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The Works-in-Progress (WiP) Lab supports social justice documentaries with a focus on Black storytelling. Co-designed and coordinated by Working Films, in partnership with Cucalorus, participating artists receive feedback on their work-in-progress and explore audience engagement strategies through workshops, consultations, and community screenings during a weeklong residency at Cucalorus’ campus. This year’s Lab takes place from April 22- April 29. Now in its sixteenth year, the Works-in-Progress lab was launched in 2008 through a partnership between Working Films and Cucalorus. We will be accepting applications through January 15th, 2025! Program and Application Details Residency Working Films and Cucalorus are teaming up again for the 2025 Works In Progress Lab. Selected filmmakers will come to Wilmington, NC – where Cucalorus and Working Films are based – for a weeklong residency which includes trainings, workshops and community engagement screenings. Participants should plan for arrival on Monday April 21 and departure on April 29. The lab begins on Tuesday, April 22 and runs through Monday April 28. Filmmakers will spend time participating in workshops with the Working Films and Cucalorus teams. They will be joined by experienced documentary filmmaker mentors. Previous mentors include Byron Hurt, Natalie Bullock Brown, Jacqueline Olive, and Lana Garland. We create a tight knit atmosphere of peer support where the facilitators and mentors lead the cohort in giving one another feedback on their work in progress. Using Working Films’ 24 years of experience in creating impact campaigns for documentary films, we also spend time workshopping the distribution and impact strategies for participating films. And finally, during residency week, filmmakers will have an opportunity to screen their work-in-progress footage with organizations and individuals who are working on the issues which their film addresses. These are intimate, closed door screenings. The audiences are change leaders, whose lived experiences and work align with the film content, who can provide valuable feedback for filmmakers as they continue to edit and plan for how their film can make an impact once it’s completed. Filmmakers will also have down time to work on their edit, write, and relax or sight-see in downtown Wilmington and surrounding beaches. Previous cohorts have found the downtime creates the perfect opportunity to build lasting relationships and share experiences & learnings with their peers. Eligibility The Cucalorus WiP lab supports social justice documentaries with a focus on Black storytelling. Films may be shorts, features, or episodic, but must be nonfiction. Films can be at any stage of development, but we find that filmmakers benefit most when they are in the production or post production phase of their project. We will need some sample footage to show at feedback screenings. This could be an assembly, sizzle reel, rough cut, or fine cut. It’s up to the filmmaker to decide what to show. The goal is to have these opportunities for feedback be of benefit to the director wherever they are in their process. What’s Included Working Films and Cucalorus cover the following expenses for each selected director:

• • Round trip transportation to Wilmington, NC for the residency.
  • Housing during the residency.
  • Most meals during the residency.
  • Airport transfer and most local transportation during the residency.
  • Three years of all-access passes to Cucalorus Festival in November.

Working Films strives to make all of our events and programs accessible, including our application processes. To request an accessibility accommodation or adjustment, please email amyers@workingfilms.org, or call us at 910-342-9000. Across the US we are seeing stronger and more frequent climate-fueled disasters, exposure to environmental racism, and threats to our democracy. These challenges – all compounded by the breakdown of civil discourse and community relationships – make face to face dialogue critical for building resilience and civic engagement. We also know that changemakers in rural areas and small towns are consistently under-resourced and must exercise everything in their toolbox, and film screenings are a powerful tool for organizers to gather their community and move them to action. Hosting these events is a unique way for organizers to share stories on screen that mirror the environmental problems they’re facing, as well as showcase successful organizing tactics that could be replicated locally. Working Films’ response to this need is Rural Cinema, a program offering training and support to rural organizers to leverage this powerful resource. Now in its sixth year, Rural Cinema is a training institute and community engagement program aimed at supporting leaders from rural areas and small towns across the United States in using film screenings as a resource in their work for environmental justice and protection. In 2025, we will be selecting organizations in six locations that are directly affected by polluting industries or climate disasters, as well as areas transitioning from being economically fueled by extractive energy industries to adopting more sustainable approaches. The program will support participants in holding a community film series that engages their communities and advance their environmental justice goals over the course of one year. These events will create spaces for residents to come together, discuss issues affecting their communities, learn and be inspired by the visual content and one another’s experiences, and generate solutions that address their needs and priorities. Each individual or organization selected to participate will receive virtual trainings, technical assistance, film screening equipment provided by EPIC Outdoor Cinema, including a mobile solar battery to run the equipment, a $2,500 honorarium, and additional monetary support to hold film screenings in their community to support their goals throughout 2025. Six community organizations will be selected through an application process. Applications are due on Thursday January 23rd. The following are key elements of the program, which will begin in February 2025.

