Firelight Media has selected the second cohort of filmmakers for the PBS/Firelight William Greaves Production Fund, and has also issued a call for applications for the third cycle of the annual granting initiative.

Launched in 2022, the program provides finishing funds or co-production funding to mid-career filmmakers from underrepresented communities who are preparing documentary projects that are intended for distribution on PBS. To be eligible for consideration, the filmmaker must own at least 50% of the copyright, and retain editorial control of the project. More information about the program is available at the Firelight Media website, where applications for the next cycle are being accepted until July 8, 2024.

The seven filmmakers and projects selected for the 2023 edition of the PBS/Firelight William Greaves Production Fund are below, with project summaries adapted from loglines provided by Firelight Media.
‍

Jason DaSilva, Untitled

This documentary examines the history of legal disparities and inaccessibility faced by parents of color living with disabilities within the U.S.

‍

Juan Carlos Dávila Santiago, Zenón

A portrait of Puerto Rican fisherman and revolutionary Carlos “Taso” Zenón, who spent decades fighting against the military occupation of his homeland by the United States.

‍

Ilse Fernandez, Exodus Stories

A documentary following the high-stakes journeys of three Central American immigrants who join the historic 2018-19 mass migrant caravans, fleeing threats and violence and seeking refuge in the U.S. at a time when the right of asylum is under siege.

‍

Luchina Fisher, Hiding in Plain Sight (w/t)

This documentary tells the story of Black queer presence in the music industry through the stories of both popular and lesser-known artists who have helped shape the music and culture of today.

‍

Ashley O’Shay, Southmont Drive

This documentary reflects on the legacy of a Black family from Tuskegee, Alabama, centered on the filmmaker’s late grandfather Melvin Lewis.

‍

Raúl O. Paz-Pastrana, Backside (pictured)

Following a racing season at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, this observational documentary paints an intimate portrait of the unseen BIPOC workers that sustain the elite horse-racing industry.

‍

Michèle Stephenson, Untitled

This documentary examines two pivotal events that shook 1960s Montreal, revealing an untold history of Black resistance and student organizing.

‍

Read more at Realscreen.