IF/Then Shorts American South 2019

Tribeca Film Institute (TFI), in partnership with the Surdna Foundation and New Orleans Film Society, chose six projects focusing on Inclusive Economies in the American South to present at the IF/Then Shorts pitch competition at the New Orleans Film Festival on October 18, 2019. 

The winner was selected by a professional jury consisting of: 

Monika Navarro, TFI
Opal H. Bennett, DOC NYC
Carmen Vicencio, American Documentary
Stephanie McKee-Anderson, Junebug Productions
Jon-Sesrie Goff, Flaherty Seminar 

The jury chose THESE KIDS THIS CITY, directed by Dorian Emerson Munroe, as the competition winner to receive $25,000 in project funding and the opportunity to participate in TFI's IF/Then Shorts program, which provides year-round mentorship and career development opportunities. 

The jury also selected DISRUPTED BORDERS, directed by Alejandra Aragón and Cathy Chen, as an honorable mention to receive the POV cash prize and mentorship listed below. 

In addition a special jury prize was given to A FINE GIRL, directed by Darcy McKinnon and Biliana Grozdanova, by the Surdna Foundation. 

ADDITIONAL AWARDS:

Storyville is a proud partner of Tribeca Film Institute and NOFF, and will provide a Festival Finishing Package for this year's IF/Then Shorts American South pitch competition winner. The short film package is comprised of picture, sound, and deliverables from their award-winning talent. 

For the second year, POV Shorts (American Documentary) is a proud partner of Tribeca Film Institute and will additionally provide a $1,000 cash prize and mentorship to a second project.

The winner was selected from the following six projects:

THESE KIDS THIS CITY
Director: Dorian Emerson Munroe 
Location: Florida

THESE KIDS THIS CITY is a film about the young people of Liberty City, Miami and its infamous bike life culture, which reaches its pinnacle every Martin Luther King Weekend, when thousands flood the streets on dirt bikes and four wheelers riding in a form of rebellion and community. After a hate crime incident occurs while protesting the climate gentrification of their inner city housing, the movement is catapulted into a national spotlight.

DISRUPTED BORDERS
Director: Alejandra Aragón 
Director: Cathy Chen
Location: Texas

Wendy (16), maker and aspiring engineer, innovates using parts from discarded electronics at a local makerspace hoping to create prostheses for her best friend Rachel (15), who has double limb deficiencies. This Mexican-American tech disruptor reinvents cultural, class, and gender norms against the backdrop of the US-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas—a city currently healing from a horrific racially-motivated domestic terrorist attack.

A FINE GIRL 
Director: Darcy McKinnon
Director: Biliana Grozdanova
Location: Louisiana 

A FINE GIRL follows Brandi Jarrow, a trans woman of color from New Orleans, as she opens a salon and fulfills her dreams, and poses the question of what's possible when we include and uplift trans people; at 27 years old, Brandi is a successful hairstylist, a woman of faith, and a valued member of her community.

EMPRESARIAS
Director: Max Benitez
Producer: Kristin Benitez
Location: Texas

Austin is overflowing with entrepreneurs. But venture capital dollars rarely make it into marginalized communities. This film takes you into the living rooms of women hailing from all over Latin America as they work together to navigate the small business lifestyle.

WASHERWOMAN
Director: Lana Garland
Producer: Nathan Clarke
Location: North Carolina

From the 1881 Washerwoman’s Strike to the present day movement for a livable wage, WASHERWOMAN takes a look at a pivotal profession in the making of the labor movement in America. This story is told by their families, and the last living generation of washerwomen, themselves.

BRIDGE TO BETTER
Director: Jessica Chriesman 
Director: Kayla Gladney
Location: Alabama 

In the heart of the segregated South, AG Gaston became one of America’s wealthiest citizens by listening to the needs of the black community. Today, over 20 years after his death, black businesses in Birmingham struggle to survive. This film follows three entrepreneurs as they strive to make a change in Birmingham’s black business community.