This August, organizations and media artists in the Philly region are receiving $4 million to create and connect. It’s August 2021. We’re slowly trying to reconnect while still in a pandemic. Some of us, however, remain even more disconnected than others due to systemic inequality. …

Thirteen organizations in the Philadelphia region are receiving $2,081,000 in support of media making. This year IPMF is holding a mixture of grant cycles including invited proposals, open-calls and nominations. In April, IPMF invited proposals from core grantee organizations who received grants in 2019 and/or 2020. We define “core” grantees as organizations who directly align with IPMF’s goals to lift up storytelling and creative…

Filmmaking has always been a powerful tool to preserve memory, reveal truth, spark joy and bring communities together. And for BIPOC communities, SIFTMedia 215 Collective Inc. Co-Founder and grantee Nadine Patterson underscored filmmaking’s urgency: “telling Black and brown narratives saves lives. It’s a lifeline.” A recent report from the Ford…

As anti-racist protests sweep across the country in the middle of a pandemic that has exposed structural inequalities, creators and storytellers have been watching, listening and creating. They are reflecting and envisioning, uncovering truth, and fostering healing. Arundhati Roy speaks to this in her recent article The pandemic is a…