FINAL CALL - APPLICATIONS FOR 2026 KOPKIND/CID FILM SEMINAR AND RETREAT (Deadline: June 1)

Eight filmmakers will be chosen to spend the week of July 19 through July 26 at Treefrog Farm in Guilford, VT, where they will have the opportunity to share their work and support one another. Plan on bringing 30-40 minutes of material (this could be a work-in-progress or something you’ve recently completed) for brainstorming, inspiration, problem solving, and substantial discussion.

Join us for an immersive retreat where you'll recharge your creative energy through our unique approach to "radical relaxation"—featuring exceptional films, outstanding food, and deep conversations about the art, politics, and sheer joy of filmmaking.

The deadline for application is June 1. Click here to apply.

COLLECTIVE FUTURES FUND (Deadline: May 27)

Starting in 2021, the Collective Futures Fund offers grant funding to collaborative and public-facing projects by visual artists, curators, and collectives across the Greater Boston area. This year, it will offer sustaining practice grants at $3,000 each, as well as new projects grants and ongoing platform grants at $8,000 each.

The current application cycle is open March 30 to May 27. Learn more and apply here.

FRANKLIN ACADEMY CINEMATIC ARTS RESIDENCY (Deadline: June 1)

The Franklin Academy Cinematic Arts Residency, run by Experimental Filmmaker and Residency Director Josh Weissbach, is pleased to announce its open call for a two-week summer residency.

This residency will bring together around five to seven artists working in analog film and digital video to independently develop new work while sharing space, ideas, and processes with fellow residents. It will take place from July 11 through July 24 at Franklin Academy in East Haddam, Connecticut.

The application deadline is June 1. Learn more and apply here.

SFFILM RAININ FILMMAKERS WITH DISABILITY GRANT (Deadline: June 9)

The SFFILM Rainin Filmmakers with Disability Grant supports filmmakers who identify as having a disability with films that specifically address stories within the disability community. 

Awards are made for up to 4 projects, for screenwriting, development, or post-production. This grant is open to feature and short films, narratives and documentaries – with at least one for a San Francisco Bay Area filmmaker.

In addition to a cash grant between $5,000- $25,000, recipients receive access to the FilmHouse (located in San Francisco) and benefit from SFFILM’s comprehensive and dynamic artist development programs.

The regular application deadline is June 9, and the final deadline is July 7. Learn more and apply here.

71st FLAHERTY FILM SEMINAR

Beginning in 1954 as a small gathering of filmmakers at a Vermont farm during the height of McCarthyism, the Flaherty Film Seminar has grown into a seven decade tradition of cinema and community.

This year, the 71st Flaherty Film Seminar will be held from Oct 8-11 at The Campus at Marlboro Music in Marlboro, Vermont. Programmed internally by The Flaherty team, it will reflect the urgent moment we are living in and cinema's enduring role as a catalyst for inquiry, connection, and change.

Learn more and register here.

TODO PARECÍA POSIBLE (EVERYTHING SEEMED POSSIBLE) - LA AND BROOKLYN PREMIERES

TODO PARECÍA POSIBLE (EVERYTHING SEEMED POSSIBLE), directed by RAMÓN RIVERA-MORET and produced by OREN RUDAVSKY, will have its West Coast premiere at The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, LALIFF, on May 30 (tickets here), and its Brooklyn premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on June 10 (tickets here).

The film is a meditation on memory and the legacies of images - how cinema travels across generations and how the past continues to press upon the present. Interweaving director RAMÓN RIVERA-MORET's family story with the films produced by Puerto Rico's Division of Community Education in rural communities throughout the 1950s and '60s, the film reflects a generation's urgent desire to build the country anew.

BURN, SCAR - WORLD PREMIERE

BURN, SCAR, directed by HILLARY BACHELDER and produced by SARAH STRUNIN and SERGIO RAPU, had its world premiere at the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, CO on May 22.

BURN, SCAR captures the aftermath of the largest wildfire in New Mexico’s history, started accidentally by a U.S. Forest Service prescribed burn in 2022. With sympathetic protagonists from within both the Forest Service and the fire-impacted communities, the film explores over a century of mistrust between rural residents and the federal government, alongside the fate of public lands threatened by ever-worsening climate disaster.

MITCH MCCABE - AWARDED 2026 GUGGENHEIM FELLOWSHIP

CID filmmaker MITCH MCCABE has been awarded a 2026 Guggenheim Fellowship. The Class of 2026 Guggenheim fellows were chosen from a pool of nearly 5,000 applicants, based on both prior career achievement and exceptional promise. 223 distinguished individuals working across 55 disciplines were selected this year, marking the 101st class of the fellowship. Read more at Guggenheim Fellowship.

