NewFilmmakers Los Angeles

08/11/2025

A HUGE congratulations to our own NFMLA board member, O'Malley, on her signing with Creative Artists Agency! 🎉

Erin has been a staunch supporter of NFMLA and has been serving as a board member since 2024. 🥳

Thank you to Ethan Shanfeld and Variety for covering this. You can read more at the article here:

Veteran TV producer and director Erin O'Malley has signed with CAA for representation.

08/11/2025

🎬 Women In Media presents Reel/Forward — a two-day immersive conference at the intersection of production, sustainability, and innovation, open to all creators in film, TV, and new media!

Join a vibrant community of storytellers, investors, producers, and crew members working to reshape the future of entertainment. From visionary panels and hands-on seminars to eco-conscious vendors and a buzzing dealmakers lounge—this is where ideas turn into action.

🗓️ September 6–7�📍 Emerson College LA | 5960 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

🎟️ Get your tickets now: https://womennmedia.com/event/reel-forward/

🎥 Having your project screened means more than just visibility — it’s your opportunity to spark real conversations and build meaningful connections with professionals actively looking to collaborate and hire.

🔗 Submit now: https://forms.gle/h5rC6t8tj7SeTYF36
For more information, visit: WomenNMedia.com

08/08/2025

🙏 We’re honored to see NFMLA alumni featured in MovieMaker Magazine — thank you for the continued support of emerging filmmakers like Gianfranco.

🎥 ‘Lies Are the Scaffolding to the American Dream’ – Gianfranco Fernández‑Ruiz’s short film 'When Big People Lie' unfolds from a deeply personal lens, exploring childhood, immigration, and the burden of honesty. Recently showcased at Heartland Film's Indy Shorts International Film Festival, this emotionally resonant film has garnered attention for its timely themes and nuanced storytelling.

🔗Read more here:�https://www.moviemaker.com/when-big-people-lie-gianfranco-fernandez-ruiz

08/07/2025

Exciting news!

A heartfelt thank you to the Golden Globe Foundation for spotlighting this journey and supporting storytelling that matters. Read the full article here: https://ggfdn.org/from-nfmla-to-pbs-golden-globe-foundation-backed-program-helps-documentary-reach-national-audiences

Prelude of a Story focuses on a daughter after her mother's passing who searches through archival footage to understand who she was and how it connects to her father’s abusive relationship that is shaping her understanding of womanhood.

Prelude of a Story, directed by Ashley Salman Herrera, screened at NFMLA's 2023 DocuSlate Festival. Catch the documentary now on PBS, Reel South, and YouTube

08/06/2025

🎬 Big congratulations to Talia Shea Levin (whose film screened with us in 2021) on winning the Shorts to Features Pitch Deck Award at the 2025 Frontières Market for her feature deck, Make Me a Pizza 🍕—a well-earned milestone marking an exciting step in her transition from shorts to features.

A huge shout-out as well to Miguel Angel Caballero (whose film screened with us in 2023), whose short, The Ballad of Tita and the Machines, earned CAD $5,000 in post‑production services support—an inspiring boost as he develops his sci-fi vision into a feature. This award celebrates his innovation and storytelling ambition at Frontières 2025.

Proud to see our alumni shine—congrats to all the incredible filmmakers honored at this year’s Frontières! 👏🎉

Read more via Variety: https://variety.com/2025/film/festivals/frontieres-market-shallow-hell-holi-womb-1236470917/

08/06/2025

Ready to reignite your creative fire and take your directing career to the next level? Join us at BACK TO SET: A Director’s Intensive from Alliance of Women Directors - AWD—two days of panels, workshops, and networking designed to sharpen your craft and build real momentum.

📍 September 26–27 | Downtown LA

🎟️ Tickets on sale now at backtosetla.com

08/05/2025

🕰️ Step into the shadows of the 1950s...

Disfigura unravels a chilling secret that threatens everything Anya thought she knew. Suspense, style, and psychological twists await at ’s August Film Festival.

Synopsis: Step into a world of 1950s suspense, where forward-thinking Anya is shaken by her husband's strange new behaviors and the terrifying secret behind the word 'Disfigura'.

