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PRESS
SHADOW AND ACT
November 20, 2025
Amid the federal government’s elimination of all Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding, Firelight Media is stepping in with a new rapid-response initiative aimed at supporting filmmakers of color.
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On Nov. 17, the organization announced the inaugural recipients of the Firelight Fund, which will distribute $580,000 in unrestricted grants to 18 documentary projects by Black, Brown and Indigenous creators. The initiative was launched by Firelight Media’s new president and CEO, Loira Limbal, within her first 100 days of leadership.
THE REEL RUNDOWN
April 9, 2025
Watch this edition of The Reel Rundown where we have a great conversation with two filmmakers from the upcoming Short Film Festival!
@rubyrosecollins discussed her short All The Love I Could Handle & @ellephoenix01 spoke about her short The Price of Freedom with @SalenaRoc
SERIESFEST STORYTELLER'S INITIATIVE
May 8, 2023
SeriesFest will feature...the Storytellers Initiative Live Read in partnership with Janelle Monáe’s Wondaland Pictures with this year’s winner of SeriesFest’s Storytellers Script Writing Competition, “Soul City” written by Lori Webster and directed by Denzel Whitaker.
DEADLINE
May 9, 2022
"The Gotham Sets Fellows And Projects For 2022 TV Series Labs"
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EXCLUSIVE: The Gotham Film & Media Institute today named Ahya Simone, Bré Rivera and Paige Wood (Femme Queen Chronicles), Ariel Zucker and Daryl Paris Bright (GYNO), Chy Chi (Hot Dish), Stacie E. Hawkins (Night Watchers), Connor Austin Jones (On The Line), Maia Nikiphoroff (The Rise of Elisa Lynch), Lauren Ciaravalli (S.L.U.T.), Lori Webster (Soul City), David Barker, Jerónimo Rodriguez and Jay van Hoy (Wiring Utopia), and Edith Rodriguez (Youth) as the fellows and projects for its 2022 Gotham TV Series Lab, taking place today through May 13th.
SHOUTOUT LA
June 10, 2021
Risk has always been a key part of my greatest milestones in life. While great reward comes with great risk, sometimes fear does creep in. Moving to California from rural North Carolina was a seismic shift for me — away from family and everything I knew, all in pursuit of a dream. Sounds familiar, right? Still, fear of the unknown for me far outweighs the regret of not going for it.
OUR SMALL MAJORITY
January 5, 2021
"Time to be Limitless w/ Lori Webster"
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Join us in our conversation with Lori Webster, a storyteller, filmmaker and world traveler who earned her master’s in Film and Television Production through the School of Cinematic Arts at USC. Listen as we discuss her latest work focused on black culture and the challenges of being a filmmaker today during COVID-19 and a critical presidential election.
PLANET THIRTY
October 8, 2020
Episode 37: Lori Webster
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There are very few black female filmmakers that have been acknowledged by mainstream media and Hollywood. By no means does it mean that the work of such artists is not good enough. Kasi Lemmons, Ava DuVernay, Julie Dash and Euzhan Palsy are but a few that have had the opportunity to breakthrough. Their work is exquisite, only surpassed by their work ethic.
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It is from this lineage and tutelage that Lori Webster emerges.
VOYAGE LA
September 14, 2020
"Hidden Gems Stories"
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Every day we have a choice. We can support an up and coming podcaster, try a new family-run restaurant, join a boutique gym started by a local fitness champ or we could keep giving away our money to the handful of giants who already control so much of our commerce. Our daily decisions impact the kind world we live in; if we want a world where small businesses are growing and artists and creatives are thriving then we should support them with our time, money and attention. We’re proud to highlight inspiring creatives and entrepreneurs each week in Hidden Gems series.
Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori Webster.
