Shawn Florchak, right, with KGUN film critic Jim Ferguson, who fostered a scholarship program for students.

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Shawn Florchak spent several months trying to win a scholarship that didn't yet exist.

Spurred on by KGUN film critic Jim Ferguson, Florchak, a 21-year-old University of Arizona media arts junior, pestered the Broadcast Film Critics Association to initiate Ferguson's pet cause, a scholarship program for young film students.

Florchak's efforts paid off last month quite literally, when the BFCA adopted the Jim Ferguson Broadcast Film Critics Association Scholarship and awarded its $3,000 to Florchak, who submitted a movie review and essay. He said the money was transferred into a special account he can tap for tuition and books.

Florchak, a graduate of Sahuarita High School, will also be reviewing movies to air on the University of Arizona channel (Cox 16 and Comcast 76) and KAMP Student Radio (1570-AM).

The scholarship is another line on an already impressive résumé. Working with his old roommate from the dorms, James Kilbridge, Florchak made a five-minute documentary called "The Final Round," about Centro del Sur, a south-side boxing gym that was in danger of closing due to budget constraints. The gym remains open.

The movie won the best-director award at the Not Yet Rated festival at the UA in April. Also, Florchak earned his first credit by serving as a production assistant in 2008 on "American Idol" during its Phoenix auditions and was a production and camera assistant on MTV's "True Life" when the network was on the UA campus. Florchak also was a production assistant on "The Biggest Loser" during the Scottsdale auditions in July.

What is "The Final Round" like?

"Last semester there were a lot of budget cuts and they were going to shut down a gym on the south side. James asked if I wanted to help do a documentary on it. We did interviews and portrayed the gym as something essential. We didn't want it shut down."

What did you get for winning?

"A medal and a plaque."

How long have you been making films?

"It started in high school — my media class my junior year. I made a lot of work that ended up airing on Access Tucson. The people who run Access Tucson like to go to high schools and pick out classwork — packages that focus on the community, Tucson cultures and stuff like that. They liked mine and it wound up airing, actually."

What do you want to accomplish before you graduate?

"I'm definitely looking to intern the semester before I graduate."

How did you go about getting the scholarship going?

"I'd call around and ask. They'd tell me there was a lot of red tape. I'd say, 'What can I do to try to get it passed?' "

What filmmaker do you model yourself after?

"I really enjoyed (Quentin) Tarantino's flicks because the way he makes his movies is unconventional, but his work has public acceptance. He's someone who's unconventional and creative who knows what he's doing, puts his vision out there and has people unanimously accept it."