APPLY TO RURAL CINEMA 2024

PROGRAM ELEMENTS: Virtual Training Institute We will provide two two-hour virtual training sessions for selected applicants focused on best practices for using documentary film as an organizing, educational, civic engagement, and advocacy tool. These sessions will provide an opportunity for two representatives from each participating community to connect, share ideas, and learn how to effectively use film screenings to drive community action and further their advocacy objectives. In addition to these group sessions, we will also conduct individual, one-on-one training with Working Films’ staff between the virtual gatherings to provide tailored support and guidance. This training will lay the groundwork for extensive ongoing support for each group’s film series. A few examples of training topics include: how to plan a community film series centered around key goals, audiences, and community actions, how to use the film screening equipment, how to work with drive-ins/how to create your own, and how to host in-person events and virtual events. Ongoing Support & Training We will provide ongoing, individualized training and consultation (in the form of regular check-ins) with participating community leaders as they incorporate film screenings into their work over the course of the year-long program. Working Films staff will work with each leader to identify specific goals, select films, and plan its strategic use in multiple public events in their community over the course of 2025. Working Films will provide monetary support for community leaders to use for hard costs like venues, refreshments, screening rights fees, virtual tech support fees, speaking honorariums for filmmakers and other panelists, advertisements, etc. Film Screening Equipment & Solar Equipment We will provide each selected community with a full package of screening equipment that can be used for outdoor or indoor in-person events. This includes an inflatable screen, projector, sound system, and control console provided by Epic Outdoor Cinema. Also, since the goal of these screenings is to take action toward environmental justice solutions, each organization or individual will also receive a solar battery that will help power the film screening equipment. This equipment will permanently stay in each community. Recipients will be able to keep all of this equipment after the Rural Cinema program has ended for further use long into the future. ELIGIBILITY Organizations working in a rural area or small town that can be described in at least one of the ways below, are eligible to apply: –  an area directly affected by polluting industries or climate disasters – an area abandoned by extractive energy industries – An area transitioning from, or trying to transition from, extractive energy industries to more sustainable approaches. COMMITMENT Applicants must commit to assigning two individuals to lead their participation in Rural Cinema. These two individuals must attend each of the two, two-hour virtual training sessions/cohort gatherings (taking place on February 27th and April 3rd), work with Working Films staff in between the full group gatherings for one-on-one training support to develop plans for your series, and participate in the implementation of multiple (4-6) film events throughout 2025. These two individuals will also be the primary liaison with Working Films’ staff as we support the organization in planning and implementing screening events over the course of the year. This does not preclude participation by other individuals/staff members. SELECTION PROCESS Applications will be reviewed by a team of nonprofit and organizing leaders and selections will be made based on the following criteria:

• Alignment of an organization’s mission with the stated focus area of addressing environmental issues in their community.
• An organization’s demonstrated enthusiasm and interest in using film in their work (previous use of film is not a requirement).
• The extent to which an organization has been able to come up with a vision and clear goals for their series, even if it is just a first draft. We know that sometimes overall vision and goals change throughout the course of the trainings.
• Capacity to attend the trainings and devote time to organizing a series in their community throughout 2025.
• The extent to which an organization reflects and/or shows accountability to the communities they organize and work with.

Applicants will be notified as to the outcome of the selection process in February. For a full timeline of the trainings and program, see the FAQ. HOW TO APPLY: To apply, we strongly suggest you first check out this document of frequently asked questions, and then complete our online application using Submittable. You’ll create a quick login so that you can work on your application and have your information saved. Before you get started you can find a preview of the application questions here. If you have any additional questions, join us at a webinar Q&A on Thursday December 12th at 2pm ET. Register for it here! If you can’t attend, we will be recording and embedding it on this page. If you have any additional questions in the meantime, please email amyers@workingfilms.org

REGISTER TO THE RURAL CINEMA 2025 WEBINAR

Race Forward and Working Films are thrilled to announce the 2024 Race Flicks film track of Facing Race: A National Conference, being held in person in St. Louis, Missouri, November 20-22. Race Flicks is a micro-film track during the conference that lifts up critical issues and stories of community organizing for racial justice. This year’s program maintains a focus on accountable and care-centered filmmaking that respects and reflects the people and places featured, and holds great potential to build power among those represented in the stories at hand. The selected films were chosen in large part because of the way they can be used strategically by advocates, organizers, and nonprofits to advance their work for racial justice. The Five Demands is a riveting story about the student strike that changed the face of higher education. In April 1969, a small group of Black and Puerto Rican students shut down the City College of New York, an elite public university located right in the heart of Harlem. Through archival footage and modern-day interviews, we follow the students’ struggle against the institutional racism that, for over a century, had shut out people of color from this and other public universities. The Five Demands uncovers the untold story of this explosive student takeover and proves that a handful of ordinary citizens can band together to take action and affect meaningful change. Watch Trailer

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The Cost of Inheritance, Directed by Yoruba Richen, Produced by Lacey Shwartz and Mehret Mandefro, Run time: 55 minutes The Cost of Inheritance explores the complex issue of reparations in the United States and takes a personal approach to understanding our history, systemic injustices, and racial inequities.  We follow descendants of enslavers and the enslaved as they are reckoning with their past and trying to find a just way forward.  Opposing views and challenges to the concept of reparations are also heard in the exposition of our complicated history. The film introduces viewers to those who are working toward common ground, despite their differing perspectives. The protagonists launch conversations,  attempt to reconcile, and take specific actions that aspire to close the racial wealth gap in America. The disparate trajectory of lives, families and communities impacted by structural racism unfolds through archival images of land, labor exploitation and racial violence, set against a backdrop that depicts the pursuit of justice for Japanese internment survivors and survivors of the Holocaust. Watch Trailer