THE WILD GIRL OF BRUSHVALLEY TOWNSHIP - NOMINATED FOR REGIONAL EMMY AWARD

THE WILD GIRL OF BRUSHVALLEY TOWNSHIP, a short film directed and produced by HEATHER CASSANO and made from material collected for CID project THE FATE OF HUMAN BEINGS, was nominated for a Boston/New England Regional Emmy Award.

The short film chronicles the story of a woman named Minne Adams, who is buried anonymously in grave number 948 in the Dixmont State Hospital Cemetery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Minnie is one of an estimated one million people who are buried in unnamed graves in mental institution cemeteries across the United States. The film tells the story of her life through interviews with historians and genealogists, a visit to the local historical society, and the newspapers from the early 1900s that sensationalized her institutionalization in graphic detail for the public interest. Through animations constructed from archival material – including newsprint, photographs, and present-day footage from the Adams family farm – THE WILD GIRL OF BRUSHVALLEY TOWNSHIP reclaims Minnie’s story from sensationalist public gossip imagining an alternative history for a woman who was failed by her family and society.

The film is still streaming on PBS here.

A LIFE REIMAGINED: THE GEORGE MASA STORY - NATIONWIDE ROLLOUT ON PBS

A LIFE REIMAGINED: THE GEORGE MASA STORY, produced and directed by PAUL BONESTEEL, and produced by AMY CHASE and MEGUMI NISHIKURA, had its official world premiere in April in Asheville, NC, and is currently rolling out on PBS stations across the U.S. The film is now scheduled to air on nearly 90 percent of PBS stations across the country, including WNET (THIRTEEN) in New York, WTTW in Chicago, KQED in San Francisco, and across PBS North Carolina.

The documentary explores the life of George Masa, a Japanese immigrant photographer whose images helped build public support for what would become the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as well as the National Parks System. Masa also contributed to early mapping efforts and the development of the Appalachian Trail. Yet for decades, much of his life - and his role in that history - remained unclear. Following a two decades-long search led by Bonesteel, the film traces the effort to better understand Masa’s life through photographs, records, and newly surfaced letters. As the story unfolds, it examines how historical narratives are formed, and how significant contributions can go unrecognized over time.

W.E.B. DU BOIS: REBEL WITH A CAUSE - PREMIERE ON PBS

“Believe in life! Always human beings will progress to greater, broader, and fuller life.” -W.E.B. Du Bois

W.E.B. DU BOIS: REBEL WITH A CAUSE, directed and produced by Peabody Award-winner RITA COBURN, premiered on May 19 on PBS, as part of the American Masters series.

The two-hour film examines Du Bois’s remarkable life from his birth, just five years after the Emancipation Proclamation; to his death, on the eve of the March on Washington in 1963, and how his legacy as an activist continues to resonate today.

Click here to watch the film on PBS.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MISS SCOTT - STREAMING ON PBS UNTIL JUNE 1st

The American Masters series on PBS is also streaming THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MISS SCOTT, produced and directed by NICOLE LONDON, until June 1.

The film chronicles the meteoric rise of Hazel Scott as a jazz talent and major Hollywood star. She was the first Black American to have their own television show. An early civil rights pioneer, she faced down the Red Scare at the risk of losing her career and was a champion for equality. The film features interviews with Mickey Guyton, Tracie Thoms, Amanda Seales, and Sheryl Lee Ralph as the voice of Hazel Scott.

Watch the film on PBS here.

ROHNA CLASSIFIED - STREAMING ON PBS

ROHNA CLASSIFIED, produced and directed by JACK BALLO, and produced by MICHAEL WALSH and HAYLEY BRICKER is streaming on PBS.

Nearly 2,000 American soldiers board an overcrowded transport ship, unaware of its non-functioning lifeboats and inadequate lifebelts. When one of World War II’s first radio-guided missiles strikes, the Rohna sinks, claiming 1,015 lives—the single greatest loss of life at sea by enemy action in U.S. history. Government officials deflect responsibility by declaring the attack classified.

Watch the film on PBS here.

NURSE UNSEEN - SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY SCREENING

NURSE UNSEEN, produced and directed by MICHELE JOSUE, produced by CARLO VELAYO, and produced by JOE ARCIAGA, screened at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History on May 9.

NURSE UNSEEN explores the little-known history and humanity of the unsung Filipino nurses risking their lives on the frontlines of a pandemic, thousands of miles from home. This personal documentary unearths the colonial ties between the Philippines and the United States that have led to Filipino-American nurses becoming the unsung backbone of the United States health industry.

KINK IS MY SUPERPOWER - YOUTUBE CHANNEL LAUNCH

KINK IS MY SUPERPOWER, a project by DIVINE DEVIANCE, and directed by JÖRG FOCKELE, has launched its YouTube channel as it moves into active film production. The channel features first-person interviews, community roundtables, and documentary footage spanning the global kink community. The companion anthology has sold 1,539 copies in its first year and landed in 29 major academic and public libraries. Casting and crew are set for the first three films, with nine more episodes in development. A FAST TV distribution relationship is in place. Support the films here.

