Current:Home > MarketsA new student filmmaking grant will focus on reproductive rights -FinanceMind
A new student filmmaking grant will focus on reproductive rights
View
Date:2025-04-18 01:07:36
A new grant program announced Wednesday by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, a think tank based at the University of Southern California that studies diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry, aims to support undergraduate filmmakers whose work focuses on reproductive rights.
According to a statement shared with NPR, the "Reproductive Rights Accelerator" program will provide a minimum of three students with $25,000 in funding each to support the script development and production of short films.
"There are too few stories focused on these topics, and they rarely come from young people," the initiative's founder Stacy Smith wrote in an email. "We want the generation who will be most affected by current policies around reproductive health to have the chance to illuminate how these policies affect them."
Smith said her organization is planning to reach students through social media and outreach to film schools. She added that any senior studying film in the U.S. can apply for a grant. Applications will open in September and winners will be selected later in the fall.
"Undergraduates have important stories to tell but often have limited opportunities to tell them," said Smith. "This program should help change that."
Films addressing abortion aren't a new phenomenon. For example, the silent movie Where Are My Children dealt with the topic way back in 1916. But the genre has exploded in recent times. The Sundance Film Festival identified films about reproductive rights as "a clear theme" in 2022, with such movies as Happening, Midwives and The Janes appearing on this year's festival lineup. And the organization issued a statement on social media presaging more such films in response to the Supreme Court decision overturning the federal right to an abortion.
Supporters of the grant program point to the importance of the entertainment industry as a tool for highlighting important issues around human rights.
"The entertainment community plays a critical role in educating people about their sexual and reproductive health and rights, including abortion," said Caren Spruch, national director of arts and entertainment engagement for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in a statement. "With Roe v. Wade overturned and birth control, LGBQT+ and other rights threatened, this new Annenberg Inclusion Initiative project will provide an invaluable tool to ensure audiences are reached with medically and legislatively accurate storytelling about these issues."
veryGood! (5)
Related
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Five most underpaid men's college basketball coaches: Paris, Painter make list
- Eric Church announces 19-date 'one of a kind' residency to kick off opening of his Nashville bar
- Mega Millions jackpot rises to estimated $792 million after no one wins $735 million grand prize
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- Princess Kate's edited photo carries lessons about posting on social media
- John Mulaney Supports Olivia Munn After She Shares Breast Cancer Battle
- Virgin of Charity unites all Cubans — Catholics, Santeria followers, exiled and back on the island
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Jennifer Lopez cancels handful of shows on first tour in 5 years, fans demand explanation
Ranking
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- AP PHOTOS: Muslims around the world observe holy month of Ramadan with prayer, fasting
- Horoscopes Today, March 12, 2024
- RNC lays off dozens after Trump-backed leaders take the helm
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Can women and foreigners help drive a ramen renaissance to keep Japan's noodle shops on the boil?
- Health care providers may be losing up to $100 million a day from cyberattack. A doctor shares the latest
- Babies R Us opening shops inside about 200 Kohl's stores across the country
Recommendation
Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
Trader Joe’s $3 mini totes went viral on TikTok. Now, they’re reselling for hundreds
'Station 19' Season 7: Cast, premiere date, how to watch and stream the final season
Savannah plans a supersized 200th anniversary celebration of its beloved St. Patrick’s Day parade
Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
Retired UFC Fighter Mark Coleman in a Coma After Rescuing Parents From House Fire
Bears signing Jonathan Owens, Simone Biles' husband, to 2-year deal: 'Chicago here he comes'
Miami Seaquarium says it will fight the eviction, protestors may have to wait to celebrate