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Bad Press, Directed by Rebecca Landsberry-Baker and Joe Peeler, Run time: 98 minutes (An excerpt from the film will be shown during the conference along with info about how to watch the full film) Imagine you lived in a world where your only reliable news source became government propaganda overnight. That’s exactly what happened to the citizens of the Muscogee Nation, the fourth largest Native American tribe, in 2018. Out of 574 federally-recognized tribes, the Muscogee Nation was one of only five to establish a free and independent press - until the tribe’s legislative branch abruptly repealed the landmark Free Press Act in advance of an election. The tribe’s hard-hitting news outlet, Mvskoke Media, would now be subject to direct editorial oversight by the tribal government. One defiant journalist refuses to accept this flagrant act of oppression. As brave as she is blunt, veracious muckraker Angel Ellis charges headfirst into battle against the corrupt faction of the Muscogee National Council. Angel and her allies rally for press freedoms by inciting a voter-supported constitutional amendment, just in time for the start of a new election cycle. Watch Trailer

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Birth from the Earth, Directed by Katy Walker Mejia; Produced by Katy Walker Mejia, Natasha Scully, and Betty Bastidas, Run time: 16 minutes Up against a broken for-profit medical system, home birth midwife and educator Nubia Earth Martin is a visionary leader in the Birth Justice movement working tirelessly to create more opportunities and empower BIPOC mothers and families to safely give birth at home and support the midwives and birth workers who guide them along their sacred journey. We hear so many negative stories and news coverage of how black mothers are dying, and that birth is dangerous and scary. The mothers and families who contributed to the film all had a desire to share a different perspective – one of our fore mothers and great-grandmothers who all successfully brought forth life in a beautiful way, so that we – their descendants, would be able to uplift these stories into the present day. Watch Trailer

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Smile4Kime, Directed by Elena Guzman, Produced by Cybee Bloss, Run time: 26 minutes Smile4Kime is an experimental documentary that explores the friendship between two women: Kime–a vibrant, unapologetic Black woman who lived with mental illness, and Elena–an Afro Puerto Rican woman and devoted friend coping with grief in the wake of Kime’s death. This story begins as a conversation between Kime and Elena unfolding across time and space. They ask each other about who they are, what they need, and what their future holds. As Kime’s mental health begins to spiral, the film urgently weaves together the past, present, and future in search of answers. Watch Trailer

Launched in 2023, Beyond Walls is an organizing initiative featuring documentary films that define and amplify what prison industrial complex (PIC) abolition means, while inspiring people to imagine and take action toward a world without policing. Beyond Walls continues to resonate across communities in 2024, the recent screening at Dartmouth College stands out as a pivotal moment. Held on May 8, 2024 in Hanover, New Hampshire, the event not only showcased the powerful narratives of Prison Industrial Complex Abolition but also sparked profound reflections and conversations among attendees. Dr. Bench Ansfield, the organizer of the event and a Postdoctoral Fellow at Dartmouth, highlighted the timely significance of the screening, “coming on the heels of an administrative assault on Palestine solidarity organizing on campus.” This incident, which involved the mass arrest of 90 protestors, within the student encampment known as Brave Space, galvanized student interest in abolitionist visions and ignited a passionate response. One such student, Cameron Moore, who attended the Beyond Walls event on campus, wrote the following reflection: Beyond Walls connects people through shared realities shaped by the prison industrial complex and motivates them toward its abolition. Unlike other documentaries on incarceration, the short  films curated by the Center for Political Education, Critical Resistance, MPD150, and Survived + Punished in partnership with Working Films, focus on the stories of individuals on the inside, as well as the impact of their forced relocation of their loved ones. The films follow how communities organize and support each other as they work to survive and how people on the inside form communities for survival. The underlying theme: mass incarceration is an issue forming and informing the systems around it. What These Walls Won’t Hold details the work of Adamu looking for purpose during his sentence and finding it through organizing with those both on the inside and outside. Both Adamu and communities on the outside worked to expose the conditions of prisoners during the COVID-19 pandemic, amongst state inaction. Adamu’s bravery exposed how the prison made the spread of the illness worse through the inhumane conditions the prisoners were forced to withstand. Defund the Police, and Practical Abolition discuss ideas central to the fight for prison abolition. With the choice of simple illustration and captioning, both films encourage more extensive conversations that can span generations, race, education, and more, which is central to organizing. When people can understand how the issue of mass incarceration directly impacts them, their family, or their community, they can organize against it. Calls from Home details the work of an entire community to connect to their incarcerated loved ones. The film highlights the humanity of those on the inside, how inhumane their conditions are once they are incarcerated, and how small acts can be monumental for resisting. The film also highlights the power of Black maternity in the face of mass incarceration, as a group of women come together to support one another, upholding their relationships with family on the inside. In I am Free Now You Are Free, a family is disrupted by incarceration and over-policing due to resistance and works through how it will impact the future. The films collectively give voice to people incarcerated and the lives that are impacted by their absence. Beyond Walls is a call to care. The lives of incarcerated people and their families are shown to question whether our current means of punishment are genuinely effective. The films display the harm resulting from not a crime but the punishment for the crime. One of the mothers in Calls From Home said she could not think of her son all the time because of the wave of emotions and the hopelessness she feels for his situation. The wave of uncontrollable emotions she forces herself not to feel about her son is similar to how people think about loved ones who passed away. The premature death of inmates is evident in the hopelessness felt by their loved ones – emotions strong enough to disrupt your life coupled with the hopelessness of the permanence of their incarceration. In any other context, forced separation between mother and child is unheard of, but putting a 17-year-old away for 50+ years, away from all he knows, is not. The film displays the unique tragedies that incarceration often causes, unknown to those unaffected. Beyond Walls is the perfect example of agency and voice. In the face of over-policing and mass incarceration, it is resistant to view yourself as a human being. The films highlight the long-denied humanity of incarcerated people and speak to the millions of communities that work to support them. The film gives communities affected by mass incarceration methods of resistance that center care in the face of violence and constant dehumanization. Prisons isolate people, treat them inhumanely, and refuse incarcerated people livable conditions and medical treatment, all to reinstate the idea that prisoners are less than human. As the idea that inmates are inhuman grows, prison administrators are allowed to treat prisoners negligently to cut costs despite valid concerns about the conditions in which inmates must live. This intentional neglect is evident through the calls for mass releases in What These Walls Won’t Hold when both Adamu and other community members raised concerns about inmates dying from COVID-19 at gross rates despite widespread knowledge of the health crisis. The films shed light on the people who work effortlessly to get people out of prisons, find legal aid, work to make their conditions more livable, and try to form circles of care that honor the humanity of incarcerated people. All of the films question the notion that incarcerated people are surplus and, therefore, do not add value to the rest of the population. In reality, communities are never the same when hauls of their people are incarcerated, permanently isolating people from their families, friends, jobs, and lives.

