The LEF Foundation has awarded 11 Moving Image Fund grants totaling $47,500 in support of feature-length documentary works by New England-based filmmakers.
The LEF Moving Image Fund invests in feature-length documentary films that demonstrate excellence in technique, a resonant story or idea, and originality of artistic vision and voice. The most recent round of awards includes eight grants of $5,000 to projects at the Pre-production stage and three grants of $2,500 to projects at the Early Development stage.
The projects in this round reveal the scope and scale of belonging, from the intimate realms of family and identity to larger ones of community, culture, and the natural world. With focuses that shift across borders from New England to Appalachia and Puerto Rico, and further still to France, Venezuela, Colombia, Morocco, and Japan, the films navigate the unique ripple effects of inheritance and intervention alike. Whether their interest is in the fate of a generations-old restaurant, the fault lines in a family’s history, or the unexpected relationships that fuel our understanding of ourselves, the filmmakers receiving grants approach their material with sensitivity and deep curiosity.
Pre-production
A Permanent Dream
Directed by Gabrielle Lubtchansky
Produced by Brooke Saias
Dar Marjana
Directed by Lamia Lazrak
Produced by Lisa Yadao, Irene Yadao + Manette Pottle
Illusions of Winter
Directed by Drew Swedberg
Produced by Josh Povec, Drew Swedberg, Bailey Beltramo
In the Keeping
Directed by Emily Drummer
Produced by Felipe Troya + Alex Denison
Kowloon!
Directed by Erin Ramirez + Mona Xia
Produced by Erin Ramirez, Mona Xia + Donovan Tolledo
Look at This Bird (Working Title)
Directed by Elle Rose Rinaldi
Produced by Camara Aaron + Bella Racklin
Someone’s Father
Directed by Andrea Patiño Contreras
Produced by Andrea Patiño Contreras + Gabriela Díaz Arp
Tonada Menguante
Directed and Produced by Luis Arnías
Early Development
Out in the Mountains (Working Title)
Directed and Produced by Amanda Kowalski
Paper Ties
Directed by Ezra Rose
Produced by Zoë Andrikidis
Rompió Fuente en la Noche (Water Breaks at Night)
Directed and Produced by Rosalyn Negrón
At LEF’s August deadline for Pre-production and Early Development, 52 eligible applications were received from filmmakers working throughout New England. Three peer readers from the local filmmaking community who represent a diversity of perspectives on documentary were invited to review, discuss, and make recommendations on the applications. These peer evaluations informed LEF staff’s final grant decisions.
“With each Moving Image Fund round, we’re introduced to new filmmakers and to new and compelling projects in addition to filmmakers we have come to know over the years,” said Lyda Kuth, Executive Director. “It’s affirming and inspiring, both to staff and to the peer reviewers, to see the pool of New England filmmakers be continually renewed and expanded.”
This is the fifth year that the Moving Image Fund has included support at the Early Development stage, giving initial seed funding to filmmakers who have not yet had a chance to shoot or edit sample footage for their current projects.
“LEF’s support comes at a critical time of research and development for our story,” one grantee shared. “At a time when financing independent films is so difficult, this grant will truly propel us forward.”
“Support during the early stages of documentary filmmaking is both rare and vital to bringing independent films to life,” another grantee shared. “I’m deeply grateful to LEF and the Moving Image Fund for championing independent documentary filmmakers in New England, where there is a strong, passionate and talented community of filmmakers with a deep love for non-fiction filmmaking.”
All applicants who applied for LEF funding for either Pre-production or Early Development will have the option to receive review notes from staff to learn how their proposals were evaluated by the peer reviewers and to ask any questions.
“We were honored to work with a group of local peer reviewers who shared their insights and feedback on each of the 52 proposals that we received this round,” said LEF Program Director Gen Carmel. “We are committed to sharing that feedback in one-on-one calls with each team that would find it helpful to hear what the peer reviewers found most resonant, where they had any questions, and any ideas or resources to share. For us, these calls are also an opportunity to learn more about what LEF might be able to improve about its review process.”
In addition to this group of grantees, LEF will also award $230,000 to 12 projects in Production and Post-production later in the fiscal year, following the next January 2025 application deadline. In total, LEF plans to distribute $277,500 in funding to documentary productions over the course of its 2025 fiscal year.
The next Moving Image Fund deadline will be Friday, January 17, 2025 for New England-based feature-length documentary directors and producers seeking to submit a Letter of Inquiry for Production or Post-production support.
Submissions will open in mid-November.
You can find more details regarding LEF Moving Image Fund guidelines and eligibility on our website.
