We are living through a time defined by intensifying threats to basic rights, safety, and democracy itself. Yet even as political violence rises and divisions deepen, people everywhere are organizing, supporting each other, and imagining a different future.
Amplifying stories of resistance matters now more than ever, as these threats have been steadily growing and will continue to worsen without deliberate and collective action. We need to demonstrate how solidarity and collective care and action can counter the growing dangers we face. More than just a call to defense, these films will inspire audiences to envision a future rooted in hope and equip them with the tools to help build a world where we all can thrive.
With this in mind, we are excited to announce the recipients of the 2025 Docs in Action Film Fund. $60,000 was awarded to two film teams to complete short films that embody these narratives. They include: Any Way You Can (working title) by Jennifer Maytorena Taylor (Director, Producer & DP), Sally Jo Fifer (Executive Producer & Producer) and Ruth Anne Beutler (Field Producer & Additional DP) and Theory of Change by Matt Durning (Director & DP), Carey Kirk (Producer) and Molly Brock (Editor & Cinematographer).
Working Films launched the Docs In Action Film Fund in 2018 to support the production of short documentaries that address critical issues of social and environmental justice. Because we believe that grassroots leaders and those directly impacted by injustice should hold the power to determine what stories are told and what films are funded to serve their movements, we cede our role on the grant panel. The funded films were selected by our partners at Democracy 2076, Political Research Associates, and Southern Vision Alliance. Together, we will use these films to support grassroots organizing, block authoritarianism, and reimagine democracy.
“In the face of rising supremacy and authoritarianism, the idea that we can win safety for ourselves by treating others as expendable is both morally bankrupt and — for most of us — also delusional. In times like these, we need stories that remind us that we increase our safety as well as our potential for resistance and advancement by choosing each other.” – Cloee Cooper, Research Director at Political Research Associates
Meet the 2025 Docs In Action Film Fund recipients:
Any Way You Can (working title) by Jennifer Maytorena Taylor, Sally Jo Fifer and Ruth Anne Beutler
Intercutting the stories of diverse Montanans from a range of lived experiences and perspectives, Any Way You Can explores the intensifying battles over bodily autonomy and state-imposed limits on reproductive freedom and LGBTQI+ health care. With a verite approach, the film follows inter-generational coalitions and organizers fighting to protect individual freedoms and hard-won constitutional rights.
Jennifer Maytorena Taylor’s award-winning feature and short documentary films frequently feature bilingual Spanish/English stories and often explore the nuances and complexities of life in rural and small communities. She is a Professor of Film and Digital Media at the University of California, Santa Cruz and the founding faculty director of the UCSC Social Documentation Lab.
Sally Jo Fifer led Independent Television Service as President and CEO for 22 years. While at ITVS, Sally launched the award-winning PBS Independent Lens series and oversaw the creation of more than 1,000 films and docuseries. Her credit appears on 16 Oscar nominees, 37 Primetime Emmy winners, and 35 Peabody Award recipients.
Ruth Anne Beutler’s film practice is informed by her ongoing work as a registered nurse and extensive experience in emergency and community health settings around the globe. She has worked closely with Bay Area Indigenous communities and other scholars to document land restoration efforts and foreground Indigenous perspectives on the California missions.
Theory of Change by Matt Durning, Carey Kirk, and Molly Brock
Three working-class women from rural North Carolina become unlikely changemakers in the divided battleground state they call home. Through an intimate, character-centered lens, the film explores the organization’s ambitious Theory of Change: a long-term strategy to shift power back into the hands of everyday people by bridging deep racial, economic, and cultural divides. It’s a story of ordinary folks demonstrating extraordinary agency to catalyze action where they live.
Matt Durning has spent the past 20 years telling stories that amplify human connection. He came to documentary filmmaking through progressive political campaigns (MoveOn.org, ACLU, etc), and his passion for social justice continues to drive his work as a storyteller. Matt is the co-director of the award-winning feature documentary Stay Prayed Up, which premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival. He has created provocative music videos for social justice anthems by artist-activists Che Apalache and Joe Troop. He was the producer of Rissi Palmer: Still Here. His short environmental justice film, Perry County, won numerous festival accolades. Matt has produced lauded non-fiction work for outlets including PBS, HBO, ESPN, Wired, Al Jazeera America, Ovation, Smithsonian Channel, and YouTube. He is the founder and executive producer of Interlocking Pictures, a full-service documentary production company based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Carey Kirk is the child of a rural, working-class family with military roots and conservative, right-wing influences, raised between Tennessee and North Carolina. Growing up in communities often marked by division, despite shared struggles, she has long questioned why those divisions persist. That personal history fuels her commitment to amplifying voices fighting for a more just and inclusive future in the South. She has worked on Family Tree and Charlotte Seven, both of which explore movements for social justice in the region. In addition to production, she has led social media and impact campaigns for films such as Stay Prayed Up, Rissi Palmer: Still Here, and Moonchild: The Story of Brother Yusuf Salim.
Molly Brock is a queer Southern woman with a deep understanding of the region’s complexities, Molly brings a unique perspective to the visual and editorial process. With her background in vérité-style filmmaking, she focuses on capturing authenticity, drawing out the raw emotion that drives the story. Molly’s recent work includes Charlotte Seven, a short documentary premiering at Justice Film Festival and the feature-length documentary How to Save a Milestone.
The Docs in Action Film Fund is made possible with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
