Northwest Movie Discussion board (NWFF) has introduced filmmaker Jessica Sanders because the recipient of the 2025 Lynn Shelton Of a Sure Age Grant, as IndieWire shares solely.
Co-founded by Duplass Brothers Productions (DBP) with NWFF, the grant is now in its sixth yr. It awards $25,000 to a U.S.-based lady, nonbinary, or transgender filmmaker, age 39 or older, who has but to direct a story function. “The grant seeks to acknowledge a movie director for his or her distinct imaginative and prescient, storytelling, and singularity,” per the discharge.
Sanders is an Oscar-nominated (quick topic “Sing!” on the 2002 Oscars), Sundance, SXSW, and Cannes-winning director and producer of quick movies, commercials, and have documentaries. Sanders will obtain an unrestricted award of $25,000 to help the making of her debut narrative function movie,” I Need to Really feel Enjoyable,” which she describes as an “improvised comedy set in Los Angeles, weaving intersecting tales of affection, longing, and connection. Mixing comedy greats with on a regular basis individuals, the movie is an surprising, emotional journey throughout the town’s numerous neighborhoods.”
The movie started as a brief that premiered on the 2025 Tribeca Pageant.
“It’s an honor to obtain this grant as Lynn Shelton is a filmmaking pioneer who was a serious inspiration to me,” stated Sanders. “I really feel her spirit lives on this movie, which is completely improvised, made within the spirit to create, have enjoyable, and craft a movie that celebrates the comedy and textures of life.”
Sanders was chosen from a listing of 9 finalists. The opposite eight finalists had been Andrea Maxwell, Erin Brown Thomas, Lana Wilson, Radha Mehta, Fatemeh Hosseini, Masami Kawai, Esther Casas Roura, and Celine Tricart. The award choice committee was composed of three movie business professionals: Miciana Alise, Olivia Newman, and Suzi Yoonessi. This yr’s award course of was stewarded by NWFF and grant supervisor Emily Zimmerman.
Final yr’s recipient of the Lynn Shelton Of A Sure Age grant was Jing Zou for her movie “A Woman Unknown,” presently in improvement.
