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!
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.
