Dean Bassett earns American Spirit Award

Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts Dean Robert Bassett was bestowed with the Special Educators Award by the Caucus for Producers, Writers and Directors  on April 17 at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Dean Bassett was honored along with producer and minority-rights activist Loreen Arbus and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA). All three received Caucus for Producers, Writers and Directors American Spirit Awards (ASA) for their support of and commitment to the entertainment creative community.

Bassett and Dodge College have been acclaimed for their educational support for student filmmakers in the creative community.

“Our mission is very similar to that of the caucus,” Dean Bassett said. “One of the things that this organization enables and provides scholarship funds for is for these young people to bring their stories to the screen because it is very expensive.  It’s expensive to get an education and it’s expensive to make films, but there is only one way for creative students to make films, that’s by doing it. … We have a very common aim, common objective to make this society a better place through telling stories that change people’s minds, change people’s attitudes, and we’re training the young people who will help do that,” Bassett added.

The Caucus consists of producers, writers and directors working primarily in the television industry. Members include creative industry luminaries such as Gil Cates, Tom Fontana, Lionel Chetwynd, Kevin Bright, Dick Wolf, Michael Zinberg and Vin Di Bona.