Embedded Files
Welcome Pride Month!
Welcome Pride Month!
Image by FreePik
June marks the start of Pride Month, a time to celebrate and honor the LGBTQIA+ community and their invaluable contributions to society. As we reflect on the progress that has been made, it's essential to recognize the women and gender diverse individuals who have paved the way for LGBTQIA+ representation in the entertainment industry.
At this critical moment in history, we must listen to and amplify the voices of trans and gender diverse storytellers. Their experiences and perspectives are essential in shaping a more inclusive and diverse society. It's time to stand with LGBTQIA+ and uplift their voices, and work towards a future where everyone is celebrated and accepted for who they are.
- Julie Rubio, WIFSFBA President
Pride Month Film Events
Pride Month Film Events
Frameline Festival
When: June 18-28th, 2025
Where: San Francisco theaters, New Parkway theater in Oakland, and streaming
“Founded in 1977, the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival is the longest-running, largest, and most widely recognized queer film exhibition event in the world. As a community event with an annual attendance of more than 63,000 (89,000 virtual attendance in 2020), the Festival is the most prominent and well-attended LGBTQ+ arts program in the Bay Area. In 2021, Frameline’s Festival was named by MovieMaker one of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World. In 2023, Frameline was ranked #8 in USA Today’s Readers Choice poll of the 10 Best Film Festivals in the US. Frameline is a BAFTA Qualifying Festival.
THE WORLD IS WATCHING — in theaters throughout San Francisco and Oakland. Running June 18–28, Frameline49 is showcasing 11 days of world-renowned queer films, singular performances, and must-attend parties. When you show up for queer and trans stories on screen, you’re showing up for the LGBTQ+ community’s past, present, and future.”
MORE INFO: Frameline Festival & Film Guide
International Queer Women of Color Film Festival
When: June 13-15th, 2025
Where: Presidio Theatre, 99 Moraga Ave, San Francisco, CA 94129
Cost: Free, need to RSVP
“QWOCMAP presents the International Queer Women of Color Film Festival every June, two weekends before Pride Sunday in San Francisco. Admission is free, and the annual Film Festival features films created through our award-winning Filmmaker Training Program, alongside films by independent LBTQIA+ BIPOC filmmakers from around the world.
The festival bridges communities, bringing together a theater full of friends and family who gather not only to watch a film together, but to experience something new, think differently, build community, and participate in deep, lasting social change.
QWOCMAP presents the 21st annual International Queer Women of Color Film Festival (QWOCFF 2025), June 13-15, 2025 at San Francisco's historic Presidio Theatre in the Presidio National Park! This year's Festival Focus, "Fierce Determination," showcases 50 films across 7 screenings—from the ancestral traditions of Mauna Kea to Black Southern liberation stories—illuminating how LBTQIA+ BIPOC communities persist, thrive, and imagine liberatory futures through radical artistry and collective care. Continuing our commitment to disability justice, all screenings include subtitles for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing viewers, audio descriptions for Blind and Low Vision audiences, and ASL interpretation.”
MORE INFO: 2025 International Queer Women of Color Film Festival
Celebrating Juneteenth
“Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday.” -- History.com
For additional information about this holiday: Juneteenth origin
For book recommendations: San Francisco Public Library selections
Check out these sites for Juneteenth related events in the Bay Area:
Juneteenth Celebrations & Events in Oakland
Celebrate Juneteenth the San Francisco Way & Juneteenth San Francisco Freedom Celebration, Fillmore
Letter from the President
Letter from the President
Dear WIFSFBA Members and Friends,
As we step into June, the beginning of summer brings with it renewal, resilience, and reflection. Here in the Bay Area, we often experience "June Gloom"—overcast skies that serve as a quiet backdrop to the sparks of creativity igniting across our community.
