Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Sundance Institute Announces Inaugural Uprise Grant Fund Recipients Supporting BIPOC Artists

29/07/2021

LOS ANGELES - As part of the nonprofit Sundance Institutes continued commitment to supporting artists from historically excluded communities, the Institute announced today its latest grantees for both the Uprise Grant Fund and Arts Organization Grants. The Uprise Grant Fund supports BIPOC artists whose careers and creative development have been harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty-eight U.S.-based artists of color have been selected for Uprise Grants that will enable them to sustain their creative practice, ensuring that these critical stories and voices are not erased. Unrestricted grants total $184,000, with individual amounts ranging up to $5,000 based on stated need. Eighty percent of Uprise artist grantees work in traditional film disciplines, and 20% work primarily in emerging media or theater disciplines. Recipients were selected via a robust review process by a culturally abundant group of external reviewers and panelists.

The Institute also announced $240,000 in Arts Organization Grants to 18 U.S.-based BIPOC-led arts organizations and collectives. Each of these organizations work in film, theater, or emerging media, and will receive a grant between $5,000 and $20,000, with levels determined based on the organization's demonstrated track record of impact within their priority communities, and the stated need and the operating budget of the organization. Funding will be used to strengthen the organizations themselves in their ongoing work and/or be directly regranted to artists. The selected organizations all applied following a field-wide nomination process by trusted and long-standing partners, including peer arts organizations, foundations, and Sundance Institute alumni artists.

The mission of the Uprise Grant Fund is a direct manifestation of the values of the Outreach & Inclusion Program and Sundance Institute as a whole. Since the pandemic began, among our top priorities has been to move unrestricted resources into those communities of artists that have been so disproportionately harmed, in order to combat the erasure of these powerful voices from our culture, said Karim Ahmad, Sundance Institute Director of Outreach & Inclusion. Our Arts Organizations Grant is similarly a commitment to economic justice in the arts by supporting these mighty BIPOC-led arts organizations whose continued existence and impact are deeply necessary to uplift and sustain those artists that are most marginalized in the field.

The funding of other organizations is a continuation of the organizational granting that began last year as part of Sundance Institute's Respond and Reimagine Plan, affirming the Institute's commitment and belief in the urgency of a strong, vibrant ecosystem of organizations dedicated to serving BIPOC artist communities.

The Uprise Grant Fund will continue next year supporting artist sustainability for BIPOC storytellers with the upcoming cycle opening applications in the spring.

The Inaugural Uprise Grant Fund Recipients Are: Yasmin Almanaseer Yasmin Almanaseer is a queer, Black, and Arab-American writer born in Tallahassee, Florida, and raised in the North Bay of California. He is a former Outfest Fellow, a 2020 Topple Disruptors Fellow and most recently, a WarnerMedia Access Fellow.

Fatimah Asghar A poet, a fiction writer, and a filmmaker, Fatimah Asghar is the author of If They Come For Us, the co-editor of Halal If You Hear Me, and the writer and co-creator of the Emmy-nominated web series Brown Girls.

Hadeel Assali Hadeel Assali is an anthropologist, filmmaker, and former engineer. She is currently working on her first feature-length documentary.

Lena Chen Lena Chen creates feminist performance and socially engaged art. She founded Heal Her, an expressive arts initiative supporting survivors of gender-based violence. She earned a B.A. in sociology from Harvard University and is a MFA candidate at Carnegie Mellon University.

Edyka Chilom Edyka Chilom is a queer indigenous mestiza cultural worker born to migrant activists from the occupied territories of the Zacateco (Mexico) and Lenca (El Salvador) peoples. Currently she's based east of the Arkikosa River (Texas). Learn more at Edykachilome.com.

Dominic Col n Dominic was an inaugural Latinx TV List finalist. Currently Dominic has projects in development at Hulu, 20th TV, and Anthony Hemingway Productions. He is repped by CAA & Artists First.

Min Ding Min Ding was born and raised in China. She received her MFA in Film Directing from Columbia University. She is an award-winning filmmaker currently residing in Brooklyn and developing her first feature film, A Self Combing Woman.

Mandolin Eisenberg Mandolin Justice Eisenberg (M.J. Rain Song) is Indigenous to Taos Pueblo, descending from ancestors who fought with their lives to shape their own story in one of the oldest inhabited places in the United States. She is a Storyteller by blood and Director at heart. She is a 2018 Sundance Full Circle Fellow.

Ash Goh Hua Ash Goh Hua is a filmmaker and cultural worker from Singapore, based in New York. They create documentaries informed by the politics of abolition and autonomy, utilizing a subversively collaborative filmmaking process to build collective power.

Leandro Fabrizi Leandro Fabrizi R os was director, producer, and cinematographer on the public television series Zona Franca. He is a video journalist for the Center for Investigative Journalism, and he has been behind the most in-depth reports on Puerto Rico's debt and fiscal crisis.

Kayla Farrish Kayla Farrish is a filmmaker, director, and choreographer interested in narrative immersive works pushing through film, live performance, sound score, and text. She produces films and hybrid works revealing hidden perspectives, uprooting history, with radical imagination and liberation.

Brittany Franklin Brittany Franklin i
LINK: http://www.sundance.org/blogs/news/uprise-grant-fund-recipients-2021...
See more stories from sundance

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

19/08/2026

FOX and NBCUniversal Score with FIFA World Cup 2026 Success in Nielsen's June Gauge Reports

World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...

19/08/2026

The Gauge: Poland | July 2026

July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...

19/08/2026

Carr Calls ABC Suit 'Meritless

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Henry Alexander Joins BCE as Sales Director

Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...

19/08/2026

iWedia Announces Advanced Android DRAM Optimisation Proce...

iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...

19/08/2026

NTP Technology announces ST 2110-30-RAVENNA 128-channel A...

NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...

19/08/2026

ORF goes full IP with Net Insight in nationwide network o...

Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...

19/08/2026

Coventry City Trophy Parade Extends LiveU LIQ Beyond the...

LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...

19/08/2026

Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF

Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF Brie Clayton August 18, 2026 0 Comments Filming endangered turtles required camera...

19/08/2026

Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control Basic

Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...

19/08/2026

ABC Files First Amendment Lawsuit Against FCC

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Nielsen: Fox and NBCUniversal Score with FIFA World Cup 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

ESPN Co-Founder Bill Rasmussen Dies At 93

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Study: NBA Ad Revenue Hit $2.1 Billion Last Season

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Nexstar's WNCN Donates ENG Van for Training

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Riedel Brings Professional Live Production Into the Class...

Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...

19/08/2026

QuickLink Showcases New 4K Capabilities Across StudioEdge...

QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...

19/08/2026

EMAM together with PlayBox Neo and SNEWS launch combined...

Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...

19/08/2026

Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen industry financing pathways

Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...

19/08/2026

Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdre Brennan

Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...

19/08/2026

RT TO AIR HISTORIC KATIE TAYLOR FIGHT IN CROKE PARK

On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...

18/08/2026

SportStream 2026 Virtual Event Set for September 15-17

SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...

18/08/2026

IBC 2026: BeckTV to Debut BeckFlow Documentation Platform

BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53). BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...

18/08/2026

IBC 2026: Boland Communications to Introduce ST 2110 Option for 4K Monitors

Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...

18/08/2026

Seattle Seahawks Integrate Dolby OptiView with Dolby Vision for Fan Streaming

Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...

18/08/2026

Insights from BMG's Graham Taylor on the Role of a Sports Producer in Live Broadcast Production

For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...

18/08/2026

TMRW Sports Names Rufus Hack as President of Golf

TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...

18/08/2026

SMT To Deliver Race Technology for Freedom 250 IndyCar Broadcast

SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...

18/08/2026

HMA's Creator Collective Pairs Digital Creators, Beat Writers in New Model for Local-Sports Coverage

The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...

18/08/2026

Behind The Mic: FOX Sports Shares Broadcast Lineup for 2026 NFL Season and College Football Season

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

18/08/2026

Miami Heats Ed Filomia on Rebuilding Kaseya Centers Video Infrastructure and 29 Years With the Heat

The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...

18/08/2026

Bill Rasmussen, ESPN Founder and Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer, Dies at 93

William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...

18/08/2026

DAZN Completes Acquisition of ViewLift

DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...

18/08/2026

American Association of Professional Baseball Adds SI TV as Broadcast Partner

The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...

18/08/2026

Esports Foundation Postpones Inaugural Esports Nations Cup to November 2027

The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...

18/08/2026

Diversified Launches Global Managed Services Practice

Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...

18/08/2026

Appear Completes REMI Proof of Concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions

Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...

18/08/2026

IBC 2026: Riedel Implements Live Production Infrastructure at Edith Cowan University

Riedel Communications has announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, ...

18/08/2026

Panoramic from Panorama Labs

Company launch with stereo-imaging tool Panoramic is the debut release from Panorama Labs, a new company formed by mastering engineer Nicholas Di Lorenzo. C...

18/08/2026

Focusrite extend Control 2 support

Control software now available for older interfaces Focusrite have just announced the launch of an update that extends Control 2 software support their Scar...

18/08/2026

Call for the 20th Annual South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs20) Jury

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...

18/08/2026

Corridor Television Pays $27,000 for Violating FCCs EAS Rules

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/08/2026

Disney's ABC Files First Amendment Lawsuit Against the FCC

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/08/2026

Lightware Integrates with SpectralBot to Accelerate AV Tr...

Lightware announces an integration with SpectralBot that helps system integrators and AV operators troubleshoot faster using augmented reality (AR), AI-assisted...

18/08/2026

Command Frame for After Effects

Command Frame for After Effects Scott Black August 18, 2026 0 Comments Free download, demonstrations, hands-on tests, and creator resources Want to t...

18/08/2026

Dot Group to show how cutting carbon cuts cost - live at...

At Stand 14.A57, the data company will demonstrate GreenDot and IBM Aspera together, giving media and entertainment businesses real-time visibility of what thei...