Key Points<\/p>\n
Founded in partnership with the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation, The Louies welcome the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as a new partner for their third year.
\nSix Miami-based documentary filmmakers will receive a combined $100,000, access to the Wolfson Archives and the opportunity to premiere their completed films at a future Miami Film Festival.
\nApplications will be accepted through Nov. 6, 2026. Winners will be announced in January 2027.<\/p>\n
MIAMI (September 29, 2026) \u2013 Miami Dade College\u2019s (MDC) Miami Film Festival<\/a> announces the return of The Louies, its annual documentary grant program that will award a total of $100,000 to six Miami-based filmmakers.<\/p>\n Created in partnership with the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation, The Louies enter their third year with the foundation\u2019s continued leadership and support. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation joins the program as a new partner this year. Applications will be accepted through Nov. 6, 2026.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Louies were created to champion Miami documentary filmmakers and help local stories reach the big screen,\u201d said James Woolley, executive director of MDC\u2019s Miami Film Festival. \u201cWith the Knight Foundation joining the Wolfson Family Foundation, we can continue giving filmmakers the funding, resources and visibility they need to bring these stories to audiences.\u201d<\/p>\n The $100,000 annual grant will be distributed across three categories.<\/p>\n Feature Documentary ($50,000): One filmmaker will receive major funding to create a professional-quality documentary of 50 minutes or longer. Each recipient will also receive unlimited access to the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives at MDC and the opportunity to premiere their completed film at a future Miami Film Festival.<\/p>\n Three recipients from the program\u2019s first year premiered their documentaries at the 43rd Miami Film Festival in April 2026:<\/p>\n Rachelle Salnave\u2019s \u201cDual Citizen,\u201d a feature documentary following the filmmaker\u2019s quest to obtain Haitian citizenship and the emotional legacy the journey carries for her father. \u201cMy grandmother Lynn believed Miami\u2019s stories should be preserved and shared,\u201d said Randi Wolfson Adamo, trustee of the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation. \u201cThis spring, we saw that vision come full circle when three Louies-funded films premiered at Miami Film Festival. We are proud to continue this work and welcome Knight Foundation as a partner in supporting the next generation of local documentary filmmakers.\u201d<\/p>\n The second class of recipients, announced in January 2026, are developing projects including Kareem Tabsch\u2019s \u201cSave Our Children,\u201d which revisits Anita Bryant\u2019s 1977 campaign in Miami, and Monica Sorelle\u2019s \u201cUntitled Everglades Triptych,\u201d an examination of Black and Indigenous histories in and around the Everglades.<\/p>\n \u201cMiami is full of powerful stories and talented filmmakers who bring a distinct perspective to the communities they call home,\u201d said Kristina Newman-Scott, VP\/Arts at Knight Foundation. \u201cKnight Foundation supported The Louies because it creates meaningful opportunities for local filmmakers to develop their work, reach audiences, and ensure that more of Miami\u2019s stories are told by the people who know them best.\u201d<\/p>\n About The Louies<\/p>\n The Louies honor the legacy of Louis Wolfson II, whose family founded Wometco Enterprises and Miami\u2019s first television station, WTVJ. Originally launched in 1989 to support Florida filmmakers using archival footage, the program was reimagined in 2024 by Miami Film Festival and the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation.<\/p>\n Central to the program is access to the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives. Housed at MDC\u2019s Wolfson Campus, the collection includes more than 35,000 hours of videotape and 23 million feet of film documenting Florida\u2019s history.<\/p>\n How to Apply<\/p>\n Applicants must be permanent Miami-Dade County residents, age 18 or older, and U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Feature documentary applicants must have completed a short documentary, while short documentary applicants may be first-time directors but must have film experience and credited work. Key Dates<\/p>\n Sept. 28 \u2013 Nov. 6, 2026: Applications open To apply or register for the information session, visit https:\/\/www.miamifilmfestival.com\/thelouies<\/a>.<\/p>\n About Miami Dade College\u2019s Miami Film Festival <\/p>\n Celebrating cinema in two annual events, Miami Film Festival and GEMS, Miami Dade College\u2019s Miami Film Festival is considered the preeminent film festival for showcasing Ibero-American cinema in the U.S., and a major launch pad for all international and documentary cinema. The annual Festival welcomes more than 45,000 audience members and more than 400 filmmakers, producers, talent and industry professionals. It is the only major festival housed within a college or university. In the last five years, the Festival has screened films from more than 60 countries, including 300 world, international, North American, U.S. and East Coast premieres. The Festival also offers unparalleled educational opportunities to film students and the community at large. For more information, visit www.miamifilmfestival.com<\/a> or call 305-237-FILM (3456).<\/p>\n About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation<\/p>\n We are social investors who support a more effective democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and the success of American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers.<\/p>\n About Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation<\/p>\n Established by Lynn Wolfson in 2014, the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation\u2019s two-part mission provides support for education that furthers vocations in film, video, and broadcasting, as well as funds the arts in South Florida. The founding family\u2019s success in media propelled interest in supporting education for the betterment of all related industries. Louis Wolfson II served as senior vice president of Wometco Enterprises, a paragon of the business community and media industry in South Florida and nationally until his passing. Lynn Wolfson initiated the Wolfson Florida Moving Image Archives now housed at Miami Dade College and supported all forms of arts in South Florida. Now guided by the next generations of the Wolfson family, the foundation is pleased to partner with the Miami Film Festival on The Louies.<\/p>\n The Louies Media Contacts: Deborah Ramirez, 786-877-2295, debbie@pinzurpr.com; Rachel Pinzur, 305-725-2875, rachel@pinzurpr.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Key Points Founded in partnership with the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation, The Louies welcome the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":414252,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[225,227,226],"class_list":["post-414251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-hialeah","tag-hialeah","tag-hialeah-headlines","tag-hialeah-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=414251"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414251\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/414252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=414251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=414251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=414251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nShort Documentary ($10,000 each): Three filmmakers will receive $10,000 each to create a short film of eight to 12 minutes.
\nFinishing Fund ($10,000 each): Two filmmakers will receive funding to complete feature-length documentaries in post-production.<\/p>\n
\nJayme Kaye Gershen\u2019s \u201cThe Floor Remembers,\u201d a short documentary about a beloved Miami roller rink. The film was named first runner-up for the Festival\u2019s Short Film Audience Award.
\nSymone Titania Major\u2019s \u201cUnder the Mango Tree,\u201d a short documentary tracing one family\u2019s connection to a mango tree in Goulds and the history of the area\u2019s once-thriving Black agricultural community.<\/p>\n
\nThe selection jury will prioritize proposed creative and meaningful use of the Wolfson Archives, encouraging filmmakers to connect historical footage with contemporary stories.<\/p>\n
\nOct. 13, 2026, 5:30 p.m.: Virtual information session (registration required)
\nJanuary 2027: Winners announced
\nApril 1 to 11, 2027: 44th Miami Film Festival<\/p>\n