2023 Fall Grant Finalists

“The History of Women,” a feature-film documentary, will be presented using historical footage, well-preserved stock footage, newly recorded film footage and historical movie clips. Deborah Romare will be your guide, and the voice of reason, as she interacts, comments, and connects the past, present, and future of women’s struggles with you, the viewing audience.

Kyle Santoro, a senior in high school, shot and edited Fentanyl High, a feature documentary film, over 14 months, striving to dig behind the social media facades to reveal what high school teens honestly think deep down about the fentanyl epidemic, how teens today are dealing with their emotional pain in school and at home, why they are self-medicating and what can be done to prevent these tragedies, as well the first-hand experiences of paramedics, government officials, doctors, and parents whose teens have died from fentanyl poisoning.

26 Seconds-ISIS SEX SLAVES is a dramatic feature documentary focusing on the horrors of global sex trafficking. The documentary chronicles the effort of our experts and their teams to rescue victims as we watch through heartbreaking footage of women and children that are rescued and restored.

EPOCH TV: https://www.epochtv.shop/26seconds

OUTCRY: Alchemists of Rage follows activist-artist Whitney Bradshaw as she travels the post-Roe United States with OUTCRY, a participatory art project in which she leads women in group scream sessions, photographing them mid-scream to create a collective portrait of resistance, motivate political action, and build feminist solidarity through radical empathy.

"Mad Island," set against the haunting winter backdrop of Lake Superior, WI, is a narrative short by American writer/director Nick Peet. The film delves deep into the chilling mysteries of a remote, icy island, exploring themes of isolation, intrigue, and the eerie lore of a sinister water spirit. Our main character is a gender non-binary musician who travels to this remote setting to capture the the sounds of ice expanding and contracting. Like a fish out of water, they are thrown into a nerve-racking series of events that forces the audience to question what's real and what's the product of living in an isolated community surrounded by the spiritual impact of natural wonders.

In the lifers’ section of a violent prison, Ed, a Black youth from a tough neighborhood, mentors Jimmy, a white 15-year-old from Irish South Boston -- and decades later, with both out on lifetime parole and deeply reflecting on past mistakes, Ed hires Jimmy to work on his own construction crew where one misstep could land them back behind bars.

Logline: A Dallas reporter uncovers a "Smart City" surveillance conspiracy he must expose before the Deep State can assassinate him.
Description:Jake Keller, a Dallas reporter, uncovers a "Smart City" surveillance conspiracy. Jake’s investigation takes him from the skyscraper office of an oil CEO to a drug den with guns at the ready. He discovers a network of corrupt politicians, hungry lobbyists, Deep State assassins, and gray aliens—only one of which might be a hallucination. With allies in short supply and a rising body count from suspicious accidents, the only question is which will unravel first: the conspiracy or Jake’s sanity.

One woman’s quest through 27 years of research to bring to light the discoveries and technological advancements of Nikola Tesla, Irving Langmuir and Bernard J. Easlund – 100 years later. A new look at the forecast of climate change and the heating and healing of our planet and how technology is manipulating and exacerbating climate change and destabilization of the same sky we all share.

In an abstract and symbolic world, a unique bond forms between a grandfather and his grandson. They live in a surreal world where gravity is reversed, pulling everything upwards. As Saba, the grandfather, guides the boy through this peculiar reality, a storm hits and the rope anchoring their house tears. The boy faces life’s inevitable yet still surprising nature, as we lose Saba. He then embarks on an emotional journey to find closure. Through a simple and charming visual language, the film delves into some of life's fundamental questions, exploring the paths we choose or are compelled to take separation from loved ones, and the ongoing effort to reconcile and move forward.

Lovers separated by the Syrian-Turkish border face impossible odds to reunite, based on a true story that proves love has no borders.

Malcolm Jamal Turner, a struggling writer living in Harlem fed up with the neighborhood's changing demographics, concocts a ludicrous scheme to de-gentrify it.

This film investigates a problem of identification bound tightly with immigration hardships and the uncertainty of living in a different country.

Alien Numbers is a performative documentary about the inner struggle of an immigrant feeling insecure and unsure of their place and future in what they thought could be their new home. The film employs a blend of archival footage and performative elements creating a visual tapestry that immerses the audience in the protagonist's personal journey. Shot on 16mm color film.

An inceptive lens exploring the convergence of poor eating habits and elevated sugar consumption promoting health disorders that plague the African American community along with solution-oriented goals towards better health/well-being.

Pearl Rising is a transformative cinematic experience following Mother Earth as she destroys the souls of her own creation. A gripping tale of the planet’s only chance to recover unfolds as her daughter, Pearl, has her own wishes for the future of humanity.

Pearl Rising aims to provoke change by spotlighting humanity's impact on Earth. Through powerful visual effects and captivating dance and poetry, it inspires a shift towards sustainability and awareness of our environmental responsibilities.

Intimately following a movement of advocates, survivors, and activists in Utah, Chewed Gum is an exploration of spirituality in the face of adversity. As women of faith confront difficult truths within a community they love and grapple with personal tragedy, they discover their voices, transmute pain into art and healing, and experience the transformative power of spiritual rebirth.

Discover the untold stories of aviation's most talented artists, as they take you on a journey through history and the skies with their brushstrokes.This series will immerse you into aviation artwork through interviews, painting sessions, re-enactments, and live studio walkthroughs, giving you the opportunity to interact with history in a way you’ve never experienced.The Impact campaign of our documentary series entails collaborating with Military Art Therapy programs to provide aviation artists as supplemental teachers to enhance the experience of veterans and their families participating in therapeutic art courses,while assisting them in their recovery from PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury.

The story of an unsung hero of Napa Valley who while in pursuit of the impossible dream of making the best bottle of wine in the world, saved the valley and changed the industry after illegally smuggling over 5,000 French wine vines into the US in 1982.

BALANCE addresses an under-investigated subject affecting all women - hormone imbalance, perimenopause, and menopause - by following two female-monks on their perimenopausal journey.

BEOFRE THERE WAS FACEBOOK
BEFORE THERE WAS SOCIAL NETWORKING
THERE WAS ARTHUR INMAN

"FROM A DARKENED ROOM - THE DIARY OF NOBODY"
A FEATURE DOCUMENTARY inspired by “The Inman Diary” by Arthur Crew Inman
Published by Harvard University Press

An upcoming feature documentary that chronicles the life of the notorious Boston eccentric Arthur Crew Inman (1895-1963), author of the 17-million-word, 155 volume “THE INMAN DIARY”. Inman spent 60 years of his life, from the age of eight, creating this chilling epic of collective memory. Sixty years after his death, Inman has morphed into the original blogger, a man obsessed with connectivity decades before the word was even invented.

Walk In The Light tells the story of the Oklahoma City Bombing through the eyes of a blind hero, Raymond Washburn, who led 5 people to safety in the treacherous event. Raymond recounts his perspective to his precocious, eight year-old granddaughter, Aiyana, and uses his story to teach Aiyana to embrace her Native American heritage and to shine her own light into the world.