Ava DuVernay Launches Array Grants To Support Arts Organizations Focused On People Of Color And Women, Film Festivals Impacted By COVID-19

Dino-Ray Ramos
·3 min read

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Ava DuVernay’s Array Alliance has launched Array Grants, a $250,000 funding initiative for arts organizations that focus on narrative change by people of color and women of all kinds. The fund helps support film festivals and screening series impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

Array Grants looks to provide vital financial support to grassroots entities that look to make narrative change. Unrestricted Array Grants of $10,000 have been awarded to the following 14 inaugural honorees that serve African-American, Latinx, Asian-American, Native- American, multiethnic and women-centric film communities: BronzeLens Film Festival, Cine Latino Film Festival, IllumiNative, Sankofa Film Society, Gary International Black Film Festival, UrbanWorld Festival, Cinema Sala, Lumbee Film Festival, Indigenous Film Festival, Black Femme Supremacy Film Festival, Visual Communications, ImageNation, Cinema Detroit and the Houston Museum of African American Culture. Additional Array Grants were also presented to The Sarah Jones Film Foundation and to Wilson Morales of BlackFilm.com.

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Array has also convened 14 grantees for its inaugural Array Ascend at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Array also awarded consultation grants and commissioned Bridge Philanthropy to provide ongoing strategic mentorship addressing the more urgent needs of the organizations. The nominations process is not currently open so the initiative is not taking submissions for organizations impacted by COVID 19. The aforementioned organizations have already received their funding and they have been impacted by COVID-19

“Establishing Array Grants furthers Array’s mission to support arts advocates around the country that are cultural necessities in their communities. With more content from creators of color and women being made, it’s crucial to support the organizations that nurture and nourish these voices,” said Regina Miller, Array Alliance Executive Director. “In just the last few weeks, we’ve all gained a new appreciation for the value of human connection and the simple comfort of being together, sharing stories, in a place that feels safe and welcoming. Every community deserves that.”

“The major impact of the grant is that we are able to survive without permanently closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Paula Guthat, co-founder, Cinema Detroit. “We are committed to keeping the movie-going experience accessible to as many people in our community as possible. However, unlike many other arts organizations, we do not have financial reserves. I never would have known how to go about finding funding sources without the consulting advisement that came with the financial support from Array Grants. We have almost no experience navigating the nonprofit world, but now Cinema Detroit has a chance to survive.”

The grantees are determined by nomination only. An independent committee comprised of leaders from the philanthropic, entertainment and academic sectors draw on their expertise and networks to identify extraordinary candidates.

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