OSI Grantees Receive 2005 MacArthur "Genius" Awards

The Open Society Institute congratulates grantees Edet Belzberg and Majora Carter on receiving 2005 MacArthur Fellowships. The unrestricted fellowships, also known as "genius" grants, are awarded to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional originality, dedication, and self-direction in their pursuits.

Belzberg is a filmmaker whose first movie, Children Underground, was supported by a Soros Documentary Fund grant. The film deals with a group of homeless children living in a train station in Bucharest, Romania, and was nominated for an Oscar in 2002. Belzberg's latest film, Gymnast, documents the top three American gymnasts as they prepare for the 2000 Olympics.

Carter is director of Sustainable South Bronx (SSB), which she founded in 2001 with a NYC Community Fellowship from OSI. SSB addresses environmental and health issues for residents of the South Bronx by helping create new opportunities for transportation, fitness and recreation, nutrition, and economic development.

For more information on the recipients, view the 2005 MacArthur Fellows Overview on the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation website.