EXCLUSIVE: A group of emerging independent filmmakers is getting a career boost from NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA).
The nonprofit announced recipients of its NewNarratives Grant Awards today, which will provide $5,000 to each winner, assisting content creators “at various stages of their projects, from initial concept development to post-production and audience engagement strategies.” In addition, under a newly formed partnership for this year’s NewNarratives between NFMLA, Athens Services, and the Hollywood Climate Summit, an additional $5,000 grant will go to support storytellers whose projects focus on themes of environmental awareness, including issues that impact climate, ecosystems, communities, and more. [Scroll for more details on the grant recipients].
The 2025 edition of the program received 310 qualified applications from artists across 50 countries, spanning South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.
“We are excited to support such a diverse range of projects and filmmakers,” commented NFMLA’s Executive Director Larry Laboe and Programming Director Bojana Sandic. “Securing funding for new creations is essential for visual storytellers, and we aim to draw more investment for NewNarratives from individual donors, philanthropists, foundations, and corporate partners to enhance the funding available through these grants each year. With increased financial backing, the NewNarratives program could significantly amplify its ability to incubate and nurture new global content and artists.”
The NewFilmmakers initiative was established in 2021 through a partnership between NFMLA and WarnerMedia (now Warner Bros. Discovery) and aims to foster a diverse array of projects, “encompassing short films, feature-length films, episodic series, documentaries, experimental, and animation at any production stage.” For 2025, the Rhulen Family Foundation contributed $20,000 in cash grants to honor the legacy of independent film producer Anthony Rhulen, known for championing independent films such as The Butterfly Effect.
This is the full list of 2025 NFMLA NewNarratives grant winners for 2025:
Enrique Pedraza-Botero – funding to support the development of his documentary short film S.E.C.T.O.R. B.
Enrique is a filmmaker from Bogotá, Colombia. In 2025, he was named one of Vimeo’s Breakout Creators. His film, ALPHA KINGS, premiered at IFFR in 2023, won the Grand Jury Prize for Social Commentary at AFI Fest, and was nominated for Best Short Film, Documentary at the 2024 Best of NFMLA Awards. It is now available to stream on The New Yorker and Vimeo Staff Picks. Enrique is currently releasing a new short film, NO SE VE DESDE ACÁ, which premiered at ZINEBI, screened at New Directors/New Films, won the Santa Lucia award at Bogoshorts, as well as Best Student Documentary at Palm Springs ShortFest. It was also nominated for Best Short Film, Documentary at the 2025 Best of NFMLA Awards. His work has screened at MoMA, Film at Lincoln Center, True/False Film Fest, Camden International Film Festival, Festival de Nouveau Cinema, Museum of Moving Image, among others. He is currently developing his first feature film with collaborator Faye Tsakas.
He was appointed to co-lead the Documentary Film Initiative at the Shorenstein Center at Harvard’s Kennedy School, working to support new research, analysis, innovation and provocation around core issues facing the documentary field. Enrique holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film & Television from the New York Film Academy and a Master of Fine Arts in Documentary Film & Video from Stanford University.
“I’m honored to receive this grant, which allows us to carry S.E.C.T.O.R. B. forward into production. NFMLA has long championed bold, emerging voices, and I’m grateful for their belief in the power of independent film. This support not only fuels our shoot, it helps us sustain our access, making space for the lived realities shaping our present,” said NewNarratives grantee Enrique Pedraza-Botero in a statement.
S.E.C.T.O.R. B observes how autonomous surveillance systems and the expanding economy of military futurism transform local neighborhoods into spaces marked by invisible pressure and suspicion, altering how people move, gather, and disappear.
Hansen Bursic – funding to support the development of his documentary short film THE TRANS TRUCKER PROJECT.
Hansen Bursic is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and journalist. He broke into nonfiction directing documentaries in Pennsylvania with local advocacy organizations, helping raise awareness of some of the first explicitly anti-transgender legislation in the state. Bursic now lives between Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, running the production company Hansen Bursic Film. He was a DOC NYC Documentary New Leader, Ford Foundation Rockwood Documentary Leadership Fellow, and Sundance Press Fellow. His last film, TRANS HEAVEN, PENNSYLVANIA, was supported by the Creative Hope Initiative, an incubator for LGBTQ+ filmmakers sponsored by Traverse32 and Outfest. The now award-winning film has screened internationally, including at Frameline, NewFilmmakers LA, and the British Film Institute’s Flare Film Festival.
“In this moment, we need films that are bold and unapologetic in their mission to uplift the trans community. I am beyond honored that NFMLA recognizes our team’s vision and is supporting our documentary on trans truckers in the South through their NewNarratives initiative,” says NewNarratives grantee Hansen Bursic.
THE TRANS TRUCKER PROJECT allows audiences to hop in the passenger’s seat with Ashleigh, a trans woman and third-generation truck driver, during her last delivery before Christmas. Experiencing homelessness not long after coming out as a teenager, Ashleigh unexpectedly found community with queer and trans long-haul truckers, joining her familial trade and allowing her to reclaim what she thought was lost when she left home.
Iris (Yi Youn) Kim and Meghna Chakraborty – funding to support the post-production and animation for their short documentary film UNFOLDING.
