The Next Generation Grant
In 2017 on the day the Muslim Ban went into effect a group of Muslim filmmakers felt compelled to capture this moment in our country’s and our communities’ history.
The resulting film was called AN ACT OF WORSHIP: A portrait of the last 30 years of U.S. history, as told by Muslim Americans. It was a film that was not made by just our team, but was a product of a community of people who supported us.
People always asked us: how does the movie end? It’s not like Islamophobia or Anti-Muslim racism is over, “you should make a sequel.”
Sadly, this film and the history of violence against our communities has no end in sight, but we don’t think we are the right people to make the sequel, or to tell the story of how this new generation is being impacted by a genocide that daily reinforces the feeling that Muslim, Arab, Black and Brown lives are disposable.
So as the last act of our impact campaign we are launching AN ACT OF WORSHIP: The Next Generation. This final part of our impact campaign will offer three grants of $1500 along with mentorship from our team to filmmakers between the ages of 18-25, who self-identify as Muslim, and are living in the United States to make a 2-3 minute short documentary that captures this moment of their lives. What does it mean for you to be a Muslim in America right now?
The application deadline is 12/1/2024 at 11:59 PM. Application link and FAQ below. Please reach out to anactofworship@gmail.com for additional questions or if you have technical difficulties with the application.
This final part of the impact campaign is meant to expand upon our goals with the creation of the film and our impact campaign: to create a counternarrative for our communities, to provide healing through storytelling, and to give our community tools to tell their stories and begin building a community archive.
If you’d like to donate to our campaign, so we can double the filmmaker’s resources here’s a link to our tax deductible donation page: https://donate.uniondocs.org/campaigns/an-act-of-worship/
LINK TO THE APPLICATION: https://forms.gle/YstsKWPeitZ2opQX7
FAQ:
What’s the deadline for the application?
November 22nd 11:59PM ESTWho is eligible?
Filmmakers who self identify as Muslim and are living in the United States who are between the ages of 18-25.How many filmmakers will be chosen?
Three in total.What is the application process?
Eligible Muslim filmmakers are invited to submit an application. To apply, you’ll need a short bio, resume or summary of previous work experience, five-minute video personal essay, and a work sample or look book.What is the personal video essay?
Please tell us who you are, what’s your story and why are you the person to make this film.I don’t have a work sample, can I still submit an application?
Yes! We encourage you to outline your project and give us details in the form of a look book to explain your concept.When will you make a final decision?
We will inform you in mid December.When does the film have to be completed?
We are aiming for the summer of 2025.I’ve been documenting protests on my college campus, but I’m not a filmmaker, can I still apply?
Yes! Please, but we encourage you to partner with someone who has skills filming and editing to support you.I would like to make a hybrid or animated documentary, can I still apply?
Yes! As long as you can make the film within budget and schedule, we are open to all forms of documentaries!Can I apply as part of a team?
Yes, but you will still receive $1500 in total, and the team members both have to be available for mentorship calls.Who owns the rights to the final product?
You do!How long is the final deliverable?
2-3 minutes longHow much money will I receive to make this project?
$1500 USD plus 3-5 mentorship calls with our filmmaking teamWhere will the final film be distributed?
This is a work in progress! TBD!I am making a longer film, can I incorporate some of my material to make this microdoc?
Absolutely! The footage and the final film are owned by you, so you can use the material as you see fit.