Ozi Menakaya, executive with Creative Artists Agency. Lafaurie-Munoz is currently enrolled at Santa Monica College, studying theater and film, and shows no sign of slowing down. To see the short, go to https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS94NBoZzlqixNcuaR7boEeMettaa0nVQ Culver City Crossroads is the prime source for news, events, politics, education and culture. they are here to serve the community, create connections, and have fun.