We at Dicapta would like to invite women filmmakers to participate in the New York Women in Film & Television Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant, which is now open to submissions. The film completion grant, now in its 15th year, is provided through the generosity of longtime disability rights advocate Loreen Arbus and awards $6,500 to a woman filmmaker for a film on physical or developmental disability issues.

We would also like to highlight the role that Michelle Spitz, media producer, voice-over artist, public speaker, and longtime friend of Dicapta, will play in this award. For over a decade, Michelle has provided audio description assets for film, broadcast, digital media, film festivals, museums, exhibits, educational content, medical content, promotional and fundraising media. Her company, Woman of Her Word, is willing to produce the winning film’s audio description asset as a post-production in kind grant. 

On the other hand, the ReelAbilities film festival will also boost the winning film by providing captioning services for the selected film as well as support of the film’s outreach and distribution, through the ReelAbilities North American network of festivals and beyond. In the past, we at Dicapta have worked several times with ReelAbilities by making their accessibility assets available in All4Access.

Both the work of Michelle and the ReelAbilities team will help make the winning film accessible to audiences with sensory disabilities.

Filmmakers must be US-based women. Directors and producers are eligible to apply. Films may be of any length or genre. Films must have completed principal photography to be eligible. The grant will be awarded to help a film in the post-production phase. Distributed films are ineligible.

The deadline to apply is March 10, 2023. Apply at https://bit.ly/3jkwM1L

About New York Women in Film & Television:

New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) connects, educates, and advocates for women to accelerate diversity in media. As the preeminent entertainment industry association for women in New York, NYWIFT energizes women by illuminating their achievements, presenting training and professional development programs, awarding scholarships and grants, and providing access to a supportive community of peers. NYWIFT brings together more than 2,500 women and men working both above and below the line. NYWIFT is part of a network of 60 women in film organizations worldwide, representing more than 15,000 members. NYWIFT is a nonprofit 501c3 public charity.