The Independence Public Media Foundation (IPMF) announced $500,000 in grants awarded to 30 film projects –
6 to SIFTers!!! (Members of SIFTMedia 215) through its Local Filmmaker Fund. The grants will support the development of their films and the expansion of their skills.
Each year, the foundation partners with a panel of local filmmakers and film advocates to select the grant recipients. This process aligns with the foundation’s commitment to shift power to communities harmed by systems of oppression and media erasure.
SIFTERS GRANT RECIPIENTS:
JUSTICE FOR MATT, directed by Lois Moses. “Justice for Matt” uplifts the fight for public safety for Black LGBTQIA people. The documentary follows a tenacious young woman who, over three years, becomes a co-investigator and close ally to the detective investigating the gruesome murder of her 26-year-old gay brother. The case marked the first time Prince George’s County used forensic genetic genealogy to solve a cold case. ($10,000)
THE SEEDS WE CARRY, (working title) directed by Gabrielle Patterson. “The Seeds We Carry” is a short documentary depicting intimate portraits of Southwest Philadelphia community farm stewards who find home, belonging, and cross-cultural connections as they grow, cook, and share food. ($15,000)
TO SPRINGFIELD WITH LOVE, directed by Tatiana Bacchus “To Springfield with Love” is a feature-length documentary about Haitian immigrants challenging xenophobic rhetoric while celebrating their community’s resilience. The project will tell individual immigrant stories and culminate with stories from Springfield, OH, and Charleroi, PA, where Haitian communities continue to face hostility. ($20,000)
Untitled PARS Project directed by Kristal Sotomayor. “Untitled PARS Project” exposes the hidden technological infrastructure driving immigrant surveillance and illustrates how advanced data-sharing systems are weaponized to facilitate deportations. The film combines vérité footage, archival material, and animation to follow immigrant organizers, legal advocates, and affected families as they navigate and challenge the ever-growing digital dragnet threatening their communities. ($15,000)
HERE AND NOW directed by Nikki Harmon. “Here and Now” tells the story of a random encounter with an old high school acquaintance that compels Kim, a college student and aspiring scientist, to harness a strange new ability she hopes will help her make a romantic connection. ($15,000)
LADYBUG directed by Kelli Webber. “Ladybug” is a narrative film about a young woman struggling to come to terms with the fading memories of her late grandmother while building the nerve to quit her job and live as a more authentic version of herself. ($10,000)
FRIENDS OF SIFT GRANT RECIPIENTS:
Cosmic Egg, directed by Anula Shetty. “Cosmic Egg” is a poetic documentary that explores the filmmaker’s personal struggle with infertility and the characters she meets in her journey through the surreal landscape of fertility mythology, egg harvesting, and surrogate birth. ($20,000)
Dyana Williams: Mother of Black Music Month, directed by Maori Karmael Holmes. Black music has profoundly shaped the world, influencing various musical genres, social movements, and cultural trends. “Dyana Williams: Mother of Black Music Month” explores the history and impact of Black music on American culture through the life of a woman who has tirelessly fought to preserve it. ($25,000)
Yellow, directed by Annette Burgess. In “Yellow” a newly divorced mom, finally reclaiming her identity after a painful divorce, is blindsided when her ex-husband moves to Philly to be closer to their children. The move forces her to confront old wounds and the possibility of forgiveness. ($15,000)
LAST YEAR’S IPMF GRANT RECIPIENTS
For more information or if you have questions or feedback, contact Enni Aigbomian, enni@independencemedia.org.