Current:Home > MyA new student filmmaking grant will focus on reproductive rights-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
A new student filmmaking grant will focus on reproductive rights
View Date:2024-12-23 19:18:51
A new grant program announced Wednesday by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, a think tank based at the University of Southern California that studies diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry, aims to support undergraduate filmmakers whose work focuses on reproductive rights.
According to a statement shared with NPR, the "Reproductive Rights Accelerator" program will provide a minimum of three students with $25,000 in funding each to support the script development and production of short films.
"There are too few stories focused on these topics, and they rarely come from young people," the initiative's founder Stacy Smith wrote in an email. "We want the generation who will be most affected by current policies around reproductive health to have the chance to illuminate how these policies affect them."
Smith said her organization is planning to reach students through social media and outreach to film schools. She added that any senior studying film in the U.S. can apply for a grant. Applications will open in September and winners will be selected later in the fall.
"Undergraduates have important stories to tell but often have limited opportunities to tell them," said Smith. "This program should help change that."
Films addressing abortion aren't a new phenomenon. For example, the silent movie Where Are My Children dealt with the topic way back in 1916. But the genre has exploded in recent times. The Sundance Film Festival identified films about reproductive rights as "a clear theme" in 2022, with such movies as Happening, Midwives and The Janes appearing on this year's festival lineup. And the organization issued a statement on social media presaging more such films in response to the Supreme Court decision overturning the federal right to an abortion.
Supporters of the grant program point to the importance of the entertainment industry as a tool for highlighting important issues around human rights.
"The entertainment community plays a critical role in educating people about their sexual and reproductive health and rights, including abortion," said Caren Spruch, national director of arts and entertainment engagement for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in a statement. "With Roe v. Wade overturned and birth control, LGBQT+ and other rights threatened, this new Annenberg Inclusion Initiative project will provide an invaluable tool to ensure audiences are reached with medically and legislatively accurate storytelling about these issues."
veryGood! (2923)
Related
- Advocacy group sues Tennessee over racial requirements for medical boards
- Sheila Jackson Lee, longtime Texas congresswoman, dies at 74
- Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese rivalry has grown the game. Now they're All-Star teammates
- Horoscopes Today, July 19, 2024
- Record-setting dry conditions threaten more US wildfires, drinking water supplies
- How the Olympic Village Became Known For Its Sexy Escapades
- Tech outage latest | Airlines rush to get back on track after global tech disruption
- Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line duo announces 'Make America Great Again' solo single
- Homes of Chiefs’ quarterback Mahomes and tight end Kelce were broken into last month
- ‘We were not prepared’: Canada fought nightmarish wildfires as smoke became US problem
Ranking
- Alexandra Daddario Shares Candid Photo of Her Postpartum Body 6 Days After Giving Birth
- Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry fight results: Who won by TKO, round-by-round fight analysis
- Taylor Swift starts acoustic set with call to help fan on final night in Gelsenkirchen
- Disneyland workers authorize potential strike ahead of continued contract negotiations
- What’s the secret to growing strong, healthy nails?
- What is Microsoft's blue screen of death? Here's what it means and how to fix it.
- Ernest Hemingway fans celebrate the author’s 125th birthday in his beloved Key West
- North Carolina’s Iconic College Town Struggles to Redevelop a Toxic Coal Ash Mound
Recommendation
-
Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group’s $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys
-
In New Mexico, a Walk Commemorates the Nuclear Disaster Few Outside the Navajo Nation Remember
-
Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese rivalry has grown the game. Now they're All-Star teammates
-
Disneyland workers authorize potential strike ahead of continued contract negotiations
-
Satire publication The Onion buys Alex Jones’ Infowars at auction with help from Sandy Hook families
-
Celebrate Disability Pride Month and with these books that put representation first
-
Trump returns to the campaign trail in Michigan with his new running mate, Vance, by his side
-
'Too Hot to Handle' cast: Meet Joao, Bri, Chris and other 'serial daters' looking for love