Miami Film Festival presents:
The Louies

Applications for the 2026 Season are now open!

Now in its second year, The Louies are back to provide six Miami-based filmmakers with a share of $100,000 in funding to create documentaries about South Florida.

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.

Important Dates

• Sept. 24, 2025: Applications open
• Sept. 29, 2025: Virtual Information Session
• Oct. 3, 10, 24, & Nov. 3, 2025: Virtual Office Hours
• Nov. 5, 2025: Application deadline
• Jan. 2026: Winners announced
• Apr. 9-19, 2026: Miami Film Festival, where several Louies’ winners will premiere their films

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.

FAQs

Questions? please email: thelouies@miamifilmfestival.com