Fiscal Sponsees

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What We Do for Sponsees

Supporting Brave Storytellers

BraveMaker fiscally sponsors and supports brave storytellers in bringing their films and projects to life. Fiscal sponsorship entails filmmaker advocacy, mentoring, and production support in every phase of the maker and project’s life. Fiscal sponsorship also allows each filmmaker to raise tax-deductible funds from their supporters and patrons. Selected filmmakers receive financial bookkeeping support to track their donations and expenses. Fiscal sponsorship is key to applying for film grants, corporate sponsors and high level donors.

You can support the makers and projects below!

Want us to support your project? Apply using the button below.

Turbulence

Turbulence

Justin Feinman and Sean Patrick Small are reuniting to work on their next short film together. A dark comedy called “Turbulence.”

Logline

30,000 feet in the air, an unassuming passenger is asked politely by a flight attendant to leave the plane, mid-flight.

Synopsis

“Turbulence” is written, directed, produced, and edited by Justin Feinman, and will be co-directed and produced by Sean Patrick Small.
Our main cast includes Leah Knauer, and Justin Feinman.

Note from the writer/director

This story is very personal to me as it explores romantic relationships, and the fear and anxiety surrounding loneliness. I’ve spent over a year considering whether or not to make this piece, but I’m ultimately thrilled we’re moving forward with it. The money raised for this project will be going toward paying our cast and crew, as well as any production and post-production costs. Our biggest hurdle will be getting an airplane set to shoot on… they can be quite costly!
We can’t wait to make this vision a reality, so we thank you for your support, both financially and emotionally!

Dawn

Dawn

A film by Shia Shabazz Smith

Logline

A bereft wine bar steward finds solace in a mysterious drifter with a hidden past, sparking a transformative romance, forcing her to confront her deepest desires and reevaluate her life, love, and future.

Synopsis

Dawn used to want things in her life. After college, she wanted to be a therapist to help people journey through and solve their life’s problems. But mourning her parents’ death leaves her grief-stricken and unable to do more than serve the patrons of Biron Wine Bar. When Kamari enters, Dawn entertains his company but remains reluctant to invest her time, energy, or spirit into him. His charming presence and persistence intrigue her enough that she begins to open up to him and, inevitably, falls for him. So, when she uncovers Kamari’s deep, dark secret, she must decide if her feelings for him are the fleeting intoxicating facade of infatuation or if the transformation she experiences is true; worth changing her life… forever.

Ransom

Ransom

Based on true events.

Ransom tells the story of a senior who falls prey to a fake kidnapping scam. Lara receives a phone call from a man who claims—convincingly—that he has kidnapped her adult daughter. To win her safe release, he demands ever-increasing sums of money. How far will Lara go to save her daughter’s life?

Once produced, this film will be made available free of charge to senior centers, community centers, libraries, and schools in order to raise awareness about these scams, which often prey on the elderly. In partnership with public agencies that educate and support seniors, this project will prevent thousands of families from suffering devastating financial loss and emotional trauma.

Bernadette the Brave

Bernadette the Brave

After leaving her rural town and coming to the big city to follow her dreams, a young paralegal must face her fears with the help of a ragtag team, real and imagined, of already fearless women.

This series is 100% female in front and behind the camera. Themes of the series include body positivity. Mental Health. Emotional Baggage. Courage to step out of one’s self-doubt. Overcoming fear in order to forge one’s own path. Some comps are Youtube’s THE MISADVENTURES OF AWKWARD BLACK GIRL. Youtube’s FIRST.

Time Setters

Time Setters

A group of time traveling vigilantes go back in time to rescue Emmett Till. When an unassuming Marvin meets up with Fury. He thinks that she’s recruiting him for a law abiding social justice group. He is under the impression that he will be giving a speech to the members. Upon arriving at their destination he is introduced to the intimidating and yet charming Vengeance. Vengeance gives Marvin just enough information about their organization for him to make a decision. He is eventually tempted to join them because of his hunger for change. Within minutes, he travels with them back in time in order to rescue Emmett Till, but once they arrive in the 1955 Mississippi Delta their plans are immediately met by obstacles. Will the Time Setters have enough time to set things right?
I Thought You’d Never Ask

I Thought You’d Never Ask

By Jamal Trulove

Logline

A woman ages while waiting for her hesitant lover to propose, and when he finally does, a magical moment makes her young again.

Synopsis

Lisa encounters Nathan during a night out with her friends, sparking a love-at-first-sight connection. Desiring marriage and feeling the pressure of time slipping away, Lisa allows her friend to cast doubt on Nathan’s commitment, leading her to take decisive action. Despite Nathan’s own struggles of finding his lifetime partner, he offers his sensible explanation, but Lisa’s anxieties about her age and unmarried status persist. However, a single enchanting moment alters everything.

