Sriyanka Ray, a Kolkata-born US-based filmmaker who tragically passed away last year at the age of 33, has been honoured posthumously with her first independent Emmy for directing and producing Homeroom Dreams. She passed away on May 30, 2023, from a sudden illness while she was vacationing in Bolivia. Homeroom Dreams wins Emmy Her sudden demise shocked friends, family, and colleagues, leaving behind a void in the world of documentary filmmaking.
An alumna of La Martiniere for Girls and Presidency University in Kolkata, she pursued film studies at Jadavpur University before making her move to New York in 2012. ALSO READ: The Night Manager's Sandeep Modi On International Emmy Triumph: Are We Good Enough? This Tells Me..
. | Excl In New York, Sriyanka earned her master’s degree from The New School and joined BRIC, a prominent arts and media institution, in 2014. At BRIC, she not only worked on her feature film about Ghoramara Island in the Sundarbans but also produced the acclaimed documentary Crossroads, which examined the 2021 FedEx shootings.
For the unversed, Sriyanka Ray’s Emmy-winning short documentary, Homeroom Dreams, talks about the pressing issue of homelessness among students in New York City. Set in Riverdale Avenue Middle School, the film reveals that 18 per cent of the student population lacked permanent housing. Over just 13 minutes, the film revolves around the barriers to education that many disadvantaged kids encounter, including the lack of basic necessiti.