Host a screening of Beyond Walls in your local community!

For a documentary film to make a difference, a solid strategy for audience engagement and strong partnerships are key. Filmmakers often lack time to do this work themselves or the expertise and resources to lead an impact campaign. Emerging filmmakers and underrepresented filmmakers can face the biggest challenges, despite the immense potential of their projects. Working Films’ response to this challenge is Impact Kickstart, a program offering in-kind partnership and strategy development to filmmakers with feature-length films that hold great promise to catalyze action addressing critical and current social issues. Now in its seventh year, the Impact Kickstart program has helped underrepresented filmmakers create strategic goals for impact and specific plans to engage future partners, funders, and audiences in meaningful ways. Impact Kickstart was created to fill a gap in support for the impact campaigns of underrepresented filmmakers and underrepresented stories. Two films will be selected for Impact Kickstart 2025. Each selected filmmaker will receive an Impact Kickstart from Working Films that includes the planning, facilitation and reporting out from a day-long strategy summit with potential partners and key collaborators. This summit will leave filmmakers well positioned to carry out an impact campaign with a clear strategy, goals, potential partners, and a report that can be used for engaging supporters. Impact Kickstart recipients will also receive impact campaign funding of $60,000 and 1:1 Mentorship support. The deadline for Impact Kickstart applications is Thursday, September 26 at 11:59pm EST. To apply, complete our online application using submittable. You’ll need to create a login so that you can work on your application and have your information saved. Before you get started you can find a preview of the application questions in this PDF. You can also check out this document of frequently asked questions. If you have any additional questions, you can watch our Impact Kickstart application webinar at the bottom of this page. In the video, we give an overview of the application process and our review process as well as answer questions from attendees. If you have any additional questions in the meantime, please email gleonard@workingfilms.org  Working Films strives to make all of our events and programs accessible, including our application processes. To request an accessibility accommodation or adjustment, please email gleonard@workingfilms.org, or call us at 910-342-9000.

About Impact Kickstart

For over two decades, Working Films has planned and led strategy summits for filmmakers to inform their plans for impact campaigns and solidify partner commitments. Our team works in collaboration with filmmakers to outline priorities including: vision, outcomes, potential partners, priority audiences, strategic screening locations, and opportunities for meaningful action. From there, we work with filmmakers to create an invite list of aligned organizations, build out an agenda, and coordinate the logistics of the strategy summit. Both the film team and attendees will walk away from the summit with a clear sense of each other’s goals, current and future opportunities to leverage the film, and commitments to move the impact campaign forward in priority locations and in front of key audiences. Eligibility

• Film directors that identify as underrepresented.
• Applicants must be 18 years of age.
• This opportunity is open to filmmakers with feature length documentaries in post-production or recently completed (within the last 2 years) that address issues of social or environmental justice.
• Films may feature stories from anywhere in the world, but the applicant must be living in the United States and planning an impact campaign to be carried out in the U.S.
• Filmmakers must be prepared for the preparation, planning, and implementation of the impact strategy summit to take place between March and July 2025. This does not mean that your film must be complete in this time period, but that you are willing to engage in impact campaign strategy development.
• Only one proposal per applicant will be accepted.