Floored

Floored

By Emily Alpren

Synopsis

A comedy of women’s pain. An aging actress must come to grips with everything falling part. Including her pelvic floor.

Exploring themes of female personhood and societal erasure as women age. Especially in a town like Hollywood.

Final Respects

Final Respects

A documentary film by Lamont Lamar.

When a South Los Angeles cemetery faces abandonment, a local mother races against time to secure her cemetery license.

Synopsis

As Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery faces abandonment, Aisha Woods takes on a mission to preserve her community’s connection to their departed loved ones. Throughout her journey, she navigates political and community bureaucracy, sacrificing her career and taking significant risks. We witness Aisha’s courage as she immerses herself in the cemetery business, leading to her preparation for a crucial test. The film delves into whether Aisha has what it takes to manage a cemetery and delves into her unwavering commitment to preserving her mother’s legacy.

Three Wishes

Three Wishes

A Shawna Khorasani film

After discovering a magic mug that grants her wishes, a burnt out insurance agent plots revenge when her rival coworker steals a promotion from her.

Synopsis

Three Wishes is a magical realism office comedy short film about believing in the impossible, but most importantly, yourself. I wrote it to question one of the most common “American Dream” tropes we’ve been fed all our lives–that if we go to school, work hard, and go above and beyond, eventually we’ll be rewarded for our hard work and it will all have been worth it. But when that doesn’t happen, where do we go from there? Do we continue spending the rest of our lives trying to “make it”, or do we say goodbye to an antiquated system in an increasingly capitalist world and create our own destinies? This is exactly what the main character, Taylor, has to grapple with in Three Wishes.

11th Hour Creatives

11th Hour Creatives

11th Hour Creatives is a filmmaking collective based in the Bay Area that prides itself on its diversity. The group consists of filmmakers, actors, writers, and other creatives who come together to produce high-quality films and other creative projects. The collective is committed to telling stories from a variety of perspectives and giving voice to underrepresented communities. With a focus on collaboration and inclusivity, 11th Hour Creatives is helping to create a more vibrant and diverse film industry in the Bay Area and beyond.

Tile Film Fest

Tile Film Fest

TILÈ is a film festival that provides a platform for emerging artists to showcase their stories on a large screen. Our festival is located in the San Francisco Bay Area and we strive to foster collaboration among local filmmakers by providing a space for networking opportunities. TILÈ is not just limited to film; we embrace all forms of storytelling and welcome diverse perspectives.

For more information, visit timelessfilmfest.org.

Effervescence

Effervescence

A short film written by Olga Gabris

Logline

Two travelers embark on a journey that will change them forever as they transcend into the Afterlife.

Synopsis

Matthew and Isabel meet on the train to SFO and realize that all their digital devices are gone. It’s foggy and gloomy with no way to tell what time it is; lack of signage inside the train doesn’t help either.

Isabel attempts to move to another train car and finds that all doors are jammed. Matthew has tried everything and gave up, and this discovery creates an instant bond between them.

With nothing left to do, Matthew opens up to Isabel about his girlfriend’s infidelity, and she brings up her own relationship trauma. There’s an intercom on the wall that wasn’t there at first, so they rush to learn more about their trip from the operator. Something is off. A robotic voice tells them to “be seated until they reach their destination”.

At last, they see a small screen above the intercom, where the news anchor covers local obituaries. Turns out, Matthew jumped off a rooftop the night before, and Isabel overdosed on sleep medication.

“Imagine if we met sooner? – None of this would have happened.” becomes the central dramatic question of the film.

They walk toward the glow seeping from under the train door. It’s dark yet also bubbly, effervescent. Matthew takes Isabel’s hand into his, and together, they dissolve into the shimmering light.

Lost, Not Forgotten

Lost, Not Forgotten

A short film by Sean Patrick Small

High school senior fills the void of his abandoned father with drugs and alcohol until the crumbling of his world forces him to break the endless cycle of addiction. Shane, a high school senior, is in a cycle of drugs, alcohol, and running from the people that are willing to show him love. He is just skating by in school, smart enough to go places but not wanting to put in the work, and is lost in a world where he doesn’t want to figure out who he is. He doesn’t want to figure that out, but he’s scared he is like his father, who left him for drugs and alcohol, and he doesn’t see the parallels of this until his life crumbles around him and he realizes he has to be the one to determine his own fate and break this cycle.

Sweet Santa Barbara Brown

Sweet Santa Barbara Brown

In the Reagan era of 1983, a group of famous pro basketball players stroll through sunny Santa Barbara. Amidst the warm rays of the sun and the indulgence of ice cream, tensions arise among teammates, fueled by their divergent perspectives on progress for black people in America.

