Emersonians honored by Caucus

Emerson Trustee, executive-artist-in-residence, and alumnus Kevin Bright ’76 and recent graduate Matthew Hashiguchi (MFA ’11) were among those honored at the 29th Annual Caucus for Producers, Writers, and Directors Awards Dinner in Beverly Hills Sunday night.

Bright, who won the Chair’s Award, was the executive producer of the hugely successful TV series Friends. He also directed a number of episodes of the sitcom, including the series finale, and produced the spinoff Joey. He returned to Boston in 2006 to teach television production classes at Emerson. He has also developed several community TV and film programs, including one to help visually impaired people use the medium of video.

“I love making people laugh,” Bright said to The Hollywood Reporter, “but there’s nothing better than changing people’s lives.”

Hashiguchi won second prize in the student film category for his film The Lower 9, about the area of New Orleans devastated by Hurricane Katrina, which has still not recovered. His prize was a $20,000 post-production package to be used on a future project. Current graduate student Elaine McMillion co-directed and co-produced The Lower 9 with Hashiguchi.

Photo Credit: © Steve Cohn/ Steve Cohn Photography