June is also the beginning of summer! My favorite season. I am like a plant. I need the sun. Additionally June is Pride Month, a powerful time to honor the LGBTQ+ community here in San Francisco, and the Bay Area. At WIFSFBA, we celebrate the artists and activists who have shaped our stories and culture. It’s also Juneteenth, now a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. These moments call us to continue our work for equity, truth, and inclusion—on screen and off. This month also marks African-American Music Appreciation Month, paying tribute to the legacy of Black musicians whose work resonates deeply in cinema and beyond.
On a personal note, May was an extraordinary month for my documentary, The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival. The film had a remarkable run of national and international screenings, beginning at Coral Gables Art Cinema in Florida, followed by three weeks of screenings at the Lark Theater in Larkspur. We were honored to present the film to a sold out crowd at the Polish Embassy’s J&J Festival in Washington, D.C., with a thought-provoking post-screening panel. The Grand Lake Theater in Oakland offered a heartfelt homecoming, before the film traveled to Budapest’s Polish Institute, the VIFF Centre in Vancouver, and the prestigious Kraków Film Festival—our official Polish premiere. We closed the month with moving screenings at the Balboa Cinema in San Francisco and the Polish Film Festival at Scandinavia House in New York City.
June takes us to Montreal with a special presentation hosted by the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland on June 6. In July, we’ll celebrate our Los Angeles Premiere at the Royal Laemmle Cinema in Glendale on July 17, followed by a broader rollout through Laemmle’s Culture Vulture Series across five Southern California theaters and 15 screenings.
As a filmmaker and now a distributor, I’m especially proud to share that we’ve embraced a model that’s redefining the future of independent cinema. What was once dismissed as “self-distribution,” a term burdened with stigma, is now emerging as a dynamic, empowering strategy: direct-to-consumer. Cutting out traditional gatekeepers has allowed us to book screenings around the world, engage directly with audiences, and retain creative and financial control. The response has been overwhelming in the best way. Sold-out theaters, deeply personal audience feedback, and meaningful international connections have reaffirmed why we tell these stories in the first place.
To our exceptional WIFSFBA members, Board of Directors, cast, crew, festival programmers, curators, and every person who came out to support the film: thank you. Your belief in this project and your presence in the room have made all the difference. This is what independent filmmaking looks like: brave, self-propelled, and rooted in community.
Speaking of community, I'd like to celebrate a former WIFSFBA Board member who is so incredibly passionate about our community & filmmaking: Kristin Tieche. Her film The Invisible Mammal, a powerful feature-length documentary produced by Matt Podolsky and Holly Mosher and directed by the talented Kristin Tieche, made its world premiere at the DocLands Documentary Film Festival to a sold-out audience—and was honored with the Audience Choice Award. Congratulations, Kristin!
In a recent article on our website, Noma Faingold captured a striking moment from her interview with Kristin. When asked, “What’s next?” Kristin offered a single, profound word: “Heal.” That one word reflects the emotional, physical, and spiritual depth of the independent filmmaking journey—a journey that demands resilience, heart, and an unwavering commitment to truth.
Kristin, a dedicated member of our community, has long championed stories that matter. Your victory is well-earned, and we’re incredibly proud of you and your team. Here’s to your vision, your voice, and your victory. Bravo!
Additionally, we as a powerful community continue to learn and harness AI. We had an AI workshop with Philip Shane this month that truly was extraordinary. It's inspiring to see how our network continues to grow and strengthen with each event and especially when it comes to AI.
This was more than just a successful workshop; it was a moment that reminded me why our work matters. As we dive deeper into the world of AI, and as the landscape shifts almost daily, in business, we often talk about having "the right people at the table," but I believe it’s even more important to have the good people there, those with integrity, heart, and vision. People who don’t just adapt to change but actively shape it with care and conscience. I truly believe our organization is filled with exactly those kinds of humans and the media we continue to create can genuinely help change the world for the better. I know that sounds deep, but I mean it. The people who will help steer the future of AI in ways that are ethical, inclusive, and deeply human are already part of this organization. We’re actually a lot more powerful than we realize.
