The L.A. division of Women in Film on Monday announced nine new grantees for its 34th annual Film Finishing Fund.
Two of this year’s recipients have been selected at major film festivals: Sabrina Doyle’s narrative feature “Lorelei” will screen at the Tribeca Film Festival, while Iram Parveen Bilal’s “I’ll Meet You There” was selected for the recently scuttled SXSW fest. Parveen Bilal and “And She Could Be Next” co-director Grace Lee were both previous grantees, in 2012.
The Film Finishing Fund provides cash grants and in-kind production services to complete films that fit the established criteria of being created by, for or about women. The works-in-progress are viewed by a special jury of women in the industry who select the winning films.
This year’s nine grantees — including four receiving $25,000 grants from Stella Artois — were chosen from 266 feature-length narrative films, documentaries and shorts submitted from 21 countries.
“When female filmmakers are afforded the resources to create first-rate work that represents a more complete audience, only then do we see progress towards parity,” WIF L.A. Executive Director Kirsten Schaffer said in a statement. “For over 30 years, Women in Film has helped women bring remarkable storytelling to the screen, and we are truly proud of this year’s grantees and their exceptional work.”
Since its launch in 1985, the Women in Film Finishing Fund has awarded over $2 million in cash and in-kind services to 280 films.
Here are this year’s grant recipients:
Stella Artois Grantees
A COPS & ROBBERS STORY • Documentary Feature, Directed by Ilinca Calugareanu
I’LL MEET YOU THERE • Narrative Feature, Directed and Written by Iram Parveen Bilal
LORELEI • Narrative Feature, Directed and Written by Sabrina Doyle
AND SHE COULD BE NEXT • Documentary Feature, Directed by Grace Lee & Marjan Safinia
Documentary Feature Films
BELLY OF THE BEAST • Directed by Erika Cohn
DAUGHTER OF A LOST BIRD • Directed by Brooke Swaney
APÁTRIDA • Directed by Michèle Stephenson
Narrative Short Film
UNPOT • Directed and Written by Huieun Park
Documentary Short Film
LUPITA • Directed by Monica Wise Robles