SIFF announces winning projects of 2025 Courageous Documentary Filmmaking Grants

SEATTLE – Today, SIFF announced the winning projects of the second year of its SIFF Grant for Courageous Documentary Filmmaking program, distributing $450,000 in funding to documentary filmmakers across Washington State. The program was first introduced on opening night of SIFF’s 50th annual Seattle International Film Festival in May 2024 and has since awarded funding to 13 projects over the course of two years, with seven new recipients joining the slate in 2025.

“Documentary storytelling has always been part of SIFF’s DNA,” said SIFF Artistic Director Beth Barrett. “Supporting the filmmakers who reveal, question, and celebrate our world through nonfiction storytelling lies at the core of what we do, and we’re proud to continue investing in their creative journeys.”

The grants are offered in partnership with the Satterberg Foundation, continuing their tradition of supporting storytellers with projects rooted in moral courage and “taking action despite the risk of negative consequences for doing so.” The Foundation's Moral Courage Committee (MCC) has a long history of offering grants to individuals and organizations to help their work come to fruition and reach wider audiences.

The finalists were selected by a panel of judges spanning from notable documentary filmmakers to Washington film leaders, including Nesib CB Shamah (Washington Filmmaker and Satterberg Foundation Board Member), Melanie Miller (Producer of the Academy Award-winning documentary Navalny), Cecilia R. Mejia (Vice President of External Affairs, POV / American Documentary), and Beth Barrett (SIFF Artistic Director).

2025 SIFF Grant for Courageous Documentary Filmmaking Awardees:

Boys on the Inside
Director: Elliat Graney-Saucke
Christina, Sebastian and Sarah discovered their ‘boy’ identity while in women’s prison. Now on the outside they come together to face the long-term impact of incarceration as Latinx butch and trans masculine survivors, reclaiming their narratives through recovery and healing. A film 17 years in the making.

Roll Modelz
Director: Oliver Rodriguez Dickson
There are times when the strongest form of rebellion is making yourself seen. As forces threaten to divide and silence Latino communities, a low rider car club in rural Washington rises in defiance. Through their cars and community, they turn pain into a rolling act of resistance.

The Martha Roth Project
Director: Jennifer Roth & David Roth
In 2023, our mother Martha Roth decided to end her life through medically assisted suicide. 85-years-old and in good health, she insisted that she was ready to go; also, as a lifelong activist for a person’s right to bodily autonomy, she wanted to make a point.

The Year the Earth Was on Fire
Director: Anthony Tackett
This story will be told through the eyes of filmmakers, streamers and influencers as well as community leaders, city and state officials, and the everyday protestors. Utilizing national and local news coverage, social-media live-streams, layered with Cinema bits, animation, and history lessons uncovered during Seattle's 2020 protests regarding the death of George Floyd.

Under a Million Stars
Director: Chezik Tsunoda
Under A Million Stars confronts the roots of Seattle’s homelessness crisis, rejecting narratives that blame individuals and exposing the systemic failures behind it. Through the stories of two people experiencing homelessness, and policy critique from experts, the film calls viewers to resist dehumanization and embrace their role in creating a more compassionate and connected society.

Valley of the Night
Director: Lynne Siefert
Valley of the Night is a creative documentary that explores a nocturnal world where nighttime becomes a place of natural refuge as people adapt to living with extreme heat. Set entirely at night in Phoenix, Arizona—the hottest city in the United States—the film presents a collective portrait of resilience, adaptation, and survival.

Worth My Salt
Director: Rosalie Miller
Worth My Salt, a short documentary filmed over five years, weaves between the past and post-COVID world. The film follows queer performance artist Jody Kuehner, known for her comedic persona Cherdonna Shinatra, as she embarks on the most ambitious show of her career. As the global pandemic unfolds, Jody confronts the loss of her livelihood, revealing a deeply personal story of identity, reckoning, and the power of art in unsettling times.

—-------------

PRESS ONLY:
For more information, please contact Madison Zimmerman at press@siff.net or (206)-315-0692.

# # #

About SIFF:
Beginning in 1976 with the annual Seattle International Film Festival, then expanding into year-round programming, SIFF is a 501c3 cultural arts organization whose mission is to create experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world. It is through the art of cinema that SIFF fosters a community that is more informed, aware and alive.

In its four theaters, SIFF offers year-round screenings, Film Talks and a series of spotlight festivals throughout the year. SIFF also serves the community through educational programs and SIFFsupports, a partnership program that hosts and provides technical support to a variety of special screenings and festivals.

For showtimes and event updates, visit siff.net.