Overview
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 that programs a monthly film festival in Los Angeles, screening 15 to 20 titles per event. Since its launch, NFMLA has screened over 3,500 films from more than 93 countries. Its grant program, NewNarratives, is the primary funding arm for emerging filmmakers within the organization.
NewNarratives launched in 2021 in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery with an initial $100,000 investment. The program has since fielded more than 1,175 applications from over 89 countries and invested nearly $300,000 in emerging filmmakers. The 2025 cycle received 310 qualified applications from artists across 50 countries. The 2026 cycle awards $35,000 in cash grants across six grants in three categories, an increase from the $25,000 distributed in 2025.
The program is open to filmmakers globally, not just US-based applicants. Projects can be at any stage of production, from concept development through post-production and audience distribution strategy. Accepted formats include narrative, documentary, live-action, animation, experimental, and episodic work, in both short and feature lengths.
The 2026 cycle is funded by the Rhulen Family Foundation (honoring independent producer Anthony Rhulen, known for The Butterfly Effect), Athens Services, and Absurd. Applications open July 21, 2026 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time and close August 18, 2026 at 3:00 PM Pacific Time.
History
NFMLA was founded in 2007 by Larry Laboe and Bojana Sandic as a monthly screening series for emerging filmmakers in Los Angeles. The organization grew to screen over 3,500 films from 93 countries and established itself as a year-round exhibition platform.
Key milestones include the 2021 launch of NewNarratives in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery (then WarnerMedia) with a $100,000 initial investment, the 2025 introduction of the Environmental Storytelling Grant in partnership with Athens Services and the Hollywood Climate Summit, and the 2026 addition of the Absurd AI Storytelling Grant with a $10,000 award and 3-month fellowship component. The program has grown from 5 grants totaling $25,000 in 2025 to 6 grants totaling $35,000 in 2026.
Award Value
The 2026 NewNarratives cycle distributes $35,000 across three grant categories:
NewNarratives General Artist Grants (4 grants of $5,000 each): Open to short films, feature films, or episodic series in fiction, documentary, live-action, animation, or experimental formats. Projects may be at any stage. Funding is unrestricted within the project.
NewNarratives Environmental Storytelling Grant (1 grant of $5,000): Supported by Athens Services. Restricted to short films currently in post-production. Projects must explore themes of climate, environmental sustainability, conservation, or humanity's relationship with the natural world.
NewNarratives Absurd AI Storytelling Grant (1 grant of $10,000): Supported by Absurd, an AI storytelling tools company. Open to short or feature films at any stage. Includes a 3-month fellowship for the awarded artist to explore Absurd's AI storytelling tools.
All grantees receive access to NFMLA's monthly screening series, industry panels, and networking events. No stipend or cost-of-living component exists. The grants function as seed money or gap funding rather than primary production budgets.
Eligibility
Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:
- The applicant must have written, directed, or produced at least 1 project accepted into a film festival or an industry-recognized development competition
- The proposed project must be original and unreleased
- The applicant may only submit 1 project total, including projects on which they share a credit
- Content must be written or created by the applicant
- Application materials must be written in English
- The applicant must be able and willing to complete the project if funding is awarded
- The applicant must be willing to sign a project submission release
- The applicant must be or become a Rising Creator or Champion level member of NFMLA
There are no restrictions on nationality, age, or educational background. The program does not require enrollment in a film school. Unlike many US-based grants, NewNarratives accepts applications from filmmakers worldwide.
Selection is open-application, not faculty-nominated. Applicants submit directly through the NFMLA website.
Past Recipients
2025 NewNarratives Grant Winners
- Enrique Pedraza-Botero (Colombia): Funding for documentary short S.E.C.T.O.R. B. Named one of Vimeo's Breakout Creators in 2025. His film Alpha Kings premiered at IFFR 2023, won the Grand Jury Prize for Social Commentary at AFI Fest, and streams on The New Yorker. His film No Se Ve Desde Aca won Best Student Documentary at Palm Springs ShortFest.
