The Miami Film Festival is returning its celebrated documentary initiative, The Louies, with a renewed commitment to empowering local filmmakers. In partnership with the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation, the program will award a total of $100,000 to six Miami-based documentary filmmakers, MFF officials announced Wednesday.
Applications are now open for the grants, which provide not only financial support but also access to one of the nation’s most significant regional film archives.
The initiative, officially known as The Louies, is a nod to the legacy of Louis Wolfson II and his family’s pioneering role in establishing Miami’s first television station, WTVJ. It was originally launched in 1989 to support Florida filmmakers using the Archives.
James Woolley, the Miami Film Festival's executive director, said the program is a powerful launchpad for local talent.
"The inaugural Louies winners are already demonstrating the extraordinary storytelling talent that exists in Miami," he said in a statement. "These filmmakers are telling stories that have helped shape our city — from the nation’s first female sportscaster on Miami television, a roller rink that defined a generation, and the Latin sounds that put our city on the global stage."
The Louies will be distributed across three grant categories:
- Feature Documentary Grant ($50,000): One filmmaker will receive major funding to create a professional-quality documentary of 50 minutes or more.
- Short Documentary Grants ($10,000 each): Three filmmakers will receive $10,000 each to create a short film between eight and 12 minutes.
- Finishing Fund Grants ($10,000 each): Two filmmakers will receive crucial funding to complete feature documentaries in post-production.
Grant recipients will get unlimited access to the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives, located at the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus. The archives contain 35,000 hours of professionally preserved South Florida footage dating back to the 1920s.
"The Louies represent everything my grandmother Lynn believed about the power of storytelling," said Randi Wolfson Adamo, a trustee of the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation. "She knew that every community in Miami has incredible stories, but not everyone has the platform to share them. This program changes that."
"We're seeing filmmakers from every neighborhood, every background, step up and claim their voice," she said. "These documentaries aren't just preserving our past; they're defining how future generations will understand what makes South Florida special."
Several of the documentaries funded by The Louies will have their world premieres at the Miami Film Festival, which runs from April 9-19, 2026. This premiere provides an opportunity for global visibility, placing the filmmakers' work in front of industry leaders, distributors, and press.
To be eligible, applicants must be permanent residents of Miami-Dade County, age 18 or older, and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
The deadline to apply is November 5, 2025. Information sessions for prospective applicants will be held on October 3, 10, 24, and November 3. More details can be found at miamifilmfestival.com/the-louies/.
