Wavelength 2025 WAVE Grant Recipients Revealed

deadline.com:

EXCLUSIVE: Wavelength has revealed the 2025 recipients of its WAVE Grant. Pratima Mani, Shanice Brette, Ana Chavez, Erika Yang, and Lauryn Darden & Ragan Henderson each will receive $5,000 to create their first short film alongside production mentorship from Wavelength’s executive team.

Read a bio for each recipient below. The WAVE Grant, which stands for “Women at the Very Edge,” aims to help a female or non-binary first-time filmmaker of color with the production of their first short film.

In addition to the grant, Wavelength — the production company behind such films as Thank You Very Much and Athlete A — provides mentorship in the producing, development and post-production of the filmmaker’s story as well as fundraising and distribution strategy. “We’ve built a grant program that doesn’t just support first-time filmmakers\ but actively launches them into careers in film and television,” said Jenifer Westphal, Wavelength’s founder, CEO and executive producer. “It’s all about access, opportunity and long-term impact.

Every single WAVE Grant recipient is still working in this industry today, and that’s not a coincidence — it’s proof that our investment in these voices is working.” Since its inception, the WAVE Grant has distributed nearly $100,000 in funding, supporting 19 short films with more than 10 festival premieres.