Netflix and NewFest, New York’s leading LGBTQ film and media organization, have announced the four recipients of its second-ever New Voices Filmmaker Grant.
Terrance Daye, Drew de Pinto, Emily May Jampel and LaQuan Lewis are among this year’s cohort who will receive $25,000 in grant support for professional development and creating new work. The filmmakers will also have access to industry events and a mentorship track facilitated by NewFest, which will assist them with their network-building.
“Now, more than ever, it is essential to amplify LGBTQ voices, so we were incredibly excited by the volume and strength of applications received,” David Hatkoff, NewFest executive director, said. “We saw in this program’s first year that it has the power to change careers and lives, and can’t wait to see how the 2023 recipients utilize the resources and guided mentorships to make an impact in the industry. We continue to be grateful to Netflix for their trust and support in making this possible on such a large scale.”
In addition to the grant, all four recipients will be connected to an industry mentor relevant to their creative interests, with their work eventually showcased at NewFest’s New York LGBTQ Film Festival During their time with the initiative, the cohort will also engage with partner organizations, industry markets, consultants and leaders in the field.
The New Voices Filmmaker Grant was eligible to U.S.-based LGBTQ filmmakers who have not made a feature-length film or had a short, episodic or feature length film publicly distributed with an exclusive and compensated agreement. Applications and samples were reviewed by grant evaluators made up of LGBTQ programmers, critics, agents, community leaders, NewFest staff, established filmmakers and industry professionals. The process was supported by NewFest’s New Voices Filmmaker grant coordinator Arno Mokros.
This year’s final selections were decided on by an external jury of film and industry experts. That included Telluride Film Festival’s senior curator Mara Fortes, No Ordinary Man and Framing Agnes filmmaker Chase Joynt and Mark R. Wright, vice president, film at Higher Ground, the Obamas’ production company.
Daye is an award-winning poet and filmmaker from Long Island, New York, whose is a two-time Spike Lee Production Fund recipient, a 2018 Sundance Ignite fellow and 2020 NewFest Film Festival Emerging Black LGBTQ+ Filmmaker Award winner. De Pinto is a director and editor based in Queens, whose short film COMPTON’S ’22 was featured by Film Independent and nominated for an International Documentary Award. Jampel is a filmmaker from O’ahu based in New York, whose work has played at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, NewFest, Outfest L.A. and Frameline. Lewis is a writer-director based in L.A., who has won awards for best first-time director and best LGBT short at festivals in the U.S. and U.K.
“All four grant recipients submitted inspired, textured and auspicious short-form work samples from a range of LGBTQ experiences and cinematic storytelling techniques — from narrative to innovative non-fiction to animation,” said Nick McCarthy, NewFest director of programming. “Yet one unifying element is their clear perspective, confident vision, storytelling prowess, commitment to new modes of storytelling and vital collective spirit to have LGBTQ films be made, seen and heard.”
The New Voices Filmmaker Grant was launched in 2021 and is among the efforts tied to Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity, which works to create more behind-the-camera opportunities for underrepresented communities within the TV and film industries. The inaugural year’s recipients included Blanche Akonchong, Livia Huang, Rodney Llaverias and Nyala Moon.