Image Description: Over a white background with pentagonal and circular shapes, blue and green text reads: Announcing LEF's 2024 Summer/Fall Moving Image Fund Grantees | |
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The LEF Foundation has awarded 11 Moving Image Fund grants totaling $47,500 in support of feature-length documentary works by New England-based filmmakers.
The LEF Moving Image Fund invests in feature-length documentary films that demonstrate excellence in technique, a resonant story or idea, and originality of artistic vision and voice. The most recent round of awards includes eight grants of $5,000 to projects at the Pre-production stage and three grants of $2,500 to projects at the Early Development stage.
The projects in this round reveal the scope and scale of belonging, from the intimate realms of family and identity to larger ones of community, culture, and the natural world. With focuses that shift across borders from New England to Appalachia and Puerto Rico, and further still to France, Venezuela, Colombia, Morocco, and Japan, the films navigate the unique ripple effects of inheritance and intervention alike. Whether their interest is in the fate of a generations-old restaurant, the fault lines in a family’s history, or the unexpected relationships that fuel our understanding of ourselves, the filmmakers receiving grants approach their material with sensitivity and deep curiosity.
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Pre-production
A Permanent Dream
Directed by Gabrielle Lubtchansky
Produced by Brooke Saias
Dar Marjana
Directed by Lamia Lazrak
Produced by Lisa Yadao, Irene Yadao + Manette Pottle
Illusions of Winter
Directed by Drew Swedberg
Produced by Josh Povec, Drew Swedberg, Bailey Beltramo
In the Keeping
Directed by Emily Drummer
Produced by Felipe Troya + Alex Denison
Kowloon!
Directed by Erin Ramirez + Mona Xia
Produced by Erin Ramirez, Mona Xia + Donovan Tolledo
Look at This Bird (Working Title)
Directed by Elle Rose Rinaldi
Produced by Camara Aaron + Bella Racklin
Someone's Father
Directed by Andrea Patiño Contreras
Produced by Andrea Patiño Contreras + Gabriela Díaz Arp
Tonada Menguante
Directed and Produced by Luis Arnías
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Early Development
Out in the Mountains (Working Title)
Directed and Produced by Amanda Kowalski
Paper Ties
Directed by Ezra Rose
Produced by Zoë Andrikidis
Rompió Fuente en la Noche (Water Breaks at Night)
Directed and Produced by Rosalyn Negrón
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Moving Image Fund Grantee News
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Image description: In this still image from Virginie Tetoofa's film TE PUNA ORA (THE SOURCE OF LIFE), a woman with a child sitting on her back dives through the deep blue water with a snorkel and flippers. | |
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LEF-supported project TE PUNA ORA (THE SOURCE OF LIFE) (dir. Virginie Tetoofa; prods. Tetoofa, Riham Ezzaldeen, and Kiran Jandu) just had its world premiere at New Orleans Film Festival. The film follows three exceptional Tahitian women who unite to protect their cherished beach from privatization, determined to prevent their island from facing the same challenges as Tahiti. The film can be streamed virtually through the festival until October 27.
LEF-supported project RECOVERY CITY (dir. Lisa Olivieri; prods. Olivieri, Angelica Brisk) will have its Boston premiere tomorrow at 4:30pm at the Brattle Theatre as part of GlobeDocs. The film, a raw exploration of addiction and recovery as seen through the eyes of four women in the working-class city of Worcester, MA, won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Provincetown International Film Festival, and has screened at Southside Film Festival, The Women's Film Festival, the Maine International Film Festival, Monadnock International Film Festival, the Shawna Shea Film Festival, where it won an award for Outstanding Documentary, and Mystic Film Festival, where it received 2024 Human Rights Award. GlobeDocs will run through this Sunday, October 27.
PLAYLAND (dir. Georden West; prods. Russell Sheaffer, Hannah McSwiggen, Danielle Cooper), a LEF-supported project that reimagines Boston's oldest and most notorious gay bar, will have a handful of theatrical engagements over the next couple months, including a few in New England: at Lexington Venue on November 14, Somerville Theatre on November 18 and 19, and SPACE (Portland) on November 24.
LEF-supported project ISRAELISM (dirs. Erin Axelman, Sam Eilertsen; prods. Axelman, Daniel J. Chalfen, and Nadia Saah) has been nominated for Best Documentary of the Year by Slamdance, for their inaugural Indie Awards. The film, which is about changing progressive Jewish attitudes toward Israel, is available to rent or buy, and can be streamed for free with ads on Tubi and Roku. It is also being broadcast for free to viewers around the world by Al Jazeera English, split into shorter episodes. The next live broadcast of Episode 1 will be tonight at 9pm EST.
One of the projects that received National Endowment for the Humanities development support earlier this year is LEF-supported project JOHN HENRY: UNMASKING AMERICA’S REAL FIRST BLACK SUPERHERO (dirs./prods. Randall MacLowry and Tracy Heather Strain), which examines the
evolution of John Henry as an African American hero in folklore and song.
Prior LEF grantee Kathryn Ramey received a 2024 Collective Futures Fund grant to work on the LEF-supported project SILVER & earth, a speculative essay film investigating the interrelationships between humans, the built and natural environment through a variety of rituals, re-imaginings, and conventional research on silver-based film.
A new film by prior LEF grantee Rebecca Richman Cohen (WAR DON DON), WEED AND WINE, had its digital release last month and can now be purchased and streamed on Prime Video and Apple TV.
Al Jazeera English has released a new documentary short, THE RETURN, by prior LEF grantee Jeremy S. Levine (NINE).
