Through our WAVE Grant, we have been actively invested in finding the best emerging talent to share their stories. Since its inception in 2020, the WAVE Grant has selected 5 first-time directors to receive a seed grant and year-round intensive mentorship from our award-winning teams and industry professionals. Our vision is to build a sustainable pipeline of bold, new storytellers and help launch their careers through mentorship, industry connections, and community.
In addition to the seed funding, the WAVE Grant has partnered with several organizations to provide in-kind services for the filmmakers: this includes a
@filmindependent fiscal sponsorship, a five-part
@seedandspark workshop series covering crowdfunding, budgeting, and distribution that is open to the grantees as well as anyone who applied for the WAVE Grant,
@fujifilmx_us cameras and lenses, one year-long
@wetransfer ultimate subscription, color grading and post-finishing services provided by
@niceshoesonline .
We’re excited to share a sneak peek into the impactful films our 2026 WAVE Grantees are developing - listen here!
