A Penn State College of Communications faculty member has been awarded a grant, which will be disbursed in the spring, from the University’s Institute from the Arts and Humanities (IAH). The grant will support a film telling the virtually unknown story of an unsung hero in the rescue of refugees in Uganda by Israeli soldiers.

Richie Sherman, associate professor in the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies, received the grant in support of a future feature documentary titled “COJOT,” which will focus on a Parisian banker Michel Cojot, who played a pivotal role in the 1976 rescue of Entebbe hostages.

Sherman will serve as the director of photography and co-producer for the film, which will be written, produced and directed by Boaz Dvir, senior lecturer in the Department of Film-Video and the Department of Journalism. The two are working with historical consultant Gayle Zachmann of the University of Florida and editor Anita Gabrosek, a Penn State lecturer in film-video.

“This past summer Boaz, Gayle and I spent a few weeks in France interviewing experts and family members relevant to the story,” said Sherman. “We are actively fundraising to reach our first goal of completing a short film by the 40th anniversary of the Entebbe mission. We then plan to expand the story into a feature documentary.”

The IAH Individual Faculty Grants program is intended to support the research and creativity of individual faculty members in and across the arts and humanities at Penn State.