In addition to our annual Community Builder's Grant, we love to support our community with in-kind donations and/or discounts on a rolling basis & whenever possible. These sponsorships often prioritize mission-based projects that focus on social change.
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RECENT & CURRENT RECIPIENTS:
LDR Web Series
When an improviser moves to Chicago, she struggles with her new life and the six hours ofdistancefrom her girlfriend back home
CHRONICLE OF A SUMMER DAY
Loosely documenting John Caleb Pendleton's (Planks & Pistils) 2021 Juneteenth floral installation, "Chronicle of a Summer Day" is a community bouquet of remembrance and celebration.
This is a community piece of moving image that is a collage of literally and figuratively many lenses. "The concept I edited around is basically Juneteenth as a celebration and appreciation for our ancestors who endured the worst so we could live today... so the film can function as another labor to prop up future generations." - Kira Helm (they/them), Editor & Co-Producer
MAKE A MEMORY
Evelyn Landow is a DIY filmmaker & musician. After spending years archiving home videos & recording two albums with her father during the pandemic, "Make A Memory" is a hybrid film that celebrates the relationship with her father—a piece commemorating the playful love & memories that have remained amid time's persistent tides.
MANIFOLD
"Inspired by 'Paris Is Burning' and 'Random Acts of Flyness', this experimental anthology docuseries explores the nuances of queerness by featuring the intersecting life stories and experiences of Black LGBTQ people across Chicago.
This collaborative production platforms the creative works and visions of queer Black people from various disciplines — poets, performers, organizers, musicians, and more — to express the real life experiences of the Black LGBTQ community.
Each episode will have a new topic, different protagonists, and variable artistic storytelling styles."
EDIFYE
Edifye is a non-profit organization that connects professional athletes & other platformed entertainers to the local/down-ballot issues that they care about. At Edifye, we do two things: find the specific reasons WHY each person is in this fight for equity and reparations, then connect them to the resources to act on it. We want to identify where players can really move the needle, and what their respective cities actually need — symbolic gestures and donations to team charities are nice, but we’re focusing on mutual aid and using the levers of local government for lasting change. Those in power want to see pro athletes “SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE.” We’ll work together to tailor their message and turn up the speakers.
OTIS' DREAM
In 1946, when attempting to vote was literally deadly, some among us were willing to do whatever was necessary to vote. This film follows Otis Moss, Sr. through his day long journey to cast his ballot in rural Georgia. Powerful, poignant, and prescient as today’s struggles with voter suppression multiply.
Otis' Dream won Best Narrative Short & Best Actor in a Short Film at the I Will Tell International Film Festival, won Best Documentary Short, Best Original Score, & Best Costume Design at the Los Angeles Movie Awards, and won Best Narrative Short at The Chicago Indie Awards.
EXTERNAL GRANTS:
Below we have collected additional grants of Chicago-based & national grants that we encourage you to explore for funding your dreams too!
Women in Film's: Hire Her Back Grant
Chicago Filmmakers' Digital Media Production
Chicago Artists Coalition's MAKER Grants
Chicago Artists Coalition's SPARK Grants
Chicago Artists Coalition's ENVISION Grant
Chicago Media Project’s Impact Grant
Adobe Creative Residency Community Fund
Kartemquin Chicago Forward Project