Through our writing, our productions, our directing, and our distribution, we are not only empowered, we are responsible for using that power to make things better. Whether we like it or not, media holds extraordinary influence: it can shape minds, challenge injustice, inspire empathy, fuel progress, and help make the world more inclusive. What we create matters. And together, we are learning a new technology and hopefully being part of creating something that can truly move the world forward and for the better.
And whether we like it or not, AI is going to be a part of that future. That’s why I believe it’s so important for us to keep learning, engaging, and leading in this space.
I have real hope not just for where AI is going, but for how we can handle it with wisdom and responsibility.
As the summer solstice approaches and the light stretches long, I invite all of us to stay bold. Keep creating. Keep lifting each other. And keep championing stories that shift perspectives and open hearts.
With appreciation and solidarity,
Julie Rubio
President, Women in Film San Francisco Bay Area
WIFSFBA EVENTS
Pitch-A-Pro Night
Pitch-A-Pro Night
When: June 23rd, 7-9:00pm PDT
Where: Zoom
Cost: $20 members/$40 non-members
Are you a screenwriter with a completed script or a director with a project looking for a producer? Are you a producer looking for a partner? Then come to our Pitch-A-Pro Night when you can present your 2-3-minute pitch to a producer, manager, or other industry professional of your choice. At the end of the evening, at least 4 lucky people will get a chance to pitch all of the professionals at once before the entire audience. If the limit is reached, you will be notified to choose a different pro or to get a refund.
Come prepared to verbally pitch for 2-3 minutes your film, TV, or streaming project to the industry professional of your choice. Stay till the end for a chance to pitch the entire panel!
REGISTER HERE: Women in Film San Francisco Bay Area
WIFSFBA Virtual Networking Night
When: June 9th, 6-7PM PST
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
The WIFSFBA Virtual Networking Night is now monthly!
Join WIFSFBA for an exciting Virtual Networking Night, where you’ll have the opportunity to meet fellow members, share your projects, exchange ideas, and build new collaborations—all from the comfort of your home!
Whether you're looking for a creative partner, industry advice, or just want to expand your network, this is the perfect chance to engage with a vibrant community of women in film and media.
Expect breakout room discussions, and engaging conversations with like-minded creatives. Don’t miss this chance to grow your network and get inspired!
MORE INFO: RSVP here
Practice Your Pitch
Practice Your Pitch
When: June 16th, 7-9:00pm PDT
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Are you nervous about pitching at Pitch-A-Pro? Or just would like some pitching advice in general? Have no fear, pitching expert James Dalessandro is here! He will listen to your 2–3-minute pitch and give you feedback on what you may need to improve to get the industry pro's attention.
RSVP: here
Script Incubator News
Because of our Pitch Practice and Pitch-A-Pro events, we are skipping our meeting in June and will be back in July for a Table Read. We will be continuing to feature a full feature screenplay, read by talented actors from the Bay Area and beyond. No homework! Just show up! And all participants are encouraged to give feedback.
If you have any questions about the table-read or would like to reserve a spot for your script at the next meeting, feel free to contact Carol Hall at bod-admin@wifsfba.org with “Script Incubator” in the subject line.
SF Wednesday Winedown
Join member Kristin for the Wednesday Winedown. Keep a lookout for the announcement on our social media channels and WIFchat and the WIFSFBA website local meetups page!
WIFSFBA East Bay Meetup
Where: TBD
When: June 17th, 6:30-8:00pm
WIFSFBA members (Beth Barany and Amy Boyd) have organized an East Bay meet-n-greet -- an Oakland WIFSFBA hub. Ideally, we'll meet monthly on the third Tuesday of the month. Keep an eye out on WIFchat and the WIFSFBA website local meetups page!
We'll connect, get to know each other, and drink iced tea!
** Yes, bring your non-WIF members friends.
WIFSFBA Peninsula Meetup
Where: TBD in Mountain View
When: July 3rd
Organized by members Rashmi Rustagi and Joy Ma, come and connect with fellow filmmakers, creators, and great minds from the Women in Film SF Bay Area community. Keep an eye out on when and where on WIFchat and the WIFSFBA website local meetups page!
