(from left) Paul Uddo; Judith Roberson, UNO Foundation; Susan Krantz, dean of the College of Liberal Arts; and artist-in-residence Henry Griffin, who teaches screenwriting
The Joseph Patrick Uddo Foundation has established a screenwriting scholarship at the University of New Orleans to honor the memory of a New Orleans native and his love of films and filmmaking.
Joseph Patrick Uddo died at the age of 33 on December 7, 2008. The graduate of Jesuit High School attended the New York Film Academy, where he also taught after graduation. He was a screenwriter and camera operator who worked on several feature length films including “Monster’s Ball” and “Stranger Than Fiction.”
Mr. Uddo’s friends and family established the Joseph Patrick Uddo Foundation, a Louisiana nonprofit corporation, to create an enduring memorial to him. Although Mr. Uddo was not a UNO alumnus, his family wanted to honor his memory in a way that reflected his love of filmmaking.
Today, on the third anniversary of Mr. Uddo’s death, the foundation that bears his name made a gift of $40,000 to establish the Joseph Patrick Uddo Scholarship in Screenwriting at the University of New Orleans. The annual award will be made to an entering graduate student who is pursuing a master of fine arts in screenwriting. The first award will be made in the fall semester of 2012.
"Joseph was passionate about filmmaking and especially about the art of screenwriting,” said Paul Uddo, Joseph’s brother and the president of the Joseph Patrick Uddo Foundation. “This scholarship is intended to encourage and support others who share that passion. We are fortunate to have an outstanding film school here at UNO and we believe that this is a fitting place to memorialize Joseph, and to share his love of filmmaking with other young artists.”
“The University of New Orleans is truly grateful for the generosity of the Uddo family and the Joseph Patrick Uddo Foundation,” said Susan Krantz, dean of the UNO College of Liberal Arts. “By establishing a named scholarship in screenwriting, Joseph’s loved ones have assured that he will continue to create new stories to be told through film. In this way, his talent and his passion live in the emerging filmmakers of today and tomorrow.”
For more information on the Joseph Patrick Uddo Foundation, visit http://jpufoundation.org.