Women In Film & General Motors Announce 2nd Annual 2007 Emerging Latina Filmmakers Grant

Outstanding Latina Women Pursuing Careers in Entertainment Given Inside Track to Network With Industry Leaders From New York Women In Film & Television.

To Obtain an Application, Visit www.nywift.org
Submission Deadline is Aug. 1, Winners to be Announced Sept. 7

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK – Thenational alliance organization of Women In Film (WIF) and the General Motors Corporation (GM) announces the second annual WIF/GM 2007 Opening Doors/Abriendo Puertas: The Acceleration Grant for Emerging Latina Filmmakers.

The grant is a project of the WIF/GM Alliance, the goal of which is to support talented filmmakers from Latina/Hispanic communities and other under-represented groups.

The WIF/GM grant will again be presented to five up-and-coming Latina filmmakers, chosen through an application process overseen by a WIF selection committee comprised of professional filmmakers and entertainment industry executives from the New York-based chapter of WIF, New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT).

The grant will provide recipients with a broad-based understanding of the business of filmmaking through a six-day, full-immersion mentoring program, shepherded by members of NYWIFT, which includes some of the industry’s most successful female talent.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for new female talent,” said Judith James, chair of the WIF/GM Alliance. “Women In Film steadfastly believes in mentoring, fostering and supporting exceptional women who want to work in the entertainment industry. And the emphasis of the grant is to support emerging filmmakers from diverse communities.

“The inaugural launch was tremendously successful,” James continues, “and the recipients have clearly been able to advance their careers as a result. This type of business and creative foundation has proven to open doors and will benefit both the new talent and the industry for years to come.”

Yasmina Cádiz from Chicago, Ill., was a winner of the inaugural Latina grant, based on her eight-minute short, Mama Said, about the unbreakable spirit of a nine-year-old girl left by her mother. The short has since screened to critical acclaim at 15 film festivals and is scheduled at two more. Recently relocated to Los Angeles, she is at work on her first feature film.

Said Cádiz, “Access is far more valuable than money to someone in the beginning stages of a career. I acquired such a better understanding of the business side of the equation. Sure, you need the passion and creativity, but unless you understand that filmmaking is a business, you’re not going to make it. My entire experience was extraordinary because it was all about the sharing of information—without ego, jealousy or insecurity.”

Participants will receive round-trip transportation to New York City and be hosted by NYWIFT Oct. 15-21. The grant will begin with two days of meetings and seminars with leaders and executives in the film and television industries, including distributors, financing experts, producers, marketing executives, television broadcasters and studio representatives. Participants will also receive industry passes to the acclaimed Hamptons International Film Festival, Oct. 17-21, in East Hampton, Long Island, including admission to the Independent’s Ball and other festival parties hosted by Lifetime Television Networks and NYWIFT.

“By providing the opportunity to attend dedicated workshops and to network with professionals from all aspects of the filmmaking industry,” said Terry Lawler, executive director of NYWIFT, “these grants will provide these women with a broad base of skills and knowledge of how to turn creative ideas into reality.”

Applications and entry guidelines for the WIF/GM 2007 Opening Doors/Abriendo Puertas: The Acceleration Grant for Emerging Latina Filmmakers may be obtained at www.nywift.org. Complete rules, restrictions and instructions are available online. Entries must be postmarked no later than Aug. 1, 2007. A selection committee comprised of NYWIFT members will evaluate all applications. Winning applicants will be notified by phone by Sept. 1, 2007 and winners will be announced Sept. 7, 2007.

Applicants must be female and must be of Latin/Hispanic descent . They must have made at least one film, but not yet be established in the industry. They should be at a point where access to industry resources provided by the grant would be instrumental in forwarding their career. And they must show evidence of their commitment to pursuing a career in the film and/or television industries. Applicants do not have to be WIF members. Those who have won a WIF/GM filmmaker grant in the past are not eligible.

Applicants are required to submit:

* A typed, one-or-two page, double-spaced candidate’s statement: Why do you want to participate in the grant? What are your artistic and career goals?
* One letter of recommendation from an industry professional.
* A resume detailing work experience and education.
* A DVD sample of their work. Spanish- or Portuguese-language films must be subtitled in English.
* Statement of warranty.

Submitted materials will not be returned.

About the Women In Film/General Motors Alliance:

General Motors Corporation is the National Presenting Sponsor of Women In Film. The Women In Film/General Motors Alliance was created to support women in the entertainment industry and to expand Women In Film chapter programs across the country. The multi-year initiative was announced in Los Angeles in January 2005 and is supporting programs as diverse as the Film Finishing Fund, Women’s Film Preservation Fund, Legacy Series, PSAs, scholarships, mentorships and local WIF chapter award events across the nation. For more information about the WIF/GM Alliance and its programs, visit www.women-in-film.com.