June Community Networking
The Vine: The Video Industry Networking Event
When: June 5th, 2025, 6:00-8:00 PM
Where: Port Labs, 2044 Franklin St., Oakland, CA
“The Vine mixer promises to be another fantastic opportunity to catch up with colleagues, forge new connections, and share insights into the latest trends and innovations in our industry. You’ll also have the opportunity to promote yourself and what you are working on, during the last portion of the evening in a segment we call ‘Voices of the Vine.’ So whether you’re a filmmaker, DP, motion designer, producer, editor, or play ANY role in the video industry, The VINE is the place to be for networking, promotion and inspiration.”
Register here: Vine Mixer Event
WIFSFBA UPDATES
Become a Dual Member of WIFSFBA & New York Women in Film and Television
New York Women In Film and Television (NYWIFT) is offering dual membership to WIFSFBA members. If you are a WIFSFBA member in good standing, you may purchase a NYWIFT Industry Level membership for $100 (plus a $50 initiation fee), a saving of 50% off the normal $200 membership. Membership in NYWIFT includes:
Online and in-person networking and learning events
Marketing Creative Talent in weekly e-blast, Twitter, and Members in the News Webpage
Advanced Screenings
Online Member Center
Benefits Program
Fiscal Sponsorship
Affinity Groups and Committees
Electronic Copies of NYWIFT Publications
One Member-Price Ticket to the NYWIFT Muse Awards
Email bod-admin@wifsfba.org to get the dual membership form emailed to you. Please use subject line “NYWIFT dual membership.” Download and fill out form. Applications may be emailed or snail mailed to the addresses inside the application. If you have any questions, please email membership@nywift.org or call 212 679-0870 x 31.
WIFSFBA Public Member Crew List
One perk of individual WIFSFBA membership is the Public Member Crew List that you can opt into, accessed through the WIFSFBA website under "Join Us" then "Hire Us." Take a look here to find your next crew, or list yourself and your skills!
Check it out here: Women In Film San Francisco Bay Area - Public Member Crew List
WIFSFBA Private Member Crew List
A similar perk of individual WIFSFBA membership is the private version of the public list (those who prefer to only be viewed by other WIFSFBA members). This Private Member Crew List can be seen by logging into our website. This is another great resource to find collaborators, crew, and connections!
Check it out here: Women In Film San Francisco Bay Area - Member Directory
IMDB Pro Member Discount
The new 2025 IMDbPro discount code for 30% off an annual or monthly membership is available if you are a WIFSFBA member. Please email bod-admin@wifsfba.org with “IMDBPro discount” in the subject line for the code.
To redeem the code, users must go to IMDbpro.com/redeem, enter the promo code and log in. Please note offers may not be combined and entering a new promo code will override any lesser discount that has been applied to your account. Promotional discounts will be applied at the start of your next billing cycle. This offer is limited to members only and is non-transferable.
WIFSFBA Merch Store!
Check out our exclusive new WIFSFBA Film Role Apparel (Producer, Director, Screenwriter, etc.)! Wear your film role with pride AND support Women in Film San Francisco Bay Area at the same time! Whether you're treating yourself or finding the ideal gift for a friend, we've got something special for everyone. Check out the online store here: WIFSFBA merch!
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival - From director, writer, producer Julie Rubio - Upcoming screenings and Stir magazine article
“✨ Attention, Art & Film Lovers! ✨
🎬 The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival 🎬
A stunning, sold-out festival sensation—don’t miss your chance to experience the riveting story of one of the most groundbreaking artists of the 20th century!
Upcoming screenings: Tamara de Lempicka Documentary - Screenings
Please feel free to spread the word, tell your friends, and witness the legacy of Tamara de Lempicka like never before! Thank you for supporting independent film.”
And check out an article on Julie’s documentary in Stir magazine (from Vancouver) below!