Meanwhile flawed decisions made by local police officers set in motion events that will thrust the men into a scenario where they will face lethal consequences. This short film, “Sweet Santa Barbara Brown,” explores the collision of race, celebrity, and life-or-death choices against the backdrop of a picturesque beach town.

Producer/writer Solomon Hughes is an actor known most recently for playing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.on two seasons of HBO’s Winning Time.

Art of Survival

Art of Survival

On February 24th, tens of thousands had to flee their homes and Ukraine found itself in a war for more than just their land and lives, but for their cultural heritage. Museums faced a dilemma: how to secure and keep safe thousands of art pieces that were unique to Ukraine? Oleksandra Kovalchuk, Acting Director for Odesa Museum of Fine Arts, was one of those that fled to safety, a mid-30’s new mom who was determined to rally support for each and every museum desperate to find resources to pack and secure each piece. But then where to store it? Where to hide it from an invading army with intents on eliminating all that makes Ukraine its own country? Oleksandra united the museum workers and organized an incredible international endeavor to save all the art she can, all while her country is under siege. Since the beginning of the war, they’ve managed to channel funds for more than 40 art institutions in Ukraine. From Kiev to Odesa, this documentary film follows six brave women who brought together international partners to keep the dreams and hopes of Ukraine alive in their darkest hour: “Art of Survival: Ukraine’s Battle to Save Their Cultural Heritage.”

Watch the trailer here.

La Última Memoria (Completed)

La Última Memoria (Completed)

Inspired by the passing of his grandmother, “La Última Memoria” is a story based on filmmaker Felipe Barandiaran’s grandmother’s fight with Alzheimer’s. “La Última Memoria” is a narrative short film about Mamina holding on to her final memory of her and her daughter. In the short film, we take a deep dive into how she attempts to grasp this final memory as her mind deteriorates shown through beautiful visuals. “La Última Memoria” is currently in pre-production with plans for production fall of 2023.
Ball Is Ball (Completed)

Ball Is Ball (Completed)

Inspired by the life experience of writer/director Kayla Robinson, Ball is Ball is a narrative short film about the lasting impact and complicated nuances of sexual assault. The story follows Robin Coleman, a high school basketball star who’s caught the attention of her dream college — and her crush. While sharing the excitement, she misplaces her trust in a friend and soon learns the ill-intention of another unsuspected admirer. Ball is Ball premiered at the BraveMaker Film Fest in 2022 and is currently screening at film festivals and educational institutions. 

Glimpse (Completed)

Glimpse (Completed)

Glimpse is a digital series (by Alexander Gonzalez, Katherine Mendez and Renato Paniagua Jr.) that showcases perspectives from everyday people of diverse cultures, genders, and backgrounds within a specific career field so that young people can feel inspired and empowered to pursue their dreams fearlessly in a fun and captivating format. Glimpse has completed its first episode and has a second in the works. Watch EPISODE ONE.

Pregnant on the Streets

Pregnant on the Streets

A documentary chronicling the individual battles and personal victories of three women who are or were Pregnant on the Streets in the San Francisco Bay Area. Without a home, they desperately desire to raise their children in a safe and healthy environment. We come to witness the struggle of their lives but also the possibilities for redemption and a hopeful future. Produced by Rebel Monk Production and directed by Laura Ferro.

The Scarlet Thread (Completed)

The Scarlet Thread (Completed)

This short, live-action narrative, directorial debut film is inspired by the real life personal experience of the writer/director’s gambling addiction. The Scarlet Thread is about an esteemed high school teacher who harbors a secret that isolates her in shame until she is forced to confront the conflict within herself. Written + to be Directed by Terri Smith. Filmed July 2020 during the Covid pandemic, completed post-production in early 2021, had its online premier June 2021 and is now available to watch on our Youtube channel here.

The New Roxy Theater

The New Roxy Theater

A feature length documentary about the Mississippi Delta town of Clarksdale exploring the tensions of black film spectatorship during segregation through the stories of a defunct movie house. Drawing upon memories of Jim Crow’s harsh realities and its toll on black movie-goers, family and friends foster a sense of belonging and community around the New Roxy Theater. Directed by Daryl B. Jones, Black Leaf Films. Currently set to be in production summer 2023.
Madina Papel (Completed)

Madina Papel (Completed)

Our first fiscally sponsored project came to us in early 2019. The short, animated, narrative film MADINA PAPEL was created and directed by a team of women. Madina Papel seeks to tell the story of a city made of paper. When one citizen returns to the homeland, marked with the spectrum of colors, they are faced with their family’s wrath as they struggle to accept this new reality within the colorless city walls. Directed by Eun Bi Chang, Story by Samah Damanhoori. The film was completed in 2021.