Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) recently announced the six projects that will be part of its new Latino Emerging Filmmakers Fellowship, a program to advance the careers of Latino storytellers.

Sandie Viquez Pedlow, executive director of LPB, noted:

We’re thrilled to be starting this new program for emerging filmmakers looking for a way into the public media space.

Recipients of the grant, sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation, will receive matching funding for two years to go towards production, mentoring, resource sharing, training, team building, distribution, and promotion.

Who are the fellows?

Ebony Bailey

The Afro “Mexpats”

The documentary will offer a nuanced exploration of the growing number of Black Americans who are moving to Mexico, giving a glimpse into the lives of the Afro “Mexpat” community.

Juan Carlos Dávila  

There’s No Fish in the Sea

Desperately trying to adapt to climate change, fishermen in Vieques, Puerto Rico are forced to venture further into the open sea, risking their lives to catch sufficient amounts of fish to make a living. 

Arturo R. Jiménez y Edna Díaz 

Sangre Violenta/Sangre Violeta

In a country where an average of 10 women are killed every day, how did a movement of women protesting their rights to life and personal integrity find themselves the target of the Mexican government? In this short documentary, feminist activists reflect on the shared history that brought them here and consider the future of women’s rights.

LPB is proud to announce our new Latino Emerging Filmmakers Fellowship (LEFF), an innovative program designed to advance the careers of up-and-coming #Latino storytellers entering the field of independent media.

Learn more: https://t.co/k622NcEhMM#LPBmedia #LEFF #fellowship pic.twitter.com/3GQm6aZ0de

— LPB (@LPBMedia) February 14, 2023

Paloma Martínez

Co-workers (w.t.)

Two co-workers bridge racial divides when they unite to organize their workplace for better conditions.

Raúl Paz-Pastrana

Dark Skies

Weaving landscape and dark sky cinematography with poetic narrative stories from the peoples of the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado, Dark Skies is a meditation on memory, colonization, the environment, and their collective place in the cosmos.

Marcia Robiou

Protection Denied (w.t.)

This film explores the plight of undocumented survivors of domestic abuse in New York City. Wrongfully denied a path to citizenship by the police department, they are vulnerable to deportation, which can place them back in the hands of their abusers.

What does the support look like?

LEFF will provide production support, training and mentoring through three main components:

1. LEFF will fund the development and production of short documentaries (no longer than 15 minutes) that explore contemporary civic and social justice issues from the Latino-American perspective. LPB will distribute and promote the completed films across public media platforms and beyond.
2. LEFF will provide production support, training and one-on-one mentoring over the course of the fellowship, pairing fellows with established Latino media makers as mentors. 
3. Interactive Master Classes will be presented by LPB and taught by an exceptional team of Latino filmmakers. These classes will also be made accessible to a wider group of emerging Latino filmmakers invited by LPB. 

“This is a talented group whose projects reflect a broad spectrum of issues and viewpoints. We look forward to guiding their journey and sharing their films with audiences,” added Viquez Pedlow.