NewFilmmakers Los Angeles unveils 2024 NewNarratives award winners
Celebrating independent voices in cinema
The NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) has proudly announced the winners of its 2024 NewNarratives awards. Launched in 2021, this initiative aims to support independent filmmakers across a diverse array of projects, including short films, feature films, episodic series, documentaries, experimental works, and animation. The program is a testament to NFMLA’s commitment to nurturing creative talent at various stages of production.
Honoring Anthony Rhulen’s legacy
The Rhulen Family Foundation has generously provided a $20,000 cash grant in memory of the late independent film producer Anthony Rhulen, known for his work on films like The Butterfly Effect. Each selected creator received a $5,000 grant, enabling them to bring their unique visions to life.
A global tapestry of talent
This year, the initiative attracted over 250 applications from more than 30 countries, including Australia, Bolivia, China, Cuba, India, Italy, South Africa, and Venezuela. NFMLA’s Executive Director Larry Laboe and Programming Director Bojana Sandic expressed their admiration for the overwhelming number of outstanding projects, highlighting the insightful and impactful portraits of the human experience that these artists will create.
Meet the 2024 NewNarratives grant winners
Alex Nystrom – Spiral
Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Alex Nystrom is an enrolled member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. Selected for the inaugural 2024 NYU Tisch Empowering Indigenous Voices Film Directing Intensive in Santa Fe, Nystrom is set to make his feature film debut with Spiral. The film, based on his dramatic short Four Nights and a Fire, is set in an isolated cabin where an Ojibwe man cares for his grandmother with dementia, only to be haunted by his late father’s spirit. Nystrom’s previous work includes the pilot script for Between, selected for the 2nd annual Indigenous List on The Black List, and contributions to the South by Southwest 2024 feature film Yasmeen’s Element.
Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal – Europa
A recent graduate from USC School of Cinematic Arts with an MFA in Film Production, Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal has already made a name for herself with a Student Emmy Award and a DGA Student Grand Prize Award. Her sci-fi short film Europa, produced at Sony Studios, follows three astronauts on a mission to save humanity by collecting a water sample from Jupiter’s moon, Europa. The film explores ethical dilemmas as the team’s oceanographer, Yvette, begins to communicate with the moon. Rosenthal’s next project, Gaslight, is set to begin production in 2025.
Jonathan Pickett – Sing At My Wake
Emmy-nominated producer and director Jonathan Pickett is developing his short documentary Sing At My Wake, which explores green end-of-life care plans. The film follows an innovative company and a family who chooses this new method. Pickett’s previous work, Chicken Stories, was acquired by The New Yorker and selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick. His projects have premiered at prestigious festivals like Sundance, Tribeca, and Palm Springs.
Watch the trailer for Sing At My Wake
Kameishia Wooten – Your Secret Is Safe With Me
Kameishia Wooten, a writer and director with seven short films to her name, is developing her narrative feature film Your Secret Is Safe With Me. The story is set in an elite San Fernando Valley high school and follows two girls dealing with teen pregnancy. Wooten’s storytelling reflects her African American southern culture, and her latest short, Choices, has been recognized at numerous festivals, including Cannes and Hollyshorts.
Watch the trailer for Your Secret Is Safe With Me
A legacy of support for independent creators
Since its inception in 2021, the NewNarratives program has awarded nearly $250,000 in funding to independent creators, receiving over 800 entries from more than 60 countries. This initiative continues to be a beacon of support for filmmakers, fostering a global community of storytellers dedicated to exploring the human experience through the lens of cinema.
For more information on the NewNarratives program and to stay updated on future opportunities, visit the NFMLA website.