Investing in the future: Santa Fe Film Institute awards $12K to aspiring creatives in media
By Adrian Gomez
January 4th, 2024
Charine Gonzales was awarded a $4,500 grant for the project “How To Say ‘I Love You’ in Tewa” from the Santa Fe Film Institute.
Since its inception, the Santa Fe Film Institute has invested in the next generation of filmmakers.
The Santa Fe-based organization announced $12,000 in grants and scholarships to New Mexico filmmakers and students.
In 2023, SFFI’s Regional Filmmaker Grants supported five New Mexican filmmakers with a total of $7,000 in funding.
The top Regional Filmmaker Grant was awarded to Charine Gonzales, a $4,500 grant for the project “How To Say ‘I Love You’ in Tewa.”
“These are concrete opportunities for new filmmakers and students to build a localized future in movie making here in New Mexico,” says Jacques Paisner, SFFI board president. “I am really excited about the projects that Santa Fe Film Institute has the opportunity to support this year.”
Paisner says other funded projects include a documentary from Taos filmmaker Hillary Bachelder about the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon fires and the New Mexican communities these fires displaced, “Phantom Roots” directed by Erica Nguyen, “We’ve Been Trying to Reach You” directed by Katharine Broyles, and “Underwatered” directed by Adrian Pijoan.
“In the last three years that the Regional Grant has been awarded, 2023 is the first year that all grantees were New Mexican filmmakers,” Paisner says.
SFFI’s Imogene Hughes Scholarship provided $4,000 in scholarships to New Mexico college or university film students, with $3,000 awarded to media arts student Jordan Martin at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe.
Paisner says SFFI also awarded two $500 scholarships, each to Charine Gonzales at IAIA and to Ryan Beane at the University of New Mexico.
SFFI also provided $1,000 in scholarships to two New Mexico high school students interested in pursuing a degree in film.
Paisner says the organization’s Regional Grant program will open again this year.
New Mexico filmmakers will be able to apply for up to $5,000 in funding through this program, and applicants in the surrounding states — Arizona, Oklahoma, Colorado and Texas — may apply for up to $2,000.
Potential applicants can subscribe to the Santa Fe International Film Festival’s email updates at santafe.film in order to receive the announcement when this program opens in 2024.
Paisner says scholarship programs will also be available this year.
Film students attending a New Mexico college or university in fall of 2024 will be eligible to apply for up to $4,000 from the Imogene Hughes Scholarship, and the High School scholarship will be available for New Mexico students enrolled in high school during fall 2024 and interested in pursuing film studies.