Criteria:  The selection for Impact Kickstart will based on:

• The catalytic potential of the story to address important and current social issues.
• The story idea is compelling, engaging, original and well-conceived.
• The clarity of the film’s vision and goals towards its impact.
• The strength of the film team’s ideas or plans to engage organizations and other allies working on issues connected to your project.
• The filmmaker’s personal connection to the story and/or the level of accountability to and consent from the people and communities featured in the film.

In all of our work, we prioritize amplifying and increasing support for underrepresented artists, as well as those who work in deep accountability with the individuals and communities featured in their films. We recognize that being accountable includes the work of dismantling the dominant culture and approach within documentary filmmaking and storytelling. As part of Impact Kickstart 2024/2025, we will consider the following as part of our selection process:

• Film projects that address a wide range of issues and themes, but have a social justice focus as part of the film’s vision and goals.
• Films that have various ways to describe what “impact” means for the individuals and communities that are featured.
• Films that highlight different strategies and tactics to leverage the power of documentary film and storytelling, that includes policy advocacy, grassroots organizing, healing justice, etc.
• Films that are nonlinear and abstract that do not follow traditional storytelling methodologies.
• Films at different points of their strategy for the film’s impact campaign.
• Films with different levels of goals and outcomes they hope to accomplish with their impact campaign.
• Films that address issues at the local, state or national level.
• Films that have previously applied to Impact Kickstart.

The selection process will transpire through a panel process that includes Working Films staff and past Impact Kickstart award recipients who reflect the eligibility section of this award. We commit to acknowledging our power and privilege throughout this process, as well as our own subjectivity and biases when reviewing projects. We recognize that this kind of decision-making is never completely objective and we will challenge and examine our own perspectives in the selection process. APPLY NOW to Impact Kickstart! Still have questions about the application process? Here is a walkthrough of this year’s application + Q&A:    

In a landscape of cascading societal crises, a swift response to pressing issues is essential. This is where film screenings become invaluable – not only do they inform but they also inspire action in the face of emerging social and environmental threats. Whether it’s the passing of a dangerous bill, or a new pipeline, when there’s an immediate need to educate and mobilize communities, film events can be one of the best tools to achieve this, leveraging the power of storytelling to raise awareness and prompt meaningful engagement. These events are crucial for sparking dialogue, disseminating crucial information, and rallying support to address urgent injustices. However, organizing these screenings often presents financial obstacles that can hinder these efforts. That’s where we step in! We’re now offering mini grants to organizers across the US who are seeking to host film screenings as part of rapid response efforts. By harnessing the power film, we’ll help you amplify critical issues and galvanize your community when time is of the essence. Use this simple application form to apply for up to $600 to cover hard costs, most often in the $200-$350 range, associated with your event. Examples include funding for venue rentals, equipment, marketing materials, and guest speakers. This support enables organizers to focus on what matters most – creating a transformative experience for attendees and connecting them with opportunities for sustained action. ELIGIBILITY We invite organizers and activists based in the US and territories, who need that final support to bring a screening to life, to fill out the form. Requests exceeding $600 cannot be reviewed at this time. SELECTION CRITERIA Please note that we have limited resources and cannot accommodate all requests. Decisions will be made on a rolling basis while funds are available using the following set of criteria:

1. Timeliness of the issue
2. Intended audience. What is the potential to go beyond the choir? Is this audience directly impacted by these issues?
3. Meaningful ways for audience to take action and/or become involved.
4. Alignment with values of social and environmental justice.
5. Commitment to completing an event debrief call with Working Films staff.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please email Mara Henderson, Impact Coordinator, at mhenderson@workingfilms.org.  

