Our country harbors unconscionable social inequalities that too many endure at the expense of their freedom, dignity, safety and lives. The American South and Midwest has a responsibility to investigate the system its roots continue to feed. Members of the regions' marginalized communities continue to see inequality personally magnified but publicly trivialized and, by way of silence and eventual omission, ignored. The Magnifying Glass is a film production micro-grant whose primary goal is the creation of short, accessible, social justice documentaries that can be easily shared, allowing the message of the films to spread. The Magnifying Glass works to pair individuals committed to making crucially important progressive short documentaries with humble financial support and the network of exposure its partners provide.

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The purpose of this grant is to assist micro-budgeted, expediently produced progressive or radical short films that aggressively investigate social injustice. Ideal projects will run 2-5 minutes in length and require no more than $2,500 in total budget. Projects may broach a number of larger issues, including those of violence, racism, sexism, homophobia, and gun control, but the ideal proposal will be deeply specific. Projects applying in this granting cycle must plan to be widely accessible via social media or other means.

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These grants aim to support projects about or made by individuals living or working in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Indiana, or North Carolina. The Atlanta Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, Oxford Film Festival (Mississippi), Indie Memphis Film Festival, Cucalorus Film Festival, and the Documentary Institute at Indiana University will act as the granting agents. The program consists of micro-grants usually between $500-$1,000, although the specific amounts and awards may vary by location.

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Prospective filmmakers should submit a one-page treatment, an expected total budget for their project, a description of intention for funds awarded, key crew bios, a prior sample work no more than 5 minutes in length, and an outreach strategy.

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Preference will apply to filmmakers who are invested in documenting oppressed communities of which they are a part. While all involved organizations champion creative allyship, these grants seek to support the lenses of those who know injustice firsthand and are able to quickly bring awareness to specific injustices within their communities.