ABALONE STORIES: LOSS, CONNECTION, RENEWAL - WINNER OF THE AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY

ABALONE STORIES: LOSS, CONNECTION, RENEWAL, produced and directed by CYNTHIA ABBOTT, screened in March at the Sonoma International Film Festival and won the McNeely Audience Award for Best Short Documentary, along with a special Jury Mention for Cultural, Environmental & Community Impact.

This short documentary explores the importance of red abalone and its fragile place in the ecosystem of the Northern California coast. Through the personal stories of former abalone divers and a Yurok regalia dressmaker, the film looks at how this change affects both coastal sporting traditions and Indigenous cultural practices. It is a reminder of the fragility of our marine environment and the need to protect the ocean before more is lost.

The film is part of Every Second Breath Project, a collection of short documentaries founded by Cynthia, that center on people whose lives are closely connected to the ocean, spotlighting care, responsibility, and action in the face of environmental crisis.

RETRIEVAL - WORLD PREMIERE AT TRIBECA FESTIVAL THIS JUNE

RETRIEVAL, directed by TRACY JARRETT and produced by REBECCA STERN and EMMA MOLEY, has a world premiere in Documentary Competition this June in New York City at the 25th anniversary of Tribeca Festival — celebrating the best and brightest in storytelling.

When Christina loses her fiancé, she makes an unexpected decision to use little known science to try and keep their hopes of a family alive. Postmortem sperm retrieval is a medical procedure that extracts sperm from men within 72 hours after their death. RETRIEVAL is an exploration into grief, family planning, and the ethics of science.

The film is screening on June 4, 5, and 6 at Tribeca Festival screenings are on Get your tickets here.

RIVERKEEPER - FESTIVAL PREMIERE AND 'GEORGIA FEATURE AWARD' WIN

RIVERKEEPER, directed by JASON GOLDMAN and produced by EMILY KUESTER, had its festival premiere at the 50th ATLFF. It won the 'Georgia Feature Award,' earning a 1-week theatrical release at the Plaza Theater in Atlanta.

The film follows veteran riverkeeper, Dr. Jackie Echols, who protects the environment and majority Black communities throughout the South River watershed in metro Atlanta. When the city begins construction on the largest police training facility in America (Cop City), she joins the growing resistance movement, revealing the hidden connection between corporate development, unchecked pollution, and environmental racism persistent throughout the region.

The film's screening tour continues with partnerships at Young, Gifted, and Green, Georgia State, Emory, and more. Follow @riverkeeperfilm or riverkeeperfilm.com to find out the latest.

THE QUILTERS - CURRENTLY ON NETFLIX; NOMINATED FOR EMMY AWARD

THE QUILTERS, produced and directed by JENIFER MCSHANE, has been nominated for a 2026 News & Documentary EMMY award in the "Outstanding Short Documentary" category. The film is also available to stream on Netflix.

THE QUILTERS follows a group of inmates of the South Central Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison in rural Missouri, whose goal is to make a personalized birthday quilt for every foster child in the counties surrounding the prison. The fact that a significant number of incarcerated people were once in foster care makes their work particularly meaningful. The film follows the daily life inside the prison sewing room and the progress of several quilts from design through production and into the arms of a foster child. It provides us with a unique opportunity to observe how art can restore an individual’s view of themselves and others.

ERNIE & JOE: CRISIS COPS - BACK ON HBO

ERNIE & JOE: CRISIS COPS, also produced and directed by JENIFER MCSHANE, is back on HBO until 2030.

ERNIE & JOE: CRISIS COPS is an intimate portrait of two Texas police officers who are helping change the way police respond to mental health calls. These two officers are not your everyday cops. They are part of the San Antonio Police Department’s Mental Health Unit. The film takes audiences on a personal journey, weaving together these two officers’ experiences during their daily encounters with people in crisis.

LONG LIVE THE MAGIC: A SWIFTIE ROADTRIP - PREMIERE AT IFF BOSTON

LONG LIVE THE MAGIC: A SWIFTIE ROADTRIP, directed by JESSE ERICKA EPSTEIN, had its premiere at IFF Boston in April. The team hosted a pre-screening friendship bracelet making and pizza party, along with a book raffle.

In LONG LIVE THE MAGIC: A SWIFTIE ROADTRIP, Sundance award-winning filmmaker and mother JESSE ERICKA EPSTEIN collaborates with her daughter Ru and her best friend Ruby, to document a journey to see Taylor Swift, on the second to last stop of the Eras Tour. Two 11 year-old girls and their mothers embark on a journey from Boston to Toronto — during this pivotal age and time of transition — for all of them. The film is an intimate, impressionistic portrait of girlhood and motherhood, and a quest to find out how to stay connected while letting go.