“Julie Rubio’s extensive new documentary, making its local debut at the VIFF Centre, reveals a trailblazing woman who was an outsider on several counts. Captured the heart of The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival, this film — not just the glamour and bold brushstrokes of Tamara’s art, but the fierce spirit and resilience of a woman who defied expectations and refused to be defined by anyone but herself.”
Congratulations Julie!
Filmmaker Joy Ma's Voices of Deoli documentary screening at the Yerba Buena Center!
From Joy:
“Please join us for a screening of ‘Voices of Deoli,’ a new documentary by Lulu Men shedding light on a lesser-known chapter of history—the internment of Indian-Chinese families after the Sino-Indian War. With parallels to the Japanese American internment during World War II, the film shines a light on the role of history in our lives.
Witness stories of resilience, displacement and identity, and engage in an insightful discussion about a history that deserves remembrance. Our film website has additional information: Voices of Deoli film
‘Voices of Deoli’ is a feature-length documentary that delves into the complexities and often upheaval of immigration through the lens of a small yet resilient community in the U.S. and Canada. This community shares a profound bond: they are survivors of the Deoli Internment Camp in Rajasthan, where they were imprisoned for up to five years following the brief Sino-Indian War in 1962.
The internment of thousands, forgotten to the world, is an important story for our times as regional conflicts escalate and global migration increases. Their experience highlights the vulnerabilities of displaced communities caught in the crossfire of geopolitical conflict.
We will screen the film at the Yerba Buena center on June 29 at 2 p.m.”
MORE INFO and tickets here: Voices of Deoli Screening
Congratulations Joy!
Actor & Writer Rashmi Rustagi's Designed by Preeti feature film at BraveMaker Film Festival!
The BraveMaker film festival is happening this year July 10-13th in Redwood City and WIFSFBA member Rashmi Rustagi’s film Designed by Preeti is in the lineup! Congratulations Rashmi!
“Designed by Preeti is a compelling and heartfelt romantic drama about Preeti Kumar, a resilient woman in her 50s who courageously escapes an oppressive and unfaithful marriage. Her journey towards independence is met with scorn from her conservative community as her daughter Mallika struggles to untangle the conflicting stories from her parents.”
Immigrant Voices presents: Prodigal Daughter, a film by Mabel Valdiviezo
"Prodigal Daughter is an award-winning documentary about a Latina immigrant artist whose emotional reunion with her Peruvian family opens up vital conversations about identity, mental health, and what it means to belong.
With striking visual artistry, Prodigal Daughter explores family bonds, identity, and the transformative power of art through the lens of human rights, gender, and migration.”
Filmmaker and punk artist Mabel Valdiviezo screened the documentary on May 20th at La Pena Cultural Center as a solidarity event in support of the Street Level Health Project. Great event, Mabel!
For MORE INFO about the film: Prodigal Daughter
Do you have career or event news you’d like to share with fellow members?
We’d really like to hear about any recent career accomplishments, awards, new ventures, or a positive experience having to do with our industry. This is one of the advantages to being part of an organization like WIFSFBA -- by letting others know what you’re doing, you can expand your creative family and even find new collaborators for future projects.
So…take a moment to sit down and write something you’d like to share with your WIFSFBA sisters. Then email that blurb and any related images to bod-admin@wifsfba.org with ‘Members in the News’ in the subject line. Do it now rather than next week -- you deserve to shine! Submit one week before the end of the month to be included in the next newsletter.
Community Partners - Events & Invitations
Community Partners - Events & Invitations
A BIG THANKS to our COMMUNITY PARTNERS for their support of
A BIG THANKS to our COMMUNITY PARTNERS for their support of
“Harnessing the Latest in AI for Filmmaking with Philip Shane”
45th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
“The countdown is on to the event of the summer! From July 17 – August 3, experience the magic of the 45th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival,
presented by the Jewish Film Institute, in theaters across San Francisco and the East Bay. SFJFF45 presents a world-class showcase of independent cinema that celebrates the diversity and joy of Jewish identity, culture, and history.”
