WAVE grant
The WAVE (Women at the Very Edge) Grant is devoted to supporting emerging filmmakers from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to tell their own “great f**king story.” Each year, we select five recipients to receive a $5,000 seed grant for the production of their first short film. Recipients also receive extensive mentorship from Wavelength’s award-winning team, guiding them though all aspects of development, production, post-production, festival strategy, and more - an MBA in filmmaking if you will! In addition, we offer in-kind partner services, including crowdfunding mentorship from Seed&Spark, camera equipment from Fujifilm, a WeTransfer subscription, and coloring services from Nice Shoes.
Check back later for more information on the 2027 WAVE Grant cycle.
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FIVE GRANTEES each receive a $5,000 seed grant for the production of their short film.
GRANTEES receive robust individual and peer-to-peer mentorship. The Wavelength team and film industry professionals assist with strategies around development, production, post-production, and distribution. Grantees meet regularly with one another for group mentorship and updates.
GRANTEES receive in-kind coloring services from our partners at Nice Shoes
ALL APPLICANTS receive invites to a free virtual 5-part workshop series from Seed&Spark covering crowdfunding, pitching, budgeting, and distribution. The selected GRANTEES each get 1:1 advice from a Seed&Spark crowdfunding expert on their campaign.
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Wavelength’s WAVE Grant is for a short narrative film of approximately 10 minutes. Shorts already in production or post-production will not be considered.
Production of the short must be completed within 2026. Production cannot begin before April 2026.
This project must be the applicant’s scripted directorial debut. Student films do not count as prior work. Applicants may have prior experience in the film industry but cannot have directed a scripted short or feature film before.
Applicants must own the copyright of their production and have budgetary and editorial control.
Applicants must be based in the United States and will be required to provide proof of residency.
Student films, feature films, series, and engagement/outreach campaigns will not be considered. Documentary concepts or films in need of finishing funds will not be considered.
Directing duos or teams are not eligible.
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Script – Your script does not have to be final. Works in progress are accepted (and encouraged!).
Project Information — This information will help us understand your mentoring needs and how far along your project is:
Schedule – draft of the film’s schedule through the end of 2026
Budget — we know this exercise may be daunting for first-time filmmakers. Do your best and have fun with it! We will use it as a baseline for determining what budgeting mentorship you may need.
Collaborators – note any key collaborators attached at this time such as producers, heads of department, talent, etc.
Resume/CV
Video pitch – 1-3 minute video introducing yourself and the project. The pitch is an opportunity for the WAVE Grant team to get to know you and your film, and we encourage you to show up as your authentic, creative self. Some optional items to touch on in your video are:
A bit about yourself and what drives your interest in filmmaking
Your vision for the film, including style and tone
Your inspiration for the film
Any attached producers, cast, or crew
Supplemental Materials (optional) – Feel free to include any supplemental materials you’ve created to date. This could be a pitch deck, look book, treatment, or anything else that will give us further insight to your project’s synopsis, style and/or tone
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Applications open: October 15, 2025
Applications close: November 16, 2025 at 11:59pm PT
Interviews with finalists: January 2025
All applicants will be notified by February 15, 2026 of the status of their submission
WAVE Grant program begins: late February 2026
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Brittany Bendabout
FASTER
When a brash stripper with nothing to lose is pushed to her limit, we see what she's really made of.
Artist bio: Brittany Bendabout (b. 1995, Tulsa, Oklahoma) is a documentary photographer and filmmaker. An enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, her work explores the identification and cultural involvement of Native Americans in Oklahoma. She has contributed to renowned films as an assistant cameraperson, such as The Lowdown, Reservations Dogs, and Fancy Dance. Her directorial debut for FASTER is currently in development. FASTER explores themes of female rage and vengeance born from sexual assault—emotions often silenced or paralyzing to the victim. FASTER is a deeply personal work that reflects the all-too-common female experience and the complex, often furious ways women reclaim their power in the aftermath of trauma at the hands of men in power.
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Christina Nieves
SUMMER THING
A queer summer romance hits its expiration date but no one is ready to say goodbye.
Artist bio: Christina Nieves is a queer, Puerto Rican director, screenwriter and actor focused on Latine and LGBTQ+ driven content. Born in Queens, New York and raised in South Florida, Christina's TV writing credits include HBO Max's Generation and Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies for Paramount Plus, as well as Freeform’s Motherland: Fort Salem and Vida for Starz. She has developed projects with Showtime, Paramount Plus, NBC Universal, Universal Content Productions, and Working Title, among others. Christina holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from DePaul University and a Master of Fine Arts in TV and Screenwriting from Stephens College.
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Isobel Obrecht
BRING YOUR OWN FORKS
Fed up with her isolation, a woman posts a Craigslist ad that brings four strangers together for a bizarre encounter with a side of pie.
Artist bio: Isobel Obrecht a first time filmmaker and long time pie lover. Isobel has worked as a writer, actor, designer, and director in theater. Isobel has also worked as a fact checker and associate producer for Have I Got News For You (US). No matter the medium, Isobel has always loved storytelling as means of escape, defense, and liberation. Isobel sees storytelling and art making as a way to build community with other artists trying to make our world a little better, one piece of artwork at a time.
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Jaelyn Ellis
SPOILS OF OFFICE
A headstrong teen is forced to confront a painful truth when her mother makes a morally compromising choice during her re-election campaign.
Artist bio: Jaelyn Ellis is an NYC-based writer, director, and producer from South Carolina. Her work centers underrepresented stories with nuance and humanity beyond trauma. Her thesis film Girlhood received support from The Future of Film is Female and has been curated by the Museum of Modern Art and NoBudge. She founded Craft House Pictures, where she has produced projects that premiered at Palm Springs ShortFest, HollyShorts, Frameline, and NewFest. Jaelyn is a graduate of Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts and works on independent feature films as a Line Producer and Unit Production Manager.
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Kat Schulze
THE GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT
It is feet washing day at church. A converted mother tries to keep her daughters’ toes away from older men.
Artist bio: Kat Schulze is a Canadian artist and film non-profit professional based in Los Angeles. Since 2019, Kat has worked for the Sundance Institute, initially contributing to the Documentary Film Program and currently serving as the Manager of the Ignite Program, which fosters emerging filmmakers through the Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Fellowship. Kat lends their curatorial skills to various film funds and festivals, including the International Documentary Association, and offers creative consultation to independent filmmakers. Kat is in development on their first narrative short film, THE GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT, with the support of the 2026 WAVE Grant
PODCAST
In its commitment to providing resources for first time filmmakers, Wavelength officially launched REEL TALK: A WAVE Grant Podcast in November 2023, which takes the listener through the process of directing their first short film, from the earliest ideation stage to screening at film festivals and beyond. Hosted by 2022 WAVE Grant alums and filmmakers Ana Verde and Amy Omar, the 10-episode podcast explores a different phase of the filmmaking process each episode and serves as a resource for emerging filmmakers, featuring interviews with prominent writers, directors, producers, editors, and more.