The nonprofit organization Women in Film, Los Angeles has granted $30,000 in cash and in-kind grants to filmmakers Jordana Spiro, Martha Shane and Lana Wilson, the organization announced.
The grants were awarded at Women in Film's annual Sundance Filmmakers Panel discussion and brunch on Sunday, where "Skin" filmmaker Spiro received the Women in Film/CalmDown Productions Grant, and Shane and Wilson, the team behind "After Tiller," were bestowed with the Women in Film Documentary Grant.
Spiro (pictured) received $5,000 from Women in Film and production company CalmDown Productions, Inc., plus 5,000 feet of film stock from Eastman Kodak, $1,000 worth of scheduling and budget software from Entertainment Partners and $5,000 in post-production services courtesy of Technicolor.
Shane and Wilson also took home $5,000 and the budgeting software from Entertainment Software. The remainder of the grant will be donated in the form of budgeting software to the Sundance Institute Narrative Program.
The short film "Skin" tells the story of a child taxidermist, while "After Tiller" explores the lives of doctors who provide third-trimester abortions, following the 2009 killing of Kansas abortion provider Dr. George Tiller.
“For a decade, Women In Film has maintained a strong presence at the Sundance Film Festival. Last year, WIF aligned with the Sundance Institute for an ongoing research and programming initiative supporting women in independent film," said Women In Film president Cathy Schulman said of the grants. “This year's panel celebrates female filmmakers who have taken on daring subject matter, and I congratulate Jordana, Martha and Lana who are the much deserving and inspired recipients of our grant."
Spiro, who stars in the Fox drama "The Mob Doctor," is currently pursuing her MFA for Directing/Screenwriting at Columbia University. Brooklyn-based filmmakers Wilson and Shane both studied film at Wesleyan University. "After Tiller" is Wilson's feature documentary debut.