- Hansen Bursic: Funding for documentary short The Trans Trucker Project.
- Iris (Yi Youn) Kim and Meghna Chakraborty: Funding for post-production and animation for short documentary Unfolding.
- Jen and Ric Serena: Environmental Storytelling Grant (funded by NFMLA, Athens Services, and Hollywood Climate Summit) for post-production of documentary short Un[title].
- Omar S. Kamara: Funding for project development.
Previous Cycles
The program has invested nearly $300,000 across 5 cycles since 2021. The 2025 cycle received 310 qualified applications from 50 countries, spanning South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.
What Made Their Application Stand Out
NFMLA reviews applications and selects grantees based on creative voice, project viability, and alignment with any category-specific requirements. As NFMLA co-founder and executive director Larry Laboe and artistic director Bojana Sandic stated, the program looks for filmmakers with "distinctive creative voices" who are ready to "make the leap from idea to completed project."
Enrique Pedraza-Botero's selection demonstrates the committee's preference for filmmakers with existing festival traction. His film Alpha Kings premiered at IFFR, won at AFI Fest, screened at MoMA and Film at Lincoln Center, and was nominated for Best Short Film Documentary at the Best of NFMLA Awards. His new film No Se Ve Desde Aca won at Palm Springs ShortFest. The grant funds his next project, S.E.C.T.O.R. B., building on an established creative trajectory.
The application is designed to be lightweight. As Laboe noted in IndieWire, the application does not require anything beyond what a filmmaker should already have ready if they are attempting to make a project. The committee evaluates whether the applicant can articulate a clear creative vision and demonstrate the capacity to execute it.
Renewal Requirements
NewNarratives grants are one-time, non-renewable awards. There is no renewal process, no progress milestone requirement, and no multi-year commitment. The grant is disbursed as a single payment.
Recipients can apply again in a subsequent cycle if they meet the eligibility requirements. Each application requires a new project submission. The program does not guarantee repeat awards, and recipients who reapply are evaluated against the current applicant pool on the same criteria as new applicants.
NFMLA membership must be maintained at the Rising Creator or Champion level to apply. Membership is separate from the grant and requires ongoing payment.
Application Process
Applications are submitted through the NFMLA website at newfilmmakersla.com/newnarratives. The 2026 cycle opens July 21, 2026 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time and closes August 18, 2026 at 3:00 PM Pacific Time.
Required submission materials include:
- A work sample of a previously completed narrative, experimental, or documentary feature, short, or episodic project, or a script selected for an industry-recognized development competition
- Video work samples must include English subtitles for any content not in English
- A project proposal or pitch deck for the proposed project
- The first 10 pages of the script (if applicable)
- A project budget
- A creative statement
NFMLA membership at the Rising Creator or Champion level is required. The application has no fee beyond the membership cost.
What Filmmakers Should Know
NewNarratives is one of the few US-based grant programs that accepts international applications without requiring US residency or citizenship. The requirement for English-language application materials is the only language restriction. Filmmakers outside the United States should target this program if they have at least 1 festival-accepted credit and an original project at any stage.
The grants are relatively small ($5,000 to $10,000), so they work best as gap funding or seed money rather than as a primary production budget. A $5,000 grant can cover post-production costs for a short documentary or provide development funds for a feature, but it cannot finance a full production.
The key trade-off is the membership requirement. Applicants must be or become NFMLA members at the Rising Creator or Champion level before applying. Factor this cost into your budget when deciding whether to apply. The Environmental Storytelling Grant requires only that the project be in post-production, making it the most targeted category. The Absurd AI Storytelling Grant offers the largest individual award ($10,000) plus a fellowship, but requires interest in exploring AI tools.
Watch
See Also
For planning your short film or feature budget and determining how an NFMLA grant fits into your financing plan, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator. For strategies on building a body of work as an emerging filmmaker, see Film Grants and Funding. For evaluating the cost of applying against projected returns, use the Ad Spend Break-Even Calculator.
