FRENCH CULTURE FILM GRANT
Louisiana has long since been known for it’s rich heritage and storytelling. From the early Acadian settlers to our French ancestors, the stories of French-speaking Louisiana have reached audiences around the globe, continually evolving and inspiring new generations to embrace this unique culture.
In 2015, #CreateLouisiana launched a new partnership to showcase the state’s deep connection to French and Francophone culture. With support from lead sponsor TV5MONDE USA, the #CreateLouisiana French Culture Film Grant was born.
The #CreateLouisiana French Culture Film Grant is supported by TV5MONDE USA, Cox Communications, Deep South Studios, and CODOFIL.
French Culture
Film Grant
GRANT AWARD
$25,000 cash
Production mentoring and support
Special screening at the New Orleans French
Film Festival
Opportunity to broadcast on TV5MONDE USA
25/26 APPLICATIONS CLOSED
2025
RECIPIENT
BUILT ON ZYDECO
Documentary Feature Film
Co-directors, Milton Arceneaux and Dustin Cravins Producer, Robert Chevalier
Rooted in Louisiana French and Kouri-Vini, this film highlights Creole Zydeco musicians whose language, sound, and spirit power the state’s cultural identity and tourism economy.
2024
MUSIQUE(S)
(documentary short)
Musique(s)! celebrates Louisiana’s rich tradition of music sung in French and Creole.
Director, Cory St. Ewart
Producer, Scott Tilton
Nous Foundation
2023
FOOTWORK
(documentary short)
An abstract portrait of Creole people in Louisiana and their connection to horses. Both Horse and Rider dancing their way to cultural preservation. Footwork.
Director, Drake LeBlanc
Producer, Rachel Nederveld
Télé Louisiane
2022
TAMBOU
(narrative short)
An elderly Black Creole grandfather must make money from street performing or move to Oklahoma with his daughter and grandson.
Director/Writer, Luke Harris
Producer, Ann Nguyen
Lucky Luke Productions
2021
FILM QUEST
(narrative short)
When Franky finds out his dad is sick and can't afford the treatments he needs, he enlists his crew of friends and movie-making cohorts to enter a local film fest and to compete for the prize of $100,000. The catch is, they have 5 days to complete this monumental project.
Director/Writer, Skyler Stroup
Producer, Samuel Craft
Scott Tilton, Nous Foundation
2020
17 YEAR LOCUST
(narrative short)
When a struggling immigrant takes a job as a caregiver to a dying woman, she shares with him a secret that casts a haunting shadow on the American life that he has desperately been pursuing.
Director/Co-writer, Logan LeBlanc
Co-writer, Trevor Navarre
Producer, Allison Bohl DeHart
2019
INTENTION
(documentary)
Intention follows the stories of eleven women who encompass the profound gradient of cultural heritage in Southwest Louisiana. Contextualizing language, music, food, art, and traditional faith healing, these Cajun, Creole, and Chitimacha preservationists inspire pursuits of passion in practice that give light to an untold cultural narrative.
Co-Directors/Co-Producer, Syd Horn
Co-Directors/Co-Producer, Olivia Perillo
2018
ON VA CONTINUER:
A CAJUN ROCKUMENTARY
(documentary)
Grammy-winning Louisiana band Lost Bayou Ramblers push the boundaries of Cajun music and breathe new life into the Louisiana French language through their genre-bending music. On the recording journey of their latest album Kalenda, the Ramblers let us explore the modern Cajun lifestyle, and discover that this “dying” language may not be so dead after all.
Director, Bruno Doria
Producer, Lizzie Guitreau
2017
LE GRAND REMIX
(narrative short)
From within the New Orleans French immersion community, a francophone school teacher from Africa and a teenage former student connect through music, dance, and cathartic visions of their worlds reimagined.
Director, Austin Alward
Producer, Sam Claitor