Iris (Yi Youn) Kim is a Korean American reporter at NBC News covering Asian American culture, identity, and politics. She is a 2022 PEN Emerging Voices Fellow, a 2022 USC Center for Public Diplomacy U.S.-South Korea Fellow, and a 2023 Gold House Journalism Futures Accelerator Participant. She’s covered subjects like the Korean plastic surgery industry, Hollywood’s dismissal of survivors, and finding sobriety in her survivor’s journey for outlets like NBC, Harper’s Bazaar, and TIME. Iris graduated from USC’s Marshall School of Business in 2019.
Meghna Chakraborty is an LA-based director, producer and dancer/choreographer whose work is rooted in innovative, impact-driven storytelling and cultural empowerment. Her projects span documentaries, music videos, and narrative film. She currently works at MGX Creative, focusing on TV, film, and branded content, and has previously held roles at Participant, Gold House, and in multicultural marketing strategy. Meghna received her MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts’ Peter Stark Producing Program, and her B.S. in Business Administration at USC’s Marshall School of Business.
“We’re thrilled to receive this grant, which allows us to expand survivor storytelling beyond flattened media narratives. By weaving animation into testimony, we give shape to memory, emotion, and imagination, so survivors’ journeys of healing and growth after trauma can be truly seen, felt and honored,” stated NewNarratives grantees Iris (Yi Youn) Kim and Meghna Chakraborty in a statement.
UNFOLDING follows Mai Mizuno, a Japanese American survivor, as she seeks healing and liberation outside of the courtroom in the wake of USC gynecologist George Tyndall’s death and criminal case dismissal.
Jen and Ric Serena – funding provided by NFMLA, Athens Services, and the Hollywood Climate Summit to support the post-production of their documentary short film UNTITLED FOOD WASTE PROJECT.
Jen and Ric Serena are a remarkable duo in narrative and documentary film, renowned for their award-winning storytelling and cinematic flair for more than a decade. Their collaboration is notably exemplified by the acclaimed documentary, MY INDIANA MUSE, which has earned widespread praise for its compelling narrative and striking visuals.
Ric Serena is a Director by way of editor and a Directors Guild of America (DGA) member who most recently won his second Emmy® Award, adding to a long list of recognition for his work in television including Clios and Promax Awards.
Jen Serena’s expertise in photography enhances their work, bringing a refined sense of detail and composition to their films. Her internationally published work can be seen in the commercial and print publication worlds and her long history with nonprofits ensures a tight budget and a dedication to the story.
Other notable works include their most recent short film RADIO SILENCE, which premiered as a finalist at the 2023 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) HBO® Short Film Award Showcase and has since been recognized with multiple “Best Short” awards during the 2023/24 festival circuit. Their ground-breaking feature documentary MILE… MILE & A HALF was in the TOP 10 on iTunes for 8 weeks, named Top 25 Best Outdoor Films of All time by Outdoor Magazine, and was distributed on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and National Geographic TV, in addition to other streaming platforms.
“We’re incredibly excited to share the stories of the many individuals who work tirelessly to tackle the issues of food waste and food insecurity, and we’re grateful for the support of NFMLA that will help to bring this documentary to the finish line,” said NewNarratives grant recipients Jen and Serena in a statement.
UNTITLED FOOD WASTE PROJECT follows Michelin-star chef and multidisciplinary artist Minh H. Phan as she explores the deep connection between food waste and hunger, shaped by her own experience as a refugee, touching on survival, community, and the quiet power of sharing what we have in a world where environmental and social crises are deeply intertwined.
Omar S. Kamara – funding to support the development of his narrative feature film BLOODLINE.
Writer and Director Omar S. Kamara is a first-generation Sierra Leonean American, Virginia native, and graduate of the American Film Institute (AFI). His debut feature film, AFRICAN GIANTS, which he independently wrote, directed, and produced, won the Audience Award at the 2024 Slamdance Film Festival, was nominated for Best Feature Film at the 2025 Best of NFMLA Awards, and was subsequently picked up for worldwide distribution by Juno Films. The film was released theatrically and is currently available on Amazon Prime.
In addition to winning the Franklin J. Schaffner Fellow Award at AFI, Kamara was selected as an inaugural Resident in Dan Lin’s Rideback Rise BIPOC Content Accelerator as well as a filmmaker for the Rising Voices Program, a collaboration between Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad and Indeed, to write and direct a short that premiered at Tribeca. His previous short film, MASS AVE, won the Grand Prize at the DGA Student Film Awards, was named a Finalist in HBO’s Short Film Competition at ABFF, and was nominated for the Grand Prix at Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival. The film was licensed by HBO and is currently streaming on HBO Max. Kamara’s films touch on his first-generation experiences and strive to highlight and honor the African Diaspora.
“I am so honored to receive support from NFMLA and the Rhulen Family Foundation to further develop my original horror/thriller film set in my family’s home village of Fadugu, Sierra Leone. As an independent filmmaker, opportunities like this are what keep me going and Djimon Hounsou, who is Executive Producing the project, and I are so excited to bring a genre story to audiences that is by and for Africans and the African Diaspora,” remarked NewNarratives grantee Omar S. Kamara.
BLOODLINE follows a disgruntled second generation medical student, accompanied by his domineering father, as they travel to their family’s remote village of Fadugu, Sierra Leone to trace diseases in their bloodline. The already tense trip turns to abject horror when villagers begin getting brutally murdered by a beast in the night.