APPLY FOR A RAPID RESPONSE MINI-GRANT

In a world facing urgent environmental threats, the need for action is clear. Amidst these pressing challenges, we need organizations that embody resilience and determination, actively addressing environmental injustices within their communities. Working Films is proud to present the Rural Cinema 2024 cohort, comprised of organizations doing just that: Alabama Rivers Alliance and Coosa Riverkeeper (Alabama), Local Environmental Action Demanded (Oklahoma), NC Disaster Resilience and Response Network  (North Carolina), Peace Garden Project (North Carolina),  SOWEGA Rising (Georgia), and West Virginia Rivers Coalition (West Virginia). Rural Cinema is a training institute and community engagement program that supports community leaders in rural areas and small towns across the United States in using documentary films to advance their local efforts and mobilize people to action on critical issues facing their area. This year’s cohort will participate in Rural Cinema’s virtual training institute covering Working Films’ Eight Elements of Putting Films to Work, a curriculum focused on best practices for using documentary film for change and environmental justice. At the end of the training and through individualized consultation with the Working Films team, each community changemaker will organize multiple screening events over the course of the year. Each organization in the cohort will receive $7,500 in monetary support and EPIC Outdoor Cinema solar-powered film screening equipment, including a projector, screens, speakers, and solar battery. Meet the year’s 2024 Rural Cinema cohort: Alabama Rivers Alliance + Coosa Riverkeeper The Alabama Rivers Alliance (ARA)  is a statewide coalition of diverse organizations dedicated to safeguarding and rejuvenating all of Alabama’s waterways. Through collaboration, community empowerment, and advocacy for effective water policies, ARA aims to protect the state’s water resources. Their strategic plan prioritizes influencing environmental policies, partnering with communities and allies to strengthen collective advocacy, and ensuring the safety, equity, resilience, and ecological health of Alabama’s water infrastructure. ARA is seeking a grant in partnership with Coosa Riverkeeper, whose mission is to preserve, advocate for, and restore the Coosa River and its surroundings, particularly in rural areas where much of the watershed flows through. Kelly Marshalls joined the Alabama Rivers Alliance in 2015, bringing significant experience and success in public relations, marketing and event planning. As ARA’s Deputy Director, she manages the external and internal communication strategies, plans events great and small, and manages the Southern Exposure Documentary Film Series program. She has championed and celebrated Alabama’s wealth of talent, cultural history, and natural beauty for more years than she cares to admit. Before joining ARA, she managed the communications strategies for Birmingham Artwalk, Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival (now Sidewalk Film Festival), Birmingham Arts & Music Festival and other events in Alabama. In addition to her non-profit and event experience, Kelly also developed comms strategies for a variety of companies including Barenbrug Seed Company, Simply Fashion, Village Tavern, and many more. As Director of Community Engagement, Abby Brown ensures the people of the Coosa River watershed are engaged in Coosa Riverkeeper programs and are informed and educated about the threats to the Coosa and public health. She manages all education and outreach initiatives to increase organizational reach through collecting accurate information on the health of our waters, engaging the public to be good stewards of our water resources, and ensuring ample operating funds are generated for the organization. Abby joined Coosa Riverkeeper in 2020 as Development Coordinator through AmeriCorps VISTA, working to improve communications, donor retention, and increasing capacity through various funding sources. After one year of AmeriCorps service, Abby became a full-time employee of Coosa Riverkeeper as Outreach Manager, leading all outreach efforts for Coosa Riverkeeper programs while supporting fundraising efforts including donor engagement, communications, and events. Abby graduated cum laude from Birmingham-Southern College in 2020 with a B.S. in both Biology and Urban Environmental Science. 🌐 alabamarivers.org and coosariver.org/ Local Environmental Action Demanded L.E.A.D. (Local Environmental Action Demanded) is a grassroots environmental justice organization led by Indigenous people. They focus on safeguarding the health and well-being of residents in Ottawa County and neighboring areas in northeastern Oklahoma, which comprises the territories of various Indigenous nations. The region faces numerous environmental challenges including the Tar Creek Superfund Site, benzene contamination from a former tire plant, poultry waste, and flooding from dam-related issues. L.E.A.D. aims to amplify the voices of those affected by environmental pollution and seek justice for them. Their initiatives include toxic tours, educational programs, surveys, conferences, community events, advocacy campaigns, and support for emerging environmental justice groups. They employ outreach, education, advocacy, and legal action to advocate for community-driven solutions and environmental justice. Loren Waters (Cherokee Nation and Kiowa Tribe) centers her work on environmental knowledge, culture revitalization, and Indigenous futurity through storytelling. In addition to being an award-winning filmmaker, she assists with grant making and community organizing in partnership with the L.E.A.D. Agency. Moriah Bailey Stephenson is the Education and engagement Coordinator for Local Environmental Action Demanded (LEAD Agency). She is driven by a commitment to realizing more equitable environmental futures for all living beings and has been actively involved in fighting the harms of resource extraction for ten years. Alongside her environmental justice work, she has training in music education and loves working with young people to explore environmental activism and connections to places through music, the arts, oral history, outdoor exploration, and storytelling. ‏ 🌐 www.leadagency.org/ NC Disaster Resilience and Response Network The NC Disaster Resilience and Response Network coordinates rural-focused and grassroots initiatives to aid disaster recovery groups statewide. It’s a diverse coalition of local, regional, and statewide organizations working together to address environmental injustices and legacy pollution in affected communities. Through partnerships and direct community engagement, the network advocates for systemic changes to ensure equitable response, recovery, and resilience for all North Carolinians. They serve as a hub for public health information, connecting vulnerable individuals with resources and fostering collective action towards a fairer and more sustainable society. Jessica Hulick (she/her) is a Queer Mom of two incredible children and community and political organizer. Beginning in 1995, she has worked on countless campaigns and community initiatives, focused mainly on LGBTQ issues, anti-racism work, reproductive health, gun violence prevention, education, and mental health advocacy. Jessica is a first-generation college graduate, holding a Master’s Degree in Applied Sociology from UNCG and an undergraduate degree from UNCW. She also earned a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University in 2017. She loves camping, hiking, being near any body of water, raising chickens and goats, gardening, crafting, and thrifting. Since 2020, Anita Cunningham has served as the Director of the NC Disaster Survival and Resiliency School, spearheading efforts to bolster disaster organizing in communities affected by disasters and climate change statewide. Additionally, she actively supports initiatives at the intersection of energy and environmental justice. In Robeson County, she’s deeply involved in environmental justice