Six Miami Filmmakers Awarded $100,000 Through The Louies Initiative
- Apr 1
- 2 min read
The Miami Film Festival and the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation have named six local filmmakers as recipients of The Louies. Now in its second year, the initiative provides a combined $100,000 to support documentaries that explore South Florida’s history, cultural identity, and notable figures.
Each recipient receives funding and unlimited access to the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives at Miami Dade College. This resource contains over 35,000 hours of footage documenting the region's past. Winners will also have the opportunity to premiere their completed works at future editions of the festival.
2026 Award Recipients
The largest grant of $50,000 for a feature length documentary was awarded to Kareem Tabsch for Save Our Children. The film examines the 1977 campaign led by Anita Bryant that targeted anti-discrimination ordinances in Miami.
Two filmmakers received $10,000 each in the Short Documentary category:
Matt Deblinger for Uncle Luke vs. America, which covers the free speech legal battles of Luther Campbell.
Jessica Huppert Berman for Twin Suns: The Scull Sisters Story, a profile of Cuban artists whose work became fixtures in Miami cultural spaces.
Monica Sorelle also received a $10,000 short documentary grant for Untitled Everglades Triptych, a project examining Black and Indigenous histories within the Everglades.
Finishing Funds and Recognition
The program awarded $10,000 in finishing funds to two additional projects:
Forrest Canaday for First Come, First Serve, a look at the cultural impact and uncertain future of the Swap Shop flea market.
Carlos Gutierrez for The Bay of Pigs Project, which focuses on the personal lives of men who returned to Miami to rebuild after the failed invasion.
Honorable mentions were also granted to Jon David Kane, Alicia Edwards, and Oana Martisca. These filmmakers will receive a stipend and archive access to complete their projects.
The upcoming Miami Film Festival, scheduled for April 9 through April 19, 2026, will feature premieres from three previous Louies winners: Jayme Kaye Gershen, Symone Titania Major, and Rachelle Salnave.