2022 SFFILM Rainin Grant Finalists

Thursday, Aug 4, 2022

SFFILM recently announced the finalists for the 2022 SFFILM Rainin Grant, the flagship artist development program offered by SFFILM Makers in partnership with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. Twenty-eight filmmaking teams have been shortlisted as contenders to receive funding for their narrative projects at different stages of production. Congratulations to the 8 Tisch alumni and students recognized for their work!

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2022 SFFILM Rainin Grant Finalists

Dreaming of Lions — Paolo Marinou-Blanco '07 (MFA, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), Writer/Director/Producer
A dark surreal and satirical comedy about euthanasia. Gilda and Amadeu meet at an underground organisation that claims to help the terminally ill kill themselves painlessly for a fee, as they try to bypass the fact euthanasia is illegal. But when they discover the workshop is just a money-making scam, they take matters into their own hands and go on a wild surreal adventure to finalize their plans, falling in love along the way.

In My Father’s House — Abbesi Akhamie (MFA Candidate, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), Writer/Director
In My Father’s House is a millennial coming-of-age drama that follows Anike, a grief-stricken woman who travels to Lagos, Nigeria after the death of her mother seeking closure from her estranged father who abandoned her over 10 years ago.

Late Spring — Yuan Yuan '22 (MFA, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), Writer/Director
A Chinese factory worker travels to New York for her daughter’s eagerly anticipated college graduation, only to be thrust into a desperate search in unfamiliar territory when she learns the girl is missing.

Ovum — Cidney Hue '11 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film & TV, Writer/Director
In a not-so-distant America, a woman is forced to watch her unborn fetus grow up over and over again before she can get a life saving abortion.

Ruby: Portrait of a Black Teen in an American Suburb — Raven Johnson '19 (MFA, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), Writer/Director/Producer
A coming-of-age tale set during the height of Covid-19 and racial justice protests after the murder of George Floyd. Ruby: Portrait of a Black Teen in an American Suburb follows the story of Ruby, a fifteen-year-old, Liberian American teenager and a wannabe TikTok star, as she deals with the sudden breakup of her closest friendship after her best friend, Kiki, begins dating a much older man.

The President’s Cake — Hasan Hadi (MFA Candidate, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), Writer/Director
While people struggle daily to survive under sanctions in Saddam’s Iraq, nine-year-old Saeed must use his wits to gather ingredients for the mandatory cake to celebrate President Saddam Hussein’s birthday or face the consequences – prison or death.

The Stud — Matthew Puccini '16 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film & TV) Writer/Director
A pair of queer teenagers set off to sneak into the closing night of The Stud, San Francisco’s oldest gay bar.

Where is the Healer? — Tebogo Malebogo (MFA Candidate, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), Writer/Director/Producer
A tenacious director attempts to remake a forgotten B-movie in his own image, and Ayanda is tasked with scouting the perfect cast. She quickly gets taken on an odyssey through modern-day South Africa as she gets caught up in the tangle of people’s lives.