efforts, collaborating with community and county leaders to combat issues like the wood pellet industry and legacy pollution. Anita’s advocacy extends to her membership in various coalitions such as the Southern Forest Conservation Coalition, Eastern NC Cleaner and Greener Coalition, and the Impacted Communities Against Wood Pellets Coalition, where she advocates for people’s power, forest conservation, and environmental justice. Her passion for justice in the South drives her to empower BIPOC communities locally for systemic change while advocating for cleaner and greener energy sources. Her dedication stems from her love for the planet and her desire to ensure a better future for her family, including her two children and three grandchildren, motivating her to stand in solidarity with like-minded partners across the region. ‏‏‎ ‎🌐 www.ncsurvivalschool.org/ SOWEGA Rising SOWEGA Rising aims to enhance the quality of life, well-being, and political influence of marginalized residents in Southwest Georgia. Their initiatives include focusing on climate, utilities, and environmental (CUE) justice. They educate the community about the impact of CUE justice on their daily lives, particularly regarding high utility costs that pose significant economic challenges, especially for those already living in or below poverty levels. Through organizing training and advocacy efforts, they empower individuals to address these issues with local leaders and develop solutions and policies. SOWEGA Rising also collaboratively produced a Utilities Justice report and established a Utilities Justice Fellowship to educate, inspire, and empower citizens to enact positive change within their community. Sherrell Byrd is the co-founder and executive director of SOWEGA Rising, a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization focused on issues at the center of racism and poverty southwest Georgia. SOWEGA Rising’s mission is to mobilize people and resources to improve the well-being, quality of life and political power of marginalized Southwest Georgians. Sherrell leads a team of organizers who tackle crisis level issues that disproportionately impact rural  communities and communities of color including but not limited to: climate, utilities and environmental justice; housing justice, historical and cultural preservation, environmental racism and economic injustice. SOWEGA Rising partnered with 9 to 5 Georgia in 2022 to produce a Utilities Justice Report and again in 2023 to produce the mini-documentary Life Uninhabitable: Deconstructing the Housing Crisis in Rural Georgia.  Corey B. Morgan is the Climate and Energy Justice Manager at 9to5 National Association for Working Women, Georgia Chapter. Centering his work in the Southwest Georgia region, he has been organizing in grassroots capacities since 2017, often finding himself advocating on issues of voting rights and racial and economic justice. He seeks to achieve a goal of building a statewide environmental justice ecosystem that helps push public policies that are rooted in equity  and justice for all people free from any form of discrimination and bias. Corey B. Morgan is also a member of the Camilla City Council and a board member for SOWEGA Rising. ‎🌐 sowegarising.org Peace Garden Project The Peace Garden Project aims to tackle issues of justice by focusing on environmental and food justice. Through education and community involvement, they empower individuals to understand the interconnectedness of environmental issues with broader social problems and encourage collective action for change. They promote growing food as a means to address both individual and communal health and economic empowerment. They recently initiated the Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival to further their environmental education and community engagement efforts, reaching audiences not only in Eastern North Carolina but also across the United States and 23 other countries. While their work spans locations like New York and North Carolina, their current focus is on Manteo, North Carolina. Led by Black, Indigenous, and Latinx individuals, their organization’s leadership and volunteers represent diverse backgrounds, including immigrants, first-generation Americans, and people from various socio-economic statuses. They prioritize accountability through ongoing conversations and surveys with the communities they serve. Michelle Lewis, who descends from African and Indigenous peoples, is a native of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She is the founder and Executive Director of the Peace Garden Project. In 2023, Michelle organized the inaugural Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival. Her love of the environment started early; she has even worked as a United States Park Ranger. Michelle believes that people working together can change the world and is committed to creating and maintaining spaces for all people to be engaged in environmental work. She has presented at national conferences and has served on local, national, and international boards of directors for NGOs. Michelle holds a joint master’s degree in Religion and the Environment from Yale School of the Environment and Yale Divinity School, and she completed her doctoral work at Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Josie Walker is a native of Eastern North Carolina and is the co-founder of the Black Seed Saving Collective. She is a certified garden educator and horticulturalist who believes in food sovereignty, self-sufficiency, and the power of plants to solve myriad problems. She has presented at national conferences and co-created a series of garden instructional videos. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Urban and Community Horticulture from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University as well as a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In addition to being a member of the Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival Steering Committee, Josie serves on the board of directors for the North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation. 🌐 www.peacegardenproject.net West Virginia Rivers Coalition The West Virginia Rivers Coalition is committed to preserving and restoring West Virginia’s rivers and streams for diverse ecosystems and economies. They engage in policy advocacy, industrial oversight, safe water initiatives, public lands protection, climate action, just transition, and watershed advocacy to advance environmental justice. They advocate for water quality policies, monitor industrial impacts, safeguard drinking water, preserve public lands, educate on climate change, support fair transitions, and improve regional watersheds. Maria Russo, raised on a Shenandoah Junction farm, holds a Bachelor’s Degrees in Public Policy and Latin American Studies from Brown University. Her career spans restorative drug policy, criminal justice campaigns, and lobbying for environmental legislation in West Virginia. As Clean Water Campaign Coordinator at WV Rivers, Maria merges policy advocacy with community engagement for a sustainable future. In her downtime, Maria is often walking barefoot through the woods, listening to live music, or floating down the river with friends. Maggie Russo grew up in Northeastern Pennsylvania, but she got to West Virginia as soon as she could. With a deep commitment to working for people and our collective future, Maggie brings over a decade of organizing, communications, and fundraising expertise to WV Rivers. Maggie manages communications and advocacy, amplifying the impact of WV Rivers’ projects. In her free time, you can find her exploring all the exceptional streams, creeks, rivers, and lakes West Virginia has to offer with her rescue Corgi, Ozzy. 🌐 www.wvrivers.org For regular updates on the Rural Cinema 2024 cohort, follow Working Films on Twitter and Instagram. Applications for Rural Cinema 2025 will open in late Winter 2024. Rural Cinema is made possible with generous support from the Kendeda Fund, Perspective, Putnam Foundation, and the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. 

