This grant seeks to recognize a film director for their distinct vision, storytelling, and singularity.

In 2020, The Lynn Shelton “Of A Certain Age” Grant was established by Northwest Film Forum alongside Duplass Brothers Productions to honor Seattle filmmaker Lynn Shelton, who passed away tragically on May 16th, 2020. Lynn Shelton often spoke of feeling inspired after seeing filmmaker Claire Denis speak at Northwest Film Forum and learning that Denis did not make her first feature until age 40. Shelton went on to make her own first feature film (We Go Way Back) at the age of 39. In the years since, she built a prolific canon of feature and television work and made an indelible mark on the landscape of American cinema.

• Eligible filmmakers must have “director” credit on at least one short film or feature documentary and have a desire to work in the narrative space. Filmmakers with “director” credit on a feature-length (70+ min) narrative film will not be considered.
• Filmmaker should be a woman, non-binary, and/or transgender individual, and be 39 years or older at the time of their application.
• Filmmaker must be able to receive income in the U.S.
• Filmmaker should be at a point in their career where such recognition would be meaningful and provide needed support.

• Tuesday, August 10 – Application opens
• Friday, August 20 – Info Session, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. PST
• Tuesday, September 7 – Application closes at 9 p.m. PST
• Wednesday, October 6 – All applicants notified
• Wednesday, October 20 – Finalist extended materials due
• Tuesday, November 16 – Recipient Announcement

The grant fund was spearheaded by Duplass Brothers Productions, which includes Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, and Mel Eslyn, and has since been bolstered by many others including Washington-based production company COLOR, Eliza Flug, Tracy Rector, Joshua Leonard & Alison Pill, Marc Maron, CB Shamah, Michaela Watkins & Fred Kramer, Jennessa & Robert West.

Supporters of the inaugural grant include Chris & Philip Wohlstetter.

The poet Byron in 1817 wrote, “She was not old, nor young, nor at the years / Which certain people call a certain age / Which yet the most uncertain age appears.” The Oxford English Dictionary defined certain, when used in this context, as “which it is not polite or necessary further to define.” In naming the grant, we hoped to reclaim the phrase and imbue it with a sense of power and positivity. Lynn wore her “late bloomer” status as a badge of honor, and there was an appreciation and an immediacy to the way Lynn approached her film and TV career which she openly credited to the fact that she got a later start than most. She specialized in humane comedy, and this grant name is a nod to both her life and her humor.

“Keisha Rae Witherspoon is one of those filmmakers that make you excited about what’s possible. The way she conveys characters that are at once both completely unique yet also familiar–like people who you actually know but no one you’ve ever met. To me, I see a direct connection to the work of Lynn Shelton there,” says [juror Nahnatchka] Khan, who collaborated with Shelton on Fresh Off the Boat. “The way Lynn was able to drop you into the lives of people who felt real and true and then take you on a journey to show you how everyone is totally unique. Keisha continues in that tradition by also blurring the lines between reality and fiction and playing with tone in a way that makes you feel rooted in something and also slightly off-balance at the same time. I imagine Lynn would be delighted to discover the work of this talented new storyteller.”

• Read full press release announcement.
• Read article and interview with Keisha Rae Witherspoon via Indiewire.
• See surprise announcement with the jurors below.

2020’s Of a Certain Age grant nominees are a truly talented collection of filmmakers from around the United States — and like Shelton, they have singular, powerful voices the world needs to hear. Though this list does not encompass every nominee, read on to meet 25 of them and watch samples of their work. And make sure you scroll to the bottom, where they each offer inspiring words of advice to up-and-coming filmmakers.

Read full article via REDEFINE magazine.