Discounted Early Bird ticket packages are now on sale.
FOR MORE INFO: 45th SF Jewish Film Festival
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival | October 10-18, 2025
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival | October 10-18, 2025
Accepting: Documentary Shorts, Features, and Episodic Series
Extended Deadline: July 15, 2025
Fees: Range from $35-$85
"Now in its 34th year, the Oscar-qualifying Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is the oldest nonfiction film festival in North America. It offers multiple awards categories and is a designated Academy Award-qualifying festival for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Documentary Short Subject."
MORE INFO: Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
The Big Break Screenwriting Contest
The Big Break Screenwriting Contest
Extended Deadline: June 30, 2025
Fees: Range from $45-$150
“Final Draft offers the annual Big Break Contest - a screenwriting competition that has been launching careers for over 20 years.
Finalists and winners have signed with professional representation. Many have had scripts optioned, sold and produced. Others have found full-time work in television.
Prizes include a trip to Hollywood to meet with industry professionals, meeting preparation with top career coast Lee Jessup, $10,000 in cash, a brand new Dell laptop, an iPad, a New York Fil Academy Fellowship, and more.”
MORE INFO: Big Break Screenwriting Contest
Imagine This Women's International Film Festival 2025
Imagine This Women's International Film Festival 2025
Accepting feature screenplays, short scripts and TV pilots
Extended Deadline: June 16th, 2025
Fees: $77.00 - $95.00
"Imagine This Women's International Film Festival (ITWIFF) is dedicated to amplifying and empowering independent and aspiring women filmmakers globally. Our festival is a vibrant celebration of diversity, actively promoting equal opportunities for BIPOC women and the LGBTQIA+ community. We provide a significant platform for women to showcase their writing talents, fostering an environment that encourages creative expression. Committed to creating a robust platform, ITWIFF aims to build a community that not only recognizes but also champions the diverse voices of women in the film industry.
Now in its 6th year, seize the opportunity to have your screenplay reviewed by industry professionals and be a part of this global movement."
MORE INFO: Imagine This Women's FF
Holly Shorts Film Festival
Holly Shorts Film Festival
Accepting: Television, Short Live Action, Animated Shorts, Short Documentary, Web Series, Digital Microbudget
Extended Deadline: June 2, 2025
Fees: Range from $45-$60
“The HollyShorts Film Festival is an Oscar-qualifying short film film festival based in Los Angeles. Since its establishment in 2005, it has grown into a premier platform for independent filmmakers worldwide. As an Academy Awards-qualifying festival in four categories, it presents a diverse selection of innovative short films across various genres. The HollyShorts Film Festival, which runs August 7-17,2025, remains dedicated to championing emerging talents and pushing the boundaries of cinematic innovation.”
SUBMIT HERE: HollyShorts
CinemaStreet Women's Short Screenplay Competition
CinemaStreet Women's Short Screenplay Competition
Regular Deadline: July 15, 2025
This festival “invites women-identified screenwriters to submit short screenplays (20 minutes/pages and under) to CinemaStreet Pictures for production consideration. The winning screenwriter will receive $1,000 for the option to produce the film. Screenplays may be from anywhere in the world, but must be in English. Scripts across all genres of fiction (drama, comedy, horror, action, thriller, sci-fi, animation, musical, etc.,) may be about any topic, but MUST HAVE A SIGNIFICANT FEMALE CHARACTER. Love from Friends, by winning screenwriter Elise Marenson, premiered in Los Angeles and played in film festivals around the country last year. The contest is managed by Terry Lawler, former Executive Director of NYWIFT.“
Apply here
GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS & FUNDING CORNER
Women Make Movies Production Grant
--Production Assistance Program
Rolling Applications
“This program focuses on supporting BIPOC/ALAANA, LGBTQIA women, older women, and women in film with disabilities. It provides fiscal sponsorship and offers personalized consultations, workshops and networking opportunities. Recipients get access to one-on-one consultations and pay reduced rates for industry workshops. Projects need to raise at least $50,000 in funding.”
