Fiscal Spotlight: Big Decisions, Short Films
When the news reports on a story, it sticks to cold, hard facts; this law was struck down, this medical trial didn’t get funding, this border closed. The facts are key to know how to ground ourselves, and to know what happened. The reality is though, that these decisions are newsworthy because they have huge effects on people’s lives, and people are at the heart of the story, not facts. These three shorts look at big issues through the lens of the individual. Through the power of filmmaking, the political becomes personal, and humanity shines through. Sometimes to look at something big, you need something short.
As always, these projects were helped by Film Independent’s 501(c)3 nonprofit status to obtain institutional grants and tax-deductible donations via Fiscal Sponsorship. Learn how it works in the short video below or in this full-length Fiscal Sponsorship Q&A
Coyotes
Project type: Fiction Short
Project status: Production
Writer/Director: Said Zagha
Producer: Myriam Sassine
About the project: A Palestinian doctor’s nightly commute from Jericho to her home in Ramallah turns treacherous when her tire blows. Surrounded by wild animals on the desolate road, a stranger comes to her rescue but she soon realizes that he’s not the Good Samaritan he seems to be.
Meet the filmmaker: Palestinian writer-director Said Zagha studied film and English at Ohio’s Kenyon College. He also has a master’s degree in screenwriting from the London Film School. Most recently, Said directed the first two episodes of Crashing Eid, a Netflix miniseries set in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which made Netflix’s top ten in over 32 territories and for over 8 weeks.
To learn more about Coyotes and how to support the project, click here.
Silence = Death
Project type: Fiction Short
Project status: Development
Writer/Director: Trace Pope
Producers: Kate Hanson, Tola Omilana
About the project: At the height of the AIDS crisis, Dr. Anthony Fauci is forced to reckon with his power and responsibility while hundreds of protesters storm the campus of the National Institute of Health. Meanwhile, a young gay filmmaker captures the events of the protest while attempting to deliver a package to Fauci. As the demonstrations threaten to upend the scientists’ work, both men are forced to reckon with the meaning of power and responsibility.
Meet the filmmaker: Trace Pope is a writer/director based in Los Angeles, CA. He received his MFA in Film/TV Production from USC, his MA in Classical Theater from LAMDA, and his BA in English from the University of Texas. During his time at USC, Trace wrote & directed his thesis film, A Fugue, winner of the 2024 USC First Look award for Best Screenwriting.
To learn more about Silence = Death and how to support the project, click here.
Light Go Shining
Project type: Fiction Short
Project status: Production
Writer/Director: Max Olson
Producers: Corrine Dye, Julia Corcoran
About the project: After the fall of Roe v. Wade, the lives of two women intersect: a pregnant 14 year old and a conservative supreme court justice dying of ovarian cancer.
Meet the filmmaker: Max Olson (they/them) is a non-binary writer-director and video artist based in Los Angeles. Their multifaceted work explores alienation, gender and the body, aiming to hold up a mirror to the restrictive structures of our world with an eye towards transcendence. Max has an MFA in directing from the American Film Institute and was a 2023 Telluride Festival FilmLAB fellow. Their short film Nico will premiere in competition at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and was shortlisted for a CANNES LIONS Young Director Award.
To learn more about Light Go Shining and how to support the project, click here.
To learn more about Fiscal Sponsorship, including its benefits and eligibility requirements, visit our website. See which projects are currently being supported via our Sponsored Projects page.
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