Prior LEF grantees Amy Geller (THE GUYS NEXT DOOR) and Gerry Peary (FOR THE LOVE OF MOVIES) have launched a new 7-part audio documentary podcast, THE RABBIS GO SOUTH, with a new episode each week.
MacDowell's Fall-Winter Fellows include prior LEF grantee and LEF/CIFF Fellow Sofian Khan (WE WANT TO NEGOTIATE), as well as just-announced LEF grantee Emily Drummer (IN THE KEEPING).
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Are you a LEF grantee or fellow with news to share about your film? | | | |
Upcoming Film Opportunities
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Salem Film Fest (March 27–30, 2025), Massachusetts' largest independent documentary film festival, is seeking feature-length and short film submissions for programming consideration!
SFF accepts submissions by invitation only and invites the LEF Foundation community to inquire at programming@salemfilmfest.com. Please send a logline and a short blurb about your film by December 1, 2024.
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Image Description: From the Heart Productions Logo | |
Roy W. Dean Grant (Deadline: October 31)
Now entering its fourth decade, the Roy W. Dean Grants fund independent feature films, documentaries, web series, and short films with budgets of $500,000 or less that are unique and make a contribution to society that, without its help, might otherwise never get made. Awards vary depending on the grant, but generally each grant has a cash award of $3,000 – $3,500 and also includes an award of professional services and discounts.
Learn more
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Frameline Completion Fund (Deadline: November 1)
The Frameline Completion Fund provides grants to emerging and established filmmakers. This program seeks to provide a much-needed source of financial contributions to artists who often struggle to secure funding to complete their works. Grants up to $5,000 are available for the completion of films that represent and reflect LGBTQ+ life in all its complexity and richness.
Learn more
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CPH:FORUM (Deadline: November 1)
At CPH:FORUM, top producers and highly acknowledged directors from all over the world take the stage to pitch 32 carefully selected projects of documentary features and series in the intersection of non-fiction, fiction, visual art, journalism and science. Besides project presentations, CPH:FORUM offers pitch preparation and highly tailored one-to-one meetings between the presenting teams, potential co-production partners and interested financiers and distributors.
The next edition of CPH:FORUM takes place in 24-27 March 2025, during the Industry week (23-28 March) of CPH:DOX 2025.
Learn more
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Image Description: Big Sky Pitch Logo | |
Big Sky Pitch (Deadline: November 3)
The Big Sky Works-in-Progress Pitch is the headline event of DocShop Filmmaker’s Forum held during the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. The session will be held Friday, February 21st, 2025 in Missoula, Montana with a live audience of filmmakers and some of the top funders and commissioning editors for documentary film. A maximum of 10 projects will be accepted to pitch in this session.
Learn more
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Image Description: Catapult Film Fund Logo | |
Catapult Research Grant (Deadline: November 13)
The Catapult Research Grant offers grants of $10,000 USD and dedicated mentorship to three mid-career U.S.-based filmmakers in the early conception phase of a documentary feature or short. The grant can be used for a variety of needs for developing new nonfiction film ideas including: research, writing, travel, crew, identifying and gaining access to protagonists, and any preliminary production costs associated with shaping the artistic vision or capturing early footage.
Learn more
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The Miller / Packan Film Fund (Deadline: November 15)
The Miller / Packan Documentary Film Fund provides grants to feature-length non-fiction projects that address social issues and inspire others. Each year, grants totaling $200,000 are awarded to between eight and twelve filmmakers. The fund operates an open call submission process, and awards are announced bi-annually. Each grant is one-time only and offered in amounts up to $25,000.
Learn more
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Image Description: Perspective Fund Logo | |
Perspective Fund (Deadline: Rolling)
The Perspective Fund supports filmmakers and strategists for whom entrenched forces and systems are most apparent in their lives and communities, who can most acutely construct films and campaigns to respond. Areas of funding include production, impact planning and campaigns, and participant compensation.
Learn more
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Image Description: Working Films Logo | |
Working Films Rapid Response Mini-Grants (Deadline: Ongoing)
This funding is intended to offset the financial costs of holding screenings and can be applied to expenses such as venue rental, equipment, and marketing. Mini-Grants of up to $600 per event will help organizers focus on creating impactful experiences that inspire action and sustained engagement by audiences.
Learn more
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Image Description: Assets for Artists Logo and Maine Arts Commission logo | |
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Assets for Artists FREE Professional Development Workshops (Through January 2025)
The Assets for Artists program is a key resource for Maine artists, offering a range of free, artist-tailored professional development workshops. The upcoming Fall 2024 workshops include online and in-person sessions covering various topics such as personal finances, project planning, wellness, marketing, and more. These workshops aim to address the unique challenges and needs of artists, helping them thrive in their careers.
(Workshops are available to artists of all disciplines in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, and now also available to artists in Vermont and Maine.)
Learn more
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Thanks for reading,
The LEF New England team
Lyda, Gen, & Matthew
LEF Foundation
PO Box 382066
Cambridge, MA 02238
617.492.5333
lef-foundation.org
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A private family foundation dedicated to the support of contemporary arts, LEF was established in 1985 with offices in Massachusetts and California. The Moving Image Fund was launched in 2001 through the LEF office in Cambridge, MA to support independent film and video artists. Since its inception, the Moving Image Fund has awarded nearly 500 grants to New England-based independent filmmakers with over $5 million in funding. The goal of LEF New England is to fund the work of independent documentary film and video artists in the region and to broaden recognition and support for their work locally and nationally. It also supports programs that highlight the rich history and ongoing legacy of innovation within New England's independent film community. The overarching goal of LEF New England's philanthropic investment is to help build a sustainable and strong community of support for artists and their work.
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