Firelight Films, the production company co-founded by acclaimed filmmaker Stanley Nelson, in partnership with Hulu, has announced the filmmakers and projects selected for the third annual Hulu/Firelight Kindling Fund. The Hulu/Firelight Kindling Fund will resource these filmmakers with a $25,000 award per project to develop an original nonfiction documentary feature film or limited series for a “first look” by Firelight Films and Hulu. Hulu’s support of this program is part of Disney’s commitment to inspiring future generations of storytellers.
The third annual Hulu/Firelight Kindling Fund recipients are Cora Atkinson (co-producer, Summer of Soul […Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised]), Marco Williams (Two Towns of Jasper, Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre), and Zac Manuel (Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero).
In addition to the $25,000 award, each filmmaker will receive mentorship from executives at Firelight Films and Hulu’s documentary division. Awardees will be expected to work with Firelight Films to develop their documentary project into a robust treatment, pitch deck, budget, and schedule for a first look by Hulu. Project pitches considered for additional development or greenlight by Hulu will, if selected, be co-produced with Firelight Films and executive-produced by Stanley Nelson for streaming on Hulu.
“Firelight Films is proud to select Cora, Marco, and Zac for our third Hulu/Firelight Kindling Fund cohort,” said Firelight Films Co-Founder Stanley Nelson. “Each of these filmmakers has deep experience directing and producing artful and innovative documentaries that expand audiences’ understanding of and appreciation for Black culture, and, by extension, American culture. I’m grateful to our partners at Hulu for recognizing these filmmakers’ talent and resourcing the development of their projects.”
For the third cycle of the Hulu/Firelight Kindling Fund, selected filmmakers were invited to submit proposals directly to Firelight Films on an invitation-only basis.
Director/Producer: Cora Atkinson
Producer: Nosarieme Garrick, Music Supervisor: Jessica Rivera
V Is for Vixen is the untold story of the women who helped shape hip hop into a billion-dollar cultural force — and what it cost them to do it. As pioneers of evolving beauty standards and global influence, they reflect on what it took to define an era and what it means to reclaim their voice and take their power back.
The Notorious Larry Davis (Working Title)
Director: Marco Williams
Producers: Marco Williams, Carol Bash, Danielle Beverly, Maia Harris, Shukree Tilghman
A true crime thriller about the nineteen-year-old from the South Bronx who, in 1986, shot six NYPD officers, became a folk hero to the community that hid him, and when brought to trial for attempted murder of the cops, beat the rap. The film asks the question his acquittal never answered: who is a criminal?
Director: Zac Manuel
Producers: Caryn Capotosto, Diane Quon, Dave Harris
A character-driven dance documentary that follows elite choreographers working intimately with the world’s biggest stars, shining a spotlight on the artists that shape pop culture’s defining performances and whose personal journeys through dance continue to transform, empower and inspire.
Co-founded by acclaimed filmmaker Stanley Nelson, Firelight Films productions have garnered multiple Primetime Emmy, Peabody, IDA, and Sundance awards. Among them are WE WANT THE FUNK! (PBS’ Independent Lens), the Academy Award®-nominated Attica (Showtime/Paramount), Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre (HISTORY), Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy (Netflix), and Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool; The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution; and Freedom Riders, all for PBS. Upcoming projects include In Our Own Image: The Story of African-American Art, Harlem: The Soul of the Nation, and Creating the New World: The Transatlantic Slave Trade, a four-part documentary series, all for PBS.
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