Miami Film Festival presents:
The Louies

Applications for The Louies are now open!

Created in partnership with the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation, The Louies enter their third year with the foundation’s continued leadership and support. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation joins the program as a new partner this year. Applications will be accepted from Sept. 28 through Nov. 6, 2026.

“The Louies were created to champion Miami documentary filmmakers and help local stories reach the big screen,” said James Woolley, executive director of MDC’s Miami Film Festival. “With the Knight Foundation joining the Wolfson Family Foundation, we can continue giving filmmakers the funding, resources, and visibility they need to bring these stories to audiences.”

Key Dates

• Sept. 28 – Nov. 6, 2026: Applications open
• Oct. 13, 2026, 5:30 p.m.: Virtual information session (registration required)
• January 2027: Winners announced
• April 1 to 11, 2027: 44th Miami Film Festival

Still have more questions? Join us during one of our office hours.

• October 14 (3-5pm) 
• October 23 (3-5pm) 
• October 30 (3-5pm)

The Awards

• Feature-length documentary: One filmmaker will receive $50,000 to create a documentary of 50 minutes or more.
• Short documentaries: Three filmmakers will receive $10,000 each to create a short film of eight to 12 minutes.
• Finishing funds: Two filmmakers will receive $10,000 each to complete a feature-length documentary in the post-production phase.

Presented by the Miami Film Festival and Sponsored by the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation, this prestigious program provides filmmakers with substantial financial support along with unprecedented access to one of the nation’s most significant regional film archives: the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives, which houses over 35,000 hours of South Florida history from 1900 to today.  

Selected filmmakers will be invited to use this archive at no cost, and the jury will consider the archives’ use as a factor in the selection process.

For more details, read our full announcement HERE.

FAQs

Questions? please email: thelouies@miamifilmfestival.com