At Adobe, we believe the future of film and television depends on who has the opportunity to shape it. As storytelling evolves across new screens, formats and technologies, the industry needs fresh perspectives and creative voices with the resources and support to bring their ideas to life. That belief inspired us to launch the Adobe Film & TV Fund in 2024, expanding opportunities for emerging and mid-career filmmakers to get their projects made.
Today, we're proud to mark an exciting new chapter in that vision. Building on our nearly $10 million commitment in grants and donated products for 2026, Adobe is now announcing the first cohort of 10 filmmakers receiving a combined $1 million in direct grants. We're also introducing a new Film & TV Fund Advisory Board featuring influential entertainment leaders including Lena Waithe, Phil Sun, Reggie Hudlin and Kerstin Emhoff. Together, these milestones bring direct investment and industry expertise to help filmmakers advance their craft and bring ambitious stories to life.
From expanding access to investing directly in filmmakers
Since launching in 2024, the Adobe Film & TV Fund has supported more than 1,000 creators through fellowships, financial support, mentorship and access to Adobe's professional creative tools. Working alongside nonprofit and industry partners including Gold House, Rideback RISE and Sundance Institute, we've helped filmmakers develop their craft, advance their careers and bring their work to major industry stages like Sundance.
Meet the filmmakers bringing the next generation of stories to life
The Film & TV Fund's inaugural direct-grant cohort includes 10 filmmakers spanning narrative features, documentaries, shorts and student films, each bringing a distinct creative perspective and ambitious stories to tell. Nominated by industry and community organizations through a process overseen by USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and selected by Adobe with input from the Fund's Advisory Board, these filmmakers will receive direct support to advance their projects at a pivotal stage in the creative process.
Narrative Features
- Austin Osanai Everett, writer-director. A two-time Black List writer and one of Variety's 10 Screenwriters to Watch, Everett has three features in development. “Akiya”, is a horror film starring Karen Fukuhara and Robbie Amell about a couple whose new home in rural Japan is haunted by spirits.
- Lara Everly, director. An award-winning director working across narrative and branded content, Everly brings humor to unexpected stories. Her feature, “Reconstructing Charlie,” adapted from her acclaimed short film, follows a woman navigating an early breast cancer diagnosis.
Documentary Features
- Sue Ding, director. A 2026 Creative Capital Awardee whose short documentaries have premiered at SXSW, IDFA and True/False, Ding explores the Asian American teens who shaped Southern California's 1990s import car culture in “Rice Rocket Revolution.”
- Molly Gillis, filmmaker. A New York Times video editor whose award-winning shorts have screened at SXSW, Outfest and Palm Springs ShortFest, Gillis follows American comedians performing solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in “Fringe.”
Shorts
- Jasmine J. Johnson, director, writer and producer. Johnson's shorts have screened at SXSW and Tribeca, with support from Tribeca, Chanel and The Gotham. Her film “BREAK” follows a young surfer whose painful accident goes viral without her consent.
- Gabriela Garcia Medina, filmmaker. A two-time Tribeca fellow and alum of the Academy Film Accelerator and Film Independent Directing Lab, Garcia Medina tells the story of an upbeat Uber driver saving to reunite her family in the U.S. in “Cuqui.”
- Maria Burton, director. Having directed six independent features and been recognized as one of Variety's "Talent to Watch," Burton explores the story of Jerrie Cobb, one of the first women tested for spaceflight, in “How High the Moon.”
- Spencer Jamison, filmmaker. A Film Independent Episodic Lab fellow featured in CAA's showcase of rising Black filmmakers, Jamison explores family and grief in “Numina,” following a musician who inherits her grandparents' home.
Student Films
- Djibril Keita, filmmaker, and student. An NYU Tisch film student who was raised between Mali and the U.S., Keita explores identity and technology in “Verified,” following a delivery driver locked out of his work app after an accident changes his face.
- Olajide "Kay" Hamed, writer, director and producer. An MFA directing candidate at Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Hamed explores Booker T. Washington's historic 1901 dinner with Theodore Roosevelt in “Dinner at the White House.”
Beyond financial support, recipients will have access to Adobe's creative tools, including Premiere for professional video editing and Adobe Firefly, the all-in-one creative AI studio for generating and editing visual content, to support their creative process.
Bringing together leading voices in entertainment to help shape the Fund's future
Supporting the next generation of filmmakers takes more than funding. It requires industry expertise, collaboration and a shared commitment to expanding opportunities for emerging storytellers.
That's why we're proud to introduce the Adobe Film & TV Fund Advisory Board, bringing together accomplished filmmakers, producers, creative executives and industry advocates whose work has helped shape entertainment. Their collective expertise will help inform how the Fund evolves and where support can make the greatest difference.
The Advisory Board includes:
- Jon Mone, film producer , founder and CEO, and former Universal Pictures production executive
- Kerstin Emhoff, Emmy-winning producer, co-founder and CEO of PRETTYBIRD and Ventureland
- Lena Waithe, Emmy-winning writer, producer, actor and founder of Hillman Grad
- Phil Sun, founder and CEO of 1v1 Entertainment; co-founder and managing partner, M88
- Reggie Hudlin, Oscar-nominated producer, director, president of Hudlin Entertainment; former president of entertainment of BET
- Sophia Rzankowski, executive, Superconnector Studios
- Stacy L. Smith, founder, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative; USC professor
- Stacy Martinet, Chief Content and Creative Officer, Adobe
- Stacey Walker King, Chief Brand Officer, MACRO
Together, these leaders bring perspectives spanning film production, talent development and industry advocacy, helping Adobe identify opportunities to support emerging filmmakers. Adobe retains responsibility for all final funding decisions.
"If we want an industry that continues to grow, evolve and reflect the world around us, we have to invest in the next generation of filmmakers now," said Lena Waithe, Emmy-winning writer, producer, actor and founder of Hillman Grad. "I've seen firsthand how many talented storytellers struggle to get their projects off the ground, not for lack of vision, but because they lack access to funding and the right industry support. That's why I'm excited to join Adobe's Film & TV Fund Advisory Board to help create more opportunities for filmmakers to build their careers and tell the stories only they can tell."
"Some of the most influential films in history started as ideas that someone had to take a chance on," said Dr. Stacy L. Smith, founder, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and USC professor. "As the industry becomes more cautious about what gets made, we can't afford to stop investing in bold, original voices. I'm proud to join Adobe's Film & TV Fund Advisory Board to create opportunities for filmmakers with something new to say and give the next generation of storytellers a real shot at making their mark."
Investing in the people and ideas moving video forward
The Film & TV Fund's first direct-grant cohort and new Advisory Board reflect Adobe's commitment to supporting filmmakers beyond the tools they use to create. Through direct investment, creative technology and industry collaboration, we're helping more ambitious stories move forward.
We'll continue that momentum at Adobe MAX on November 10–11, celebrating Adobe-supported filmmakers through screenings and industry conversations that spotlight the storytellers behind the work.
Because investing in the future of storytelling means investing in the people who will shape it.
