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EXCLUSIVE: “Neo, sooner or later you’re going to realize just as I did that there’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path,” states Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus to Keanu Reeve’s character in the Lily Wachowski’s co-penned and co-helmed The Matrix.
Almost 30 years after the genre and culturally defining Matrix first came out, those words and that worldview are something the filmmaker takes very seriously as a series of grants from Wachowski’s Anarchist United Foundation makes very clear. Emphasizing the non-profits triple ethos of artistry, diversity, and equity in media, AU has launched three new grant programs of $20,000 each.
“In these hard and weird times, Anarchists United Foundation is a necessary response,” founder Wachowski told Deadline today of her 2023 created initiative. “And in supporting artists and uplifting the values of artistry, diversity and equity it will ensure that the future of film and television is as wide and expansive as the citizenry it purports to represent,” the Sense8 co-creator adds.
Submissions for the trio of grants, which you can see below, is open now and runs until November 29, 2024. You can apply here.
The selection committee for these AU grants include the likes of Pose co-creator Steven Canals, Bryce Dallas Howard, filmmakers J.D. Dillard, Cheryl Dunye, Bryce Dallas Howard, John Watts and others. Successful grant applicants will be notified next spring.
Anarchists United Feature Film Incubator Grant
Awards $20,000 USD to One Recipient / Feature Film Development Grant
Open to elevated genre feature film proposals by writers and/or directors whose work in front of and behind the camera aims to serve narratives that further Artistry, Diversity, and Equity and uplift those from historically underserved communities.
Anarchists United Visionary Filmmaker Grant
Awards $20,000 USD to One Recipient / Artist In Residence Grant
Open to established writers and/or directors whose work aims to serve narratives that further Artistry, Diversity, and Equity and uplift those from historically underserved communities.
The JJ Ingram Chicago Visionary Filmmaker Grant
Awards $20,000 USD to One Recipient / Artist In Residence Grant
Open to established writers and/or directors based in Chicago, IL, Lilly Wachowski’s home town, whose work aims to serve narratives that further Artistry, Diversity and Equity and uplift those from historically underserved communities.
“Anarchists United Foundation’s mission to bridge artistic vision with commercial viability resonates deeply with me,” states the organization’s Creative Executive and Grants Program Director Sarah Flores Tuesday. “As we navigate the evolving landscape of the entertainment industry, it’s crucial to uplift voices and ensure that everyone has a seat at the table. The 2025 grant programs are a testament to Anarchists United’s commitment to identifying and supporting the next generation of leaders in our industry.”
Flores and Wachowski also have their Anarchist United shingle, which produces projects based on the same core principals of artistry, diversity, and equity in media that are at the foundation of the AU Foundation. Recently as Deadline exclusively reported, the company boarded guiding Andrew Joseph White’s queer debut novel, Hell Followed With Us, into a full-length animated feature.
