Awarded Grants

A personal film told from the perspective of a Philadelphia woman who grew up in a Orthodox Jewish community that supports Israel unconditionally, "The Rabbis' Intifada" follows the journeys of four Orthodox rabbis as they speak out in support of Palestinian liberation.

When 50-year-old Filipina immigrant Alma Manabat Parker travels back to the Philippines for the first time since infancy, she immerses in her native culture and learns traditional dances to bring back to her Filipino-American community in Alaska, hoping to spark cultural engagement and identity amongst youth increasingly disconnected from their heritage.

“Stand Up for Madinah” follows Delaware's first female Muslim legislator, Madinah Wilson-Anton, as she challenges the Biden administration on the ongoing war in Gaza. When not confronting the establishment, Madinah spends her spare time at local comedy clubs trying to find success as a standup comedian.

For "Without Vision," which explores how music builds and informs relationships and connections not just for the artists, but also for the community. The documentary follows the trajectory of singer/songwriter/pianist Kayla Childs as she develops music and a live performance with Philadelphia's up-and-coming jazz greats.

An immersive, verité style film, "Kempis Coming Home" sets out to tell the story of how Kempis Songster—a man sentenced as a teenager to spend the rest of his life in prison— grapples with the responsibilities and possibilities of his extraordinary second chance in the years after his release.

Lanterns is an experimental stop-animation that explores the connection between the spotted lanternfly, an invasive species, and xenophobia.

Animal is an environmental science fiction horror short that follows two siblings who befriend a genetically altered rat and use it to defend their Kensington, Philadelphia neighborhood from sinister land developers who carelessly dump poisonous materials into the Delaware River.

Eros: Fragile as it is Free is an experimental dance film that explores the confusing emotions that emerge postpartum and how those feelings can create an isolated perception of self while mirroring that of the collective unconscious. The film questions the social conditioning of the nuclear family and individualism in the U.S.

The Unknown Tales of Lewis and Mary Latimer reveals the hidden story of innovation and triumph as 19th century Americans of African descent emerge from enslavement after the Civil War. The story of Latimer's creation of the modern day light bulb serves as a metaphor for the emergence of a people from darkness into light.

To support "SOFT," an experimental visual documentary seeking to restore the humanity of Black women by highlighting moments of gentleness and relaxation rarely seen in mainstream media. Through interviews and archival footage, the film underscores rest as a form of resistance against systemic oppression, inviting three notable Black women to discuss the significance of rest amidst historical trauma and capitalist pressures in the United States.