The LEF Foundation has awarded 14 Moving Image Fund grants totaling $270,000 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, strong storytelling ability, and originality of artistic vision and voice. The most recent round of awards includes eight grants of $15,000 to projects at the Production stage and six grants of $25,000 to projects at the Post-production stage.
The grantees for this round of the Moving Image Fund include films grounded in singular lived experiences and films that attempt to unpack much larger systems and structures that shape our world. All of the films are deeply rooted in their respective places, whether they are locations steeped in personal or political history, enduring communities, or geographies that extend beyond immediate perception. This round of grants emphasizes the unique lenses of New England-based filmmakers, reflecting a broad diversity of approaches to nonfiction filmmaking, spanning patient verite, the inquisitively essayistic, personal lyricism, and self-reflexive forms.
PRODUCTION
Blindball (w/t)
Directed and Produced by Carla Borrás (MA) and Jessica Massa
Caretakers
Directed by Ambrus Hernadi (MA)
Produced by Rita Balogh
Eurydice in the Underworld
Directed by Felicity E. Palma (RI)
HANNAH
Directed by Siobhan Landry (MA) and Angie Morrill
Produced by Siobhan Landry and Carolyn Shadid Lewis
Heaven Through the Backdoor
Directed by Anna Fitch and Banker White (MA)
Produced by Sara Dosa, Hannah Roodman, and Banker White
Highest Nature
Directed by Elle Rinaldi (CT)
Memory of Lightning
Directed by Riccardo Giacconi (MA)
Produced by Fabrizio Polpettini
The Teachers Project (working title)
Directed by Luke Meyer (MA)
Produced by Luke Meyer, Raoul Meyer, Tom Davis, and Jenna Sauers
POST-PRODUCTION
Beyond the Fold
Directed and Produced by Ross McClean
Produced by Bronte Stahl (RI), Ross McClean, and Roisín Geraghty
Chelsea (working title)
Directed by Jenny Alexander and Sabrina Avilés (MA)
Cosmic Moose and Grizzly Bears Ville
Directed by Amber Bemak (MA)
Produced by Zoe Sua Cho (CT)
Early Mourning, Tarpon Springs
Directed and Produced by Jodie Mack (VT)
My Skin and I
Directed by Milton Guillén and Fiona Guy Hall (VT)
Produced by Milton Guillén, Fiona Guy Hall, May Odeh, and Zorana Mušikić
The River
Directed by Caitlyn Greene
Produced by Sara Archambault (RI), Caitlyn Greene, and Department of Motion Pictures
“As the Moving Image Fund rounds out its first quarter-century of supporting filmmakers in New England, we find ourselves in a climate that is threatening to independent creative voices,” said Lyda Kuth, LEF Executive Director. “The films receiving grants this year are a remarkable cross section of the vibrancy and creative risk-taking that LEF will continue to champion in the region and beyond.”
“I grew up in New England, surrounded by film programs that were supported by the LEF Foundation. From DocYard to CIFF and beyond, the artists whose stories came out of these communities showed me the power of cinema to open minds to lives different than ours, while also illuminating our shared humanity,” said grantee Carolina Borrás. “My co-director Jessica Massa and I could not be more honored to now have the chance to be the storytellers, with the support of this LEF Moving Image Grant.”
The formal grant review process began in early winter when LEF received 96 eligible letters of inquiry at its January 2025 deadline for Production and Post-production. These proposals were evaluated by a group of three New England-based filmmakers serving as peer readers, in addition to LEF staff.
Of these initial inquiries, 30 projects were invited by LEF staff to submit a full application, including 22 finalists in Production and 8 finalists in Post-production. All 30 full applications were then evaluated by a peer review panel made up of filmmakers and professionals from across the U.S. who represent a diversity of perspectives on documentary. Peer reviewers remain anonymous and change at every round.
“At LEF, we aim to provide support for a community of filmmakers over time by going beyond the grant to offer all of our applicants 1:1 peer review feedback, guidance, and connections to other capacity-building resources,” said LEF Program Director Genevieve Carmel.
“Having support from LEF at the pre-production, production, and post-production phases of this piece has enabled my work to travel conceptually deeper, formally larger,” said grantee Jodie Mack. “Through their support, I am able to advance my craft in the pursuit of animated nonfiction.”
“While the Moving Image Fund is structured around project-based support,” said Carmel, “we know the ripple effects that offering both grant funding and constructive feedback can have – beyond propelling a film project forward, it can encourage the creative growth of a filmmaker, deepen their contributions within a regional creative economy, and build recognition for their voice within the larger field of filmmaking.”
In addition to this group of grantees, LEF also awarded $47,500 to 11 projects in Early Development and Pre-production earlier in the fiscal year. In total, LEF will be distributing $317,500 in funding to documentary productions over the course of its 2024–25 fiscal year. After 25 years since its inception, the Moving Image Fund has awarded over 500 grants totaling more than $5.5 million in filmmaker support.
The next Moving Image Fund grant deadline is Friday, August 8 for New England-based directors and producers seeking Pre-production and Early Development support for feature-length documentaries.
You can find more details regarding LEF Moving Image Fund guidelines and eligibility on our website.
You can subscribe to LEF’s mailing list to receive a monthly newsletter and the latest updates about grantee news, filmmaker opportunities, and calls for Moving Image Fund submissions. For more information on the Foundation or its funded projects, please contact Program Officer Matthew LaPaglia at matthew@lef-foundation.org.
