Films to explore South Florida’s pivotal moments and people, from social movements and distinct cultural expressions to untold stories and unique spaces
MIAMI (January 28, 2026) – Documentaries help communities understand their past and imagine a better future. This year, six Miami‑based filmmakers will take up that mantle as recipients of The Louies, an initiative presented by the Miami Film Festival and sponsored by the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation. Now in its second year, the award will provide a combined $100,000 to support new films that illuminate the stories, cultural identities and iconic figures that define South Florida’s past and present.
In addition to funding, recipients will have the opportunity to premiere their work at future editions of the Miami Film Festival and receive unlimited access to the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives at Miami Dade College.
Three previous Louies winners – Jayme Kaye Gershen (The Floor Remembers), Symone Titania Major (Under the Mango Tree), and Rachelle Salnave (Dual Citizen) – will premiere their films at the upcoming Miami Film Festival (April 9-19, 2026).
“The Louies exist to champion Miami documentary storytellers,” said James Woolley, Executive Director of Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival. “These filmmakers are preserving the histories, cultures and voices that embody South Florida, and we’re committed to giving them the support and visibility their work deserves.”
This year’s winners and their projects are recognized in the following categories:
Feature-length Documentary ($50,000)
Kareem Tabsch – Save Our Children
The film revisits singer and beauty queen Anita Bryant’s explosive 1977 Miami crusade, a campaign that became the blueprint for modern attacks on queer Americans and equality. Save Our Children explores how a celebrity singer overturned the city’s anti‑discrimination ordinance by wielding religion, fear and misinformation to cast gay and lesbian people as threats to children. “At this point in my career, I’m committed to using my experience, platform and storytelling craft to illuminate how history, politics, and identity intersect,” said Tabsch. “And to inspire empathy, dialogue and change.”
Short Documentary ($10,000 each)
Matt Deblinger – Uncle Luke vs. America (working title) explores how Miami became a 1990s free‑speech battleground as Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell’s explicit tracks ignited obscenity charges and culminated in a landmark Supreme Court ruling on creative freedom. Matt Deblinger, director and co-producer; Diliana Alexander, producer. “Through its music, nightlife and courtroom drama, the film captures how a South Florida community’s fight for artistic expression reshaped the cultural landscape of America,” said Deblinger.
Jessica Huppert Berman – Twin Suns: The Scull Sisters Story profiles Miami’s iconic Scull sisters—identical twins and Cuban artists whose colorful, three‑dimensional paintings became beloved fixtures in Cuban restaurants and cultural spaces, creating an artistic bridge between Havana and Miami.
“Twin Suns is a tribute to the Sculls and their works’ boundless optimism,” said Huppert Berman.
Monica Sorelle – Untitled Everglades Triptych examines Black and Indigenous histories in and around the Everglades through distinct but parallel stories of migration, refuge and displacement.
“I believe examining the past is crucial to breaking cycles,” said Sorelle. “If we don’t, as the current moment teaches us, we are doomed to repeat ourselves.”
Finishing Funds ($10,000 each)
Forrest Canaday – First Come, First Serve tells the story of the Swap Shops flea market through three intertwining narratives: its rise as an unlikely economic and cultural hub, the personal and artistic journey of Marie Franco, a painter who grew up there, and the uncertainty of its future in a rapidly changing South Florida. Forrest Canaday, Lead Producer, Ermol Clearfoster Sheppard II, Director.
The film “captures the Swap Shop as it stands today, before the forces of development and time decide what comes next,” said Canaday.
Carlos Gutierrez – The Bay of Pigs Project offers a deeply personal look at the men who returned to Miami after the Kennedy-era failed invasion of Cuba to rebuild their lives, raise families and forge a new community.
“Through this film, I want to show that the Bay of Pigs isn’t just a story of loss or politics; it’s the foundation of the Miami I grew up in, a city defined by courage, sacrifice, and the unwavering will to begin again,” said Gutierrez.
Bios and images are available here. High-resolution photos of the 2026 Louies winners can also be accessed here. (Please credit the filmmaker).
Honorable Mentions
In addition, three filmmakers, Jon David Kane, Alicia Edwards and Oana Whaples received Honorable Mentions for their submissions and will each receive a stipend and complimentary access to the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives to complete their projects.
About The Louies
Named for Louis Wolfson II, whose family founded Miami’s first TV station WTVJ, The Louies were reimagined in 2024 to support South Florida’s documentary filmmakers. Created in partnership with the Miami Film Festival and the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation, the initiative amplifies local voices by funding projects that celebrate the region’s vibrant culture and history. Recipients are selected by a distinguished jury.
Central to the program is access to the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives at Miami Dade College, home to more than 35,000 hours of video and film documenting Florida’s past. This unparalleled resource allows filmmakers to bring their stories to life with footage that spans Miami’s cultural landmarks to defining historical events.
“We’re proud to continue The Louies and carry forward my family’s legacy of education and historical preservation,” said Randi Wolfson Adamo, trustee of the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation. “South Florida’s stories deserve to be seen, heard, and held close, and The Louies help make that possible.”
For more information about The Louies, visit www.miamifilmfestival.com/thelouies.
About Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival
Celebrating cinema in two annual events, Miami Film Festival and GEMS, Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival is considered the preeminent film festival for showcasing Ibero-American cinema in the U.S., and a major launch pad for all international and documentary cinema. The annual Festival welcomes more than 45,000 audience members and more than 400 filmmakers, producers, talent and industry professionals. It is the only major festival housed within a college or university. In the last five years, the Festival has screened films from more than 60 countries, including 300 World, International, North American, U.S. and East Coast Premieres. The Festival also offers unparalleled educational opportunities to film students and the community at large. For more information, visit www.miamifilmfestival.com or call 305-237-FILM (3456).
About Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation
Established by Lynn Wolfson in 2014, the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation’s two-part mission provides support for education that furthers vocations in film, video, and broadcasting, as well as funds the arts in South Florida. The founding family’s success in media propelled interest in supporting education for the betterment of all related industries. Louis Wolfson II served as senior vice president of Wometco Enterprises, a paragon of the business community and media industry in South Florida and nationally until his passing. Lynn Wolfson initiated the Wolfson Florida Moving Image Archives now housed at Miami Dade College and supported all forms of arts in South Florida. Now guided by the next generations of the Wolfson family, the foundation is pleased to partner with the Miami Film Festival on The Louies.
The Louies Media Contacts: Debbie Ramirez, 786-877-2295, debbie@pinzurpr.com; Rachel Pinzur, 305-725-2875, rachel@pinzurpr.com