Exploring the Skies - Cooke Scholar Harun Mehmedinovic

We’ve all been told to ‘reach for the stars’, but what if the stars are hidden?

As a Cooke Scholar, Harun Mehmedinovic studied at both UCLA and the American Film Institute (AFI), where he earned an M.F.A.  After creating the award-winning film “In the Name of the Son” and the successful Bloodhoney portrait series, he reconnected with his former AFI classmate and fellow filmmaker Gavin Heffernan. Sharing an interest in timelapse filming and a concern with the growing problem of light pollution, they set out on what turned into a three-year, 150,000 mile journey to some of the most remote areas of the country to film the night sky. The response to this incredibly successful project has been overwhelming, and their work has been featured by BBC Earth, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, The Rolling Stones, the National Park Service, and more.

Learn more about their project, Skyglow, and find out how you can get involved by visiting their website.

You can watch more about Harun’s inspiring journey from his childhood in war-torn Bosnia and his evolution as an artist in our scholar spotlight video: