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Diverse Voices in Docs

Submissions are Closed
dir. Ashley O’Shay (DVID ’16) shooting Unapologetic
dir. Bing Liu (DVID ’14) shooting Minding the Gap

The Diverse Voices in Docs (DVID) Fellowship supports emerging filmmakers who identify as Black, Indigenous, or another person of color in the Midwest. The program is rooted in ideals of a collaborative community and welcomes filmmakers who are committed to unflinching documentary filmmaking rooted in social justice.

Founded by Gordon Quinn of Kartemquin Films and Margaret Caples of Community Film Workshop of Chicago, this six month cohort based program supports non-fiction filmmakers telling stories that are intimate, grounded in community, and provoke audiences to question the world around them.

Eligibility

  • Living and/or working on a project based in the Midwest (for the purposes of this fellowship, KTQ defines the Midwest as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin)
  • Identify as Black, Indigenous, Latina/e/o/x, Middle Eastern or North African, Asian, Asian American or Pacific Islander, or other person of color
    • Creatives of historically/traditionally excluded communities, such as the LGBTQIA+ or disability community
    • Emerging filmmakers are defined as:
      • With 2 or fewer feature or short film credits in a lead position (Producer, Director)
    • Filmmakers looking for structured filmmaking support
    • Are not enrolled in a degree seeking program for the duration of the fellowship.

Past Participants

2023

Eli Hiller, Lishune Mahone, Abdi Mohamed, Asia Taylor

2022

Amber Love, Cindy Martin, Cynthia Martinez, Jason Rhee, Donnie Seals, Sadia Uqaili

2020

Adewole A. Aboiye, Tommy Franklin, Vianca Fuster, Oli Rodriguez, Samuel Rong, Eric Seals, Zanah Thirus, Suja Thomas

2019

Shiraz Ahmed, Aisha Allen, Joua Lee Grande, Milton Guillén, Sebastián Pinzón-Silva, Shawn Taylor, Cai Thomas, Christine Varisse

2018

Sohib Boundaoui, Joshua Jackson, Jamaar Jervis, Miasarah Lai, Kevin Shaw, Jiayan ‘Jenny’ Shi, David Weathersby, Teresa White

2017

Cam Be, Bridget Botchway Bradley, Tanikia Carpenter, Latesha Dickerson, Messiah Equiano, Colette Ghunim, Dani Jackson, Aaron Johnson, Jamel Russell, Raza, Siddiqui, Reveca Torres, Urooj Yazdani

2016

Ashley Mills, Alexander T Skalomenos, Ava Thompson Greenwell, Diana Quinones Rivera, Edwin Walker/E. Micheaux, Katherine Nagasawa, Keith Purvis, Kohl Miner
Lesley Martinez Etherly, Reginald Rice, Theresa Lenore Dumayas Campagna, Vincent Singleton

2015

Ahmed Hamad, Dion Strowhorn, Eleva Singleton, Erika Valenciana, Kamasi Hill, Leigh Jurecka, Martine Granby, Mary Horan, Maryam Sepehry, Mina Fitzpatrick, Omowale T Jamal, Stephanie Sunata

2014

Jeff Baraka, Cathena Evans, W. Joelle Gonzalez-Laguer, David D. Grace, Stephen Hatch, Thavary Krouch, Bing Liu, Esau Melendez, Bryant Monteilh, Noel Occomy
Ife Olatunji, Lourdes Ortega, John Owens, Anuradha Rana, Toni Reed, Anton Seals
Kamau Tyehimba, Samuel Vega, Lajwanti Waghray

2013

Pamela Sherrod Anderson, Grantlin Banks, Heather Charles, Jesus Mario Contreras
Camille S. DeBose, Derek Grace, Junko Kajino, Raymond Lambert, Shahari Moore, Zia Nizami, Darryl Pitts, Kelly Pope, Ronnie Reese, Philister Sidigu, Tony Williams, Tracey Scruggs Yearwood, Shuling Yong

About Community Film Workshop

For over 50 years Community Film Workshop has been providing access to hands-on media training and mentoring people of color, women, and other disenfranchised groups in the film and media arts industry. Many graduates have gone on to work successfully as technicians at local and national television stations, on feature films, commercials, and on made-for-television movies. Others have become independent filmmakers, art administrators, teachers, and college professors. All citizens have the capacity to use the media to tell their stories, archive their histories, and transform where they live. CFWC programs include Youth In Motion, Diverse Voices In Docs, Reel Black Filmmakers, CFWC Collective, and the Production Institute. To learn more about Community Film Workshop, visit www.cfwchicago.org.

Press

Firelight Media Sets Documentary Lab Fellows For 2022-2024

Matt Grobar, Deadline

Ford Foundation invests over $4M to support social justice documentary film projects in 2022

Ford Foundation

Catapult Film Fund Development Grant

Catapult Film Fund

An Academy Grant in Action

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences

‘Diverse Voices In Docs’: Documentary Powerhouse Launches Program for Filmmakers of Color

Kim Bellware, Huffington Post