Two Film Grads Honored With NBR Student Award Grants
The SUNY Purchase Film BFA program is proud to share that alumni Jamie Simiele ’26 andMichael Warren ’26 earned National Board of Review Student Grant Awards.
SUNY Purchase Film BFA alumni Jamie Simiele ’26 andMichael Warren ’26 earned competitive grants from the National Board of Review by submitting their senior project films, Goosewood and Mercy Rule, respectively.
Through its Student Grant Program, the National Board of Review advances the cinematic future by helping young filmmakers complete their projects and share them around the world.
Michael Warren
Forced into playing Little League baseball by his father, Teddy’s ability to handle the constant pressure begins to wear thin, resulting in an outburst towards another boy on the opposing team unlike anything his dad has ever seen.
About the Director
Growing up, I struggled to find an activity that I truly connected with. The weekly routine of going to practice and playing sports wasn’t very engaging for me, and I would begin to dread having to participate in them. Despite this, I consider myself very lucky to have had supportive parents who despite my disinterest in some sports, truly wanted me to find something that I loved. Unlike Teddy’s father, my own dad gave me everything he could to help me succeed. Even now, he supports my journey into filmmaking all the way. I find myself reflecting on how things could have been if my parents did not raise me to be the person I am today. Mercy Rule is just one interpretation of what could have been.
Jamie Simiele
During two siblings’ walk to Christmas Mass, Marcus finds himself drawn to a stranger after discovering his sister’s secret affair.
Simiele is a queer writer and director based in Brooklyn, NY. Growing up in a small, conservative town in Upstate NY, Simiele’s filmmaking explores and amplifies the voices of the “American Mongrel”— queer individuals who have navigated the challenges of working-class rural Americana and redefined the American dream.
More Accolades
After Caleb is almost caught in the back of a pickup truck with Logan Balfe, he has to keep things quiet while driving Logan home.
Simiele’s film Pansies was selected for the 2026 NFFTY (The National Film Festival for Talented Youth), the world’s largest film festival for emerging directors, The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival, the Santa Cruz Film Festival, and others.
Purchase in Practice
The Film BFA program at Purchase provides professional training in all aspects of filmmaking and offers three areas of concentration: narrative, documentary, or experimental filmmaking.