Awarded Grants

To support "Untitled Pennhurst Documentary," which explores a class action lawsuit that shutters an institution for disabled people due to years of horrific abuse, and a group of disabled actors that reclaim the space to create a haunted house inspired by their own collective history.

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.

“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.

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.

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

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.

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.

A Song for Nia is a digital dramedy series about Nia, a Los Angeles-based creative's homecoming to Philadelphia. This series will be an intimate look into the personal life of a Black woman and the Black communities she was part of in Philadelphia.

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.

Paper Trail explores a rapidly gentrifying North Philadelphia, where two genius Black siblings at risk of eviction begin doing the coursework of local college students in exchange for cash. When one of their clients, a white woman, goes viral from an essay they wrote, they’re forced to come to terms with her using their voices for personal gain.