You must be a woman filmmaker serving as project director or co-director, and should show a clear direction and realistic plan for distribution in your application.
MORE INFO: WMM Production Grant
SF FILM Documentary Fund
SF FILM Documentary Fund
Submission Final Deadline: July 7, 2025
Submission Final Deadline: July 7, 2025
3-4 Grants of $10,000-$15,000
“The SFFILM Documentary Film Fund supports engaging documentaries in post-production which exhibit compelling stories, intriguing characters, and an original, innovative visual approach. Project must be a feature length documentary (60 minutes or more), and be within 3 months of beginning post-production from the final deadline. Applicant must be in a key creative role for the film - ideally, the producer or director.”
MORE INFO: SFFILM Documentary Fund
Reel Sisters Micro Budget Film Fellowship
Reel Sisters Micro Budget Film Fellowship
Extended Deadline: September 30, 2025
Fellows Receive: $5,000 to produce a short film or first episode of a web series
Application Fee: $25 (Reading fee for processing your application)
“Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & lecture Series, the first Academy qualifying festival devoted to women filmmakers, offers you an opportunity to produce a short film or pilot for your web series! Apply and learn the art of creating a high-quality micro-budget short film.
Eligibility: Script must be written or co-written by a woman of color and non-binary filmmakers of color. Reel Sisters will accept submissions by women of African, Caribbean, Latina, Asian, Indian and Native American descent. Please include your ethnicity in the application to confirm eligibility. We encourage writing teams to apply.”
MORE INFO: Reel Sisters Fellowship
Impact Partners Development Fund
Application Deadline: rolling deadline
“For early-stage documentary features, series, or projects that could be either. Impact Partners will invest in the development of 4-8 projects a year, with a range of $10K -$100K per project. We are now accepting applications. Filmmakers can apply to the fund for a variety of reasons as they get their projects off the ground, including development shoots, cutting a trailer or reel, conducting archival research, casting characters, etc.”
Apply here:: Impact Partners
Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant (From the Heart Productions)
Applications Open: June 30th, October 31st, November 30th, 2025
Winner receives $3,000 in Cash and Donated Services
“Many filmmakers use short films to hone their craft and as a proof of concept for later full length features. From the Heart Productions wants to support their work and encourage them to make films with stories told with passion that enlighten us about our lives and the world we live in. This grant is specifically for narrative fiction shorts, live action or animated, that are 40 minutes or less in length. Among the donations the winner could receive are:
$3,000.00 in music and audio services from well-known composer David Raiklen
$6,000.00 in animation from Emmy award winner Charlie Canfield. This is 1/3 off normal price for 6 weeks of animation
$500 in grip, lighting or expendables from Filmtools
Tom Malloy of Glass House Distribution donates an hour of consultation on distribution of your film
$1,400 value (4 hours of sound mix session) from Silver Sound
$600.00 for your Free Closed Captioning by NetCaptioning”
Apply Here: Roy Dean Short Film Grant
Barbara Hammer Lesbian Experimental Filmmaking Grant
Application Deadline: July 2, 2025
Fee: $6
"The Barbara Hammer Lesbian Experimental Filmmaking Grant is an annual grant awarded to lesbians for making visionary moving-image art. Work can be experimental animation, experimental documentary, experimental narrative, cross-genre, or solely experimental. Applicants must be based in the U.S. This grant was established by Hammer in 2017 to give needed support to moving-image art made by lesbians. The grant is supported directly by funds provided by Hammer’s estate and administered through Queer|Art by lesbians for lesbians, with a rotating panel of judges."
MORE INFO: Barbara Hammer Grant
Thanks to newsletter contributors: Diane Walsh, Julie Rubio, Nil Unerdem
Newsletter designed by Lina Indeeva and edited by Nil Unerdem
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