NewFest Names 2026 New Voices Grant Winners With Netflix
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- NewFest named Georgia Krause, Star Amerasu, Deborah Devyn Chuang, and directing duo AJ Dubler & Carmela Murphy as recipients of its 2026 New Voices Filmmaker Grant, marking the program's fifth year.
- Each recipient receives a $25,000 grant and career development opportunities, funded through NewFest's collaborative partnership with Netflix to support queer storytellers.
- The cohort was selected from more than 500 applications, with New Voices Filmmaker Grant Coordinator Arno Mokros supporting the evaluation process.
- Jury members Silas Howard (director of By Hook or By Crook), River Gallo (writer and star of Ponyboi), and Merrill Sterritt (Field of Vision's IF/Then Shorts director and senior partnerships manager) chose the 2026 honorees.
- Interim Executive Director Lesli Klainberg said the filmmakers' work spans stop-motion animation, documentary, slapstick comedy, science fiction, and body genre, calling their perspectives 'inspired and fresh.'
- Past recipients have gone on to earn writing credits on studio series and develop feature films, working with mentors including Andrew Ahn, Isabel Sandoval, Charlotte Wells, Chase Joynt, and Howard Gertler.
Why it matters: Four emerging LGBTQ+ filmmakers each gain $25,000 plus mentorship from established queer directors, culled from a pool of 500+ applicants — a concrete pipeline that has already placed past grant recipients on studio writing staffs and in feature development, now entering its fifth year with Netflix's continued backing.
