Ava Duvernay, Getty Images Team Up For $5K Grants For Aspiring Filmmakers, Photographers

With Atlanta becoming the hottest moviemaking hub in the world, you’d think more writers and talent would emerge from the Dirty Dirty, but things have been slow going as big films largely use the city as a backdrop and hire out-of-town production help. But things could be a-changin’.

Hollywood filmmaker Ava Duvernay has teamed with Getty Images to give an opportunity to aspiring filmmakers and photographers, many of whom reside in The A. Duvernay, who most recently directed “A Wrinkle in Time,” has been a strong supporter of more women and people of color behind the camera and with this initiative, she plans to put her words into action.

Ava Duvernay, Getty Images Want To Give Aspiring Filmmakers, Photographers $5K

The program has set aside four grants of $5,000 each to be awarded to two commercial creative photographers and two editorial filmmakers who capture the visual narrative of underrepresented ethnic communities such as African American, Caribbean, South Asian, Arab, Indigenous and Latinx.

The winners are expected to use their skills to visually represent the underrepresented experience and add layers of context to their individual stories. In addition to the $5,000, winners will also receive mentoring support and guidance from Getty Images and Array.

“There is a gross imbalance of perspectives coming from Black and Brown image-makers. We need to understand that all of our stories matter and the opportunities for artists to create these stories need to be more readily available,” photographer and contest judge Laylah Amatullah told ESSENCE.

Submissions close on Friday June, 8th at 11:59 p.m.  PT and filmmakers and send their submissions here.

Tee Johnson: Tee Johnson is the co-founder of AtlantaFi.com and as an unofficial ambassador of the city, she's a lover of all things Atlanta. She writes about Travel News, Events, Business, Hair Care (Wigs!) and Money.