Disfigura

Directors: Toni Blando, Jake Bradbury
Writer: Toni Blando
Producer: Nathaniel A. Lipp

Cast and Crew:
Doug Jones
Alexa Cappiello
Kevin Brooks
Oleg Tcherkas 18 Percent Gray Production LLC
Matt Hingstman
Toni Blando
Jake Bradbury
Nate Lipp
Nic Weethee

🎟️Learn more: https://www.newfilmmakersla.com/events/

08/05/2025

We would like to extend our gratitude to TheWorkbook team, including John McLean, Susan Fox, Luke Colling, and JB Cohen, for showcasing the NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) July 2025 Film Festival, InFocus: Canadian Cinema, in the latest issue of Center Stage magazine. InFocus: Canadian Cinema was supported by Telefilm Canada, the Québec Government Office in Los Angeles, ACTRA Toronto, and our community partner, the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles. We are honored to be featured in Center Stage alongside industry leaders such as Creative Saskatchewan, International South Asian Film Festival Canada and Corey Russell from Cream Productions, among others.

You can view the full publication here: https://ow.ly/5EUW50WzKFn

08/04/2025

🏙️ A love letter to LA. A stand against erasure.

This 5-part documentary series amplifies the voices of Black and Brown Angelenos who have been impacted by gentrification—preserving their culture, memory, and resistance. Catch it at ’s August Film Festival.

Synopsis: In response to the displacement of Black and brown people across Los Angeles due to rapid gentrification, this 5-episode short docu-series acts as a love letter to the city that raised many Angelenos. By highlighting the voices of born-and-raised Angelenos, we resist the erasure of our narratives and preserve our culture, memories, and community.

The LAnd: A Documentary Series

Directors: Brittany Anders Esparza, Andrés Orlando Orellana
Writers: Brittany Anders Esparza, Andrés Orlando Orellana
Producers: Evi Alonzo, Claudia Mejia
Director of Photography: Oscar Ramos
Camera Operator: Marina Carbo

🎟️Learn more: https://www.newfilmmakersla.com/events/

08/04/2025

📢🚨LESS THAN 24 HOURS until our NewNarratives Grant deadline! 🚨📢

Looking to fund your next project? NewNarratives will award $25,000usd total in funding!

The first grant category is made up of four (4) artist grants in the amount of $5,000usd each with the second grant category made up of one (1) $5,000usd grant specifically for short films in post-production that align with climate and/or environmental consciousness (fiction, documentary, live-action, or animation).

For grant requirements and to apply, go to https://www.newfilmmakersla.com/newnarratives/

08/03/2025

🌍 Creation took seven days—destruction only needs one.

On the 8th Day is a visually striking French short that reimagines the fragile balance of our world. Don’t miss this powerful reflection on creation, chaos, and consequence at ’s August Film Festival.

Synopsis: It took 7 days to create the world; it only took one to disrupt its balance.

On the 8th Day

Directors and Writers: Agathe Sénéchal, Alicia Massez, Elise Debruyne, Flavie Carin, Théo Duhautois
Producer: Carlos De Carvalho Piktura

About the directors: Agathe Sénéchal, Alicia Massez, Elise Debruyne, Flavie Carin, and Théo Duhautois have graduated from the Piktura school (Roubaix, France). In 2023, they co-directed the short film "On the 8th Day".

🎟️Learn more: https://www.newfilmmakersla.com/events/

08/02/2025

🌍Love, survival, and resilience in the face of horror.

Set during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, this gripping story follows a young family risking everything for a future. Experience the powerful journey at ’s August Film Festival.

Synopsis: Valentine and Jean-Claude form a new couple at the start of the 1994 genocide and civil war in Rwanda. They make repeated attempts to flee the killings with their newborn son.

Ibuka, Justice - court métrage

Director, Writer: Justice Rutikara

Born in Kigali and raised in Quebec City, Justice Rutikara developed a passion for storytelling, visual arts, and performance at an early age. Actor turned writer-director, he is committed to promoting a fairer and richer representation of Afro-Quebec and Rwandan identities in the film and television industry. As a filmmaker, his short and medium-length fiction and documentary films have been broadcast on several public platforms and have won numerous awards, including a nomination for Best Director of the Year at the Gala Dynastie 2020 and the Prix Gémeaux de la relève in 2021. "Ibuka, Justice" marks his first animated film, adding a new dimension to his committed and innovative work.

Producer: Mylène Augustin - Yzanakio Sculpteur d'imaginaire

🎟️Learn more: https://www.newfilmmakersla.com/events/