NFMLA Expands NewNarratives Grants and Adds Absurd Fellowship for Emerging Auteurs to Use AI

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) is continuing its push to invest in fresh narratives.

The organization — a year-round nonprofit founded in 2007 and “dedicated to discovering, championing and advancing emerging filmmakers from around the world” — has expanded its NewNarratives initiative by increasing available grant funding to $35,000 and adding a new fellowship component backed by Absurd.

NewNarratives was launched in 2021 in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery as an international grant focused on emerging storytellers with “distinctive creative voices,” helping them make the leap from idea to completed project. So far, the program has fielded more than 1,175 applications from more than 89 countries and invested nearly $300,000.

This year’s NewNarratives installment will be spread across six grants in three categories. The core grants are supported by the Rhulen Family Foundation in honor of Anthony Rhulen (The Butterfly Effect), and will see four unrestricted grants of $5,000 each go to filmmakers developing narrative, documentary, animation, experimental or episodic projects at any stage.

In its second year, the NewNarratives environmental storytelling grant will award one $5,000 grant to a short currently in post-production that explores environmental sustainability, conservation, climate or humanity’s relationship with the natural world. The grant is possible through support of Athens Services.

And new for this year, NFMLA is introducing a NewNarratives Absurd AI storytelling grant, which will award one $10,000 grant to an emerging filmmaker developing a short or feature film at any stage of production across any genre including fiction, live action, animation or experimental. The grant will be accompanied by a three-month fellowship for the artist to explore using Absurd’s AI storytelling tools. Absurd will onboard beta users on Aug. 3.

“We have seen filmmakers use Absurd to secure six-figure commercial opportunities, get their ideas in front of major studios and production companies and create stories that they wrote 10 years ago,” said Philip Ho, CEO and co-founder of Absurd. “When experimentation becomes more affordable and accessible, filmmakers can bring bigger, stranger and more personal ideas into the room.”

“Independent filmmaking has never lacked bold ideas. What it lacks is meaningful financial investment,” said NFMLA co-founder and executive director Larry Laboe and programming director Bojana Sandic in a joint statement. “NewNarratives exists because we believe extraordinary careers begin long before distribution deals, festival premieres, or awards recognition are realized. By supporting filmmakers at the earliest stages of their creative journey, we’re not only investing in individual projects, but in the future voices that will absolutely shape our industry.”

Applications for the NewNarratives program are now open to members of NFMLA.