EXCLUSIVE: The Black List and the GM Incubator Fund have set emerging filmmakers Christina YR Lim and Suhashini “Sushi” Krishnan as the recipients of grants through their Writer-Driven Shorts program. Each will now receive a $100,000 grant to shoot a short film based on their feature scripts.
Both projects highlight communities that have been underrepresented in film with unique and specific points of view. Lim’s script, Gyopo, is described as a tender drama about the myth of the American dream that focuses on a violin prodigy’s relationship with her troubled brother and newly-single mother after they leave Korea to start a new life in the U.S.
“GYOPO is inspired by my family’s immigrant experience, and the opportunity to bring the story to life with our team of immensely talented AAPI creatives has truly been a special journey,” said Lim. “The grant has allowed our team the resources and support to elevate our vision in a way I’d only dreamed of, and has inspired valuable insight for the feature.”
Krishnan’s Legends is a comedy of errors that follows a college freshman who must pretend she’s a skilled Bollywood dancer after mistakenly receiving a full ride dance scholarship meant for another Mahira Choudhry.
Said the filmmaker, “Having the opportunity to make a proof of concept with our team and the incredible talent and resources this grant allows access to is a privilege I don’t take lightly. LEGENDS is a love letter to the world of Bollywood fusion dance, to the comedy classics like BRING IT ON that inspired it, and mostly, to the misfits and weirdos who belong nowhere and find their community in the last place they’d ever think to look for it.”
Launched in April 2023, the Writer-Driven Shorts program is committed to identifying and supporting filmmakers from marginalized backgrounds. In addition to the two $100,000 fellowships, the program also distributed fee waivers for one free month of hosting and two free evaluations on blcklst.com to 200 writers from traditionally underrepresented communities.
Stated Black List founder Franklin Leonard, “We at the Black List are infinitely appreciative of the generous support General Motors has provided to Christina and Sushi and their exceptional scripts. As a childhood violinist who likes to get down from time to time, I’m also personally looking forward to being able to watch these movies myself.”
Added Shenan Reed, global chief media officer at General Motors, “Seeing previously untold stories from underrepresented communities come to life in a meaningful way is one of the reasons we started the GM INvested Fund. We hope Christina and Sushi’s films inspire future generations of women of color to participate and tell their authentic stories.”
General Motors is represented by UTA Entertainment & Culture Marketing.
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