The Los Angeles Film Critics Association congratulates Chayliel Quintanilla Flores and Haein Shim as the 2021–22 recipients of the LAFCA Ruth Batchelor Scholarship, supported by Rotten Tomatoes.

The award was established in honor of the organization’s founder Ruth Batchelor to encourage and support aspiring film critics. Thanks to the generous backing of Rotten Tomatoes, LAFCA is presenting two scholarships: one to a woman and another to a person from an underrepresented group or groups.

Chayliel Quintanilla Flores is from a Nicaraguan and Salvadoran background and a second-year student at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, where she is majoring in filmmaking. She enjoys watching films and writing about the impact they have on her. She aspires to use her film critiques to shed light on cinematic pieces that bring diverse stories to life on screen.

Haein Shim was born and raised in Gwangju, South Korea, where she spent her late high school years and early twenties financially supporting her family. In late 2016, she relocated to the United States, and in 2021 enrolled at Pasadena City College majoring in Women's Studies and Sociology. She is a women's human rights activist, student organizer, interpreter and trainer who has worked with women's rights organizations both in Korea and at PCC. She is a solid believer in the power of media, especially film, and will continue to condemn how the male gaze in the film industry justifies and supports patriarchy. She is also really eager to see further improvements in this present momentum of recognizing the importance of diverse inclusion.

The scholarships include $3,000 awards, plus Fandango and Vudu gift cards.

Haein Shim photo credit: Xavier Zamora