Key Points
- Founded in partnership with the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation, The Louies welcome the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as a new partner for their third year.
- Six Miami-based documentary filmmakers will receive a combined $100,000, access to the Wolfson Archives and the opportunity to premiere their completed films at a future Miami Film Festival.
- Applications will be accepted through Nov. 6, 2026. Winners will be announced in January 2027.
MIAMI (September 29, 2026) – Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Miami Film Festival announces the return of The Louies, its annual documentary grant program that will award a total of $100,000 to six Miami-based filmmakers.
Created in partnership with the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation, The Louies enter their third year with the foundation’s continued leadership and support. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation joins the program as a new partner this year. Applications will be accepted through Nov. 6, 2026.
“The Louies were created to champion Miami documentary filmmakers and help local stories reach the big screen,” said James Woolley, executive director of MDC’s Miami Film Festival. “With the Knight Foundation joining the Wolfson Family Foundation, we can continue giving filmmakers the funding, resources and visibility they need to bring these stories to audiences.”
The $100,000 annual grant will be distributed across three categories.
- Feature Documentary ($50,000): One filmmaker will receive major funding to create a professional-quality documentary of 50 minutes or longer.
- Short Documentary ($10,000 each): Three filmmakers will receive $10,000 each to create a short film of eight to 12 minutes.
- Finishing Fund ($10,000 each): Two filmmakers will receive funding to complete feature-length documentaries in post-production.
Each recipient will also receive unlimited access to the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives at MDC and the opportunity to premiere their completed film at a future Miami Film Festival.
Three recipients from the program’s first year premiered their documentaries at the 43rd Miami Film Festival in April 2026:
- Rachelle Salnave’s “Dual Citizen,” a feature documentary following the filmmaker’s quest to obtain Haitian citizenship and the emotional legacy the journey carries for her father.
- Jayme Kaye Gershen’s “The Floor Remembers,” a short documentary about a beloved Miami roller rink. The film was named first runner-up for the Festival’s Short Film Audience Award.
- Symone Titania Major’s “Under the Mango Tree,” a short documentary tracing one family’s connection to a mango tree in Goulds and the history of the area’s once-thriving Black agricultural community.
“My grandmother Lynn believed Miami’s stories should be preserved and shared,” said Randi Wolfson Adamo, trustee of the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation. “This spring, we saw that vision come full circle when three Louies-funded films premiered at Miami Film Festival. We are proud to continue this work and welcome Knight Foundation as a partner in supporting the next generation of local documentary filmmakers.”
The second class of recipients, announced in January 2026, are developing projects including Kareem Tabsch’s “Save Our Children,” which revisits Anita Bryant’s 1977 campaign in Miami, and Monica Sorelle’s “Untitled Everglades Triptych,” an examination of Black and Indigenous histories in and around the Everglades.
“Miami is full of powerful stories and talented filmmakers who bring a distinct perspective to the communities they call home,” said Kristina Newman-Scott, VP/Arts at Knight Foundation. “Knight Foundation supported The Louies because it creates meaningful opportunities for local filmmakers to develop their work, reach audiences, and ensure that more of Miami’s stories are told by the people who know them best.”
About The Louies
The Louies honor the legacy of Louis Wolfson II, whose family founded Wometco Enterprises and Miami’s first television station, WTVJ. Originally launched in 1989 to support Florida filmmakers using archival footage, the program was reimagined in 2024 by Miami Film Festival and the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation.
Central to the program is access to the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives. Housed at MDC’s Wolfson Campus, the collection includes more than 35,000 hours of videotape and 23 million feet of film documenting Florida’s history.
How to Apply
- Applicants must be permanent Miami-Dade County residents, age 18 or older, and U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Feature documentary applicants must have completed a short documentary, while short documentary applicants may be first-time directors but must have film experience and credited work.
- The selection jury will prioritize proposed creative and meaningful use of the Wolfson Archives, encouraging filmmakers to connect historical footage with contemporary stories.
Key Dates
- Sept. 28 – Nov. 6, 2026: Applications open
- Oct. 13, 2026, 5:30 p.m.: Virtual information session (registration required)
- January 2027: Winners announced
- April 1 to 11, 2027: 44th Miami Film Festival
To apply or register for the information session, visit https://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 the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
We are social investors who support a more effective democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and the success of American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers.
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: Deborah Ramirez, 786-877-2295, debbie@pinzurpr.com; Rachel Pinzur, 305-725-2875, rachel@pinzurpr.com