Announcing the Inaugural William Greaves Fund Recipients
Firelight Media is pleased to announce the recipients of the inaugural William Greaves Fund, our first international fund. The Fund supports mid-career BIPOC filmmakers in the research and development stages of their second or third feature-length documentary.
The William Greaves Fund awards grants of up to $25,000. Filmmakers of color will use these grants for research, and to develop film treatments, decks, sizzle reels, and other fundraising materials for their new projects. Firelight Media will also provide artistic support to the filmmaker grant recipients. Firelight Media accepted grant applications from filmmakers from racially and ethnically underrepresented communities in the United States, especially those who identify as Indigenous and/or of African descent in Mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and Colombia. The Fund looks forward to a broadened international reach in 2021.
Reflecting on the importance of this initiative, Loira Limbal, SVP of Programs at Firelight Media, said,
“Witnessing the global resonance of uprisings for Black lives and a pandemic that has devastated the most marginalized communities, the international nature of the William Greaves Fund reflects our commitment to stories that address the major problems of today with nuance and complexity, and reflect a broad range of often underrepresented views.”
Limbal continued, “In our work within the Documentary Lab over the last decade, we have seen too many talented filmmakers of color leave the field because they cannot get proper support to make their next project. The William Greaves Fund is Firelight Media’s response to this persistent problem.”
Firelight Media named the Fund after William Greaves, who produced the seminal television newsmagazine Black Journal as well as over 200 documentary films during his 60-year career. Regarded as the father of Black nonfiction cinema, Greaves mentored countless filmmakers during his life including Firelight Media co-founder Stanley Nelson.
The William Greaves Fund 2020 grant recipients are:
- Julianna Brannum (U.S.)
- Byron Hurt (U.S.)
- Everlane Moraes (Brazil)
- Gisela Rosario Ramos (Puerto Rico)
- Medhin Tewolde Serrano (Mexico)
- Angela Tucker (U.S.)
- Vanuzia Bonfim Vieira (Brazil)
- Yvonne Welbon (U.S.)
- Malika Zouhali-Worrall (U.S.)
The William Greaves Fund upholds Firelight Media’s mission to support BIPOC filmmakers throughout different stages of their careers along with the Documentary Lab, the organization’s flagship mentorship program focused on developing early career filmmakers.
Major support for the William Greaves Fund has been provided by the Perspective Fund.
