Indie film director Lynn Shelton died two years ago, but her inspirational legacy lives on through the Lynn Shelton “Of A Certain Age” Grant. The $25,000 unrestricted cash grant is awarded to a woman, non-binary, or transgender U.S. filmmaker, age 39 or older, who has yet to direct their first narrative feature.
“This grant seeks to reinforce that great filmmakers can emerge at any age and to elevate the voices of a segment of the filmmaking community, who have precious few resources dedicated to supporting them yet plenty of stories to tell,” said Megan Griffiths, Shelton’s longtime friend and collaborator.
Shelton, who died at age 54 of acute myeloid leukemia and related organ failure, was a late bloomer herself and became one of the leading voices for independent filmmakers. Her body of work includes “Humpday,” “Your Sister’s Sister,” “Outside In,” and “Sword of Trust.” She directed her own first feature, “We Go Way Back,” when she was 39.
One of her latest works was the Hulu miniseries “Little Fires Everywhere.”
The idea for the grant comes from Shelton herself, who often spoke of feeling inspired after seeing filmmaker Claire Denis, 75, address the audience at a Northwest Film Forum. Denis did not make her first feature until she was 40.
“Lynn was 39 when I met her on her first feature, and I watched her grow as an artist and become more certain in her path with every passing year,” Griffiths told indiewire.com. “She wore her ‘late bloomer’ status as a badge of honor, and we know she would be thrilled that this grant exists in her name.”
The deadline for applying for this year’s award is September 7. Click here to apply.