Now in its sixth year, Working Films’ Impact Kickstart program has resourced underrepresented filmmakers to pursue strategic plans for impact and engage audiences, partners, and supporters in meaningful ways. This year, we will be providing in-kind partnership and strategy development, expert 1:1 mentorship, and $60,000 of impact campaign funding to each awardee. In reflection on the growth and evolution of Impact Kickstart, Gerry Leonard, Director of Filmmaker Services, says, “Each year, we have been able to reflect on and refine Impact Kickstart - from the initial call for applications to offering feedback and insights that came up during the review process to every filmmaker who applied. This year, an external selection panel held final decision-making for the Impact Kickstart award. We believe that Matininó and unseen are powerful examples of our work to reimagine and redefine the ways we can create collective and long-term impact that leverages the catalytic power of documentary film and storytelling." We are thrilled to announce the two films receiving an Impact Kickstart in 2024! MATININÓ by Gabriela Díaz Arp (Director), Karla Claudio Betancourt (Producer), Wendy Muñiz (Producer), Guillermo Zouain ( Producer), and Laura Garcia Reyne (Editor) Matininó is a hybrid documentary about a multi-generational family of Puerto Rican women transforming their experience with violence into a science-fiction film. Our story begins with the decision of ldaliz Villanueva to flee from a violent marriage when her two daughters—María and Desirée—were 6 months and 7 years old. Thirty years later, the effects of this violence continue to reverberate both in their family and more broadly in their home of Puerto Rico. As a way to find meaning within their family narrative, the women of the Villanueva family come together to write and star in a science fiction film where women hold the power. Their film opens in the year 2080 in an alternative world created by the eight Villanueva women. Our protagonist is 67 year-old Hotu, as imagined and portrayed by ldaliz. Together with her daughters and granddaughters they struggle to escape a world self-destructing from violence and run towards Matininó, an elusive island that—according to Puerto Rican indigenous mythology—is solely inhabited by women. Through creative writing and movement exercises, we witness the family discussing their story and developing a science fiction script reflective of their past experiences and visions for the future.   UNSEEN by Set Hernandez (Director/Producer), Pedro (Protagonist/Co-writer), Qudsiya Naqui (Impact Producer), Conchita Hernandez Legorreta (Impact Producer), Day Al-Mohamed (Producer), Félix Endara (Producer), and Diane Quon (Executive Producer) Most people dream of a better future. Pedro, an aspiring social worker, is no different. But as a blind, undocumented immigrant, Pedro faces political restrictions to obtain his college degree, secure a job as a health care provider, and support his family. As he finally graduates, uncertainty looms over Pedro. What starts as a journey to provide mental health for his community ultimately transforms into Pedro’s path toward his own healing. Through experimental cinematography and sound, unseen reimagines a cinema accessible for blind/low vision audiences, while exploring the intersections of immigration, disability, and mental health.. .       ABOUT IMPACT KICKSTART Impact Kickstart was launched with the understanding that a solid strategy for audience engagement and strong partnerships are critical for a documentary film to make a difference. Filmmakers often lack time to do this work themselves or the expertise and the funds to pay for it. Emerging artists, creators of color, and other underrepresented filmmakers can face the biggest hurdles, despite the potential of their projects. To respond to this challenge, Working Films offers free impact campaign development services and funding to underrepresented artists whose films hold great promise to shift understanding and catalyze action that addresses some of the most critical issues of our time. Impact Kickstart is made possible with support from the Ford Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Kendeda Fund, and the Perspective Fund.