Colin Higgins Foundation

05/06/2026

Congratulations to our 2026 Youth Filmmaker Grant Winners! The 2026 winners are franny trinidad and Kelly Liu for Babaylan, Edward Nguyen for Sweat (Mồ Hôi) and Matthew Sorgie for So Be It.

‘On the Road (En El Camino)’ topped winners at 43rd Miami Film Festival.

07/03/2025

🌟 What an incredible celebration at Frameline49! We were thrilled to honor our 2025 Colin Higgins Youth Filmmaker Grant recipients — Remi Gabriel, and co-directors Carmela Murphy & AJ Dubler — at a special screening of their films, Barbie Boy and A Bird Hit My Window and Now I’m a Le***an.

From stop motion puppets on the red carpet to heartfelt speeches on stage, these emerging LGBTQ+ storytellers lit up the festival with their talent and passion. 🎥🌈

Take a peek at some highlights from this unforgettable night, and celebrate these visionary young filmmakers with us!

👉 Learn more about their work: www.colinhiggins.org

05/02/2025

Say hello to 2025 grant recipient Remi Gabriel, director of Barbie Boy — a poetic short film reflecting on love, memory, and q***r identity through the eyes of a grandson and his Abuela. 💖

Remi is one of this year’s Colin Higgins Youth Filmmaker Grant winners and will debut their work at Frameline49 in San Francisco this June. 🎥🌈

Let’s give a round of applause for this powerful storyteller helping to shape the future of q***r cinema!

Learn more: www.colinhiggins.org

05/02/2025

Meet Carmela Murphy & AJ Dubler, recipients of the 2025 Colin Higgins Youth Filmmaker Grant for their co-directed short film A Bird Hit My Window and Now I'm a Le***an. 💐🐦

With stop motion artistry and heartfelt storytelling, these two q***r filmmakers are reimagining what coming-of-age looks like. Their film will be featured at Frameline49 this June in San Francisco! 🎉

👏 Help us celebrate the next generation of LGBTQ+ cinematic voices.

More info: www.colinhiggins.org

05/02/2025

📣 We’re thrilled to announce the 2025 Colin Higgins Youth Filmmaker Grant recipients!

👏 Please join us in congratulating this year’s winners:
✨ Remi Gabriel (Barbie Boy)
✨ Carmela Murphy & AJ Dubler (A Bird Hit My Window and Now I'm a Le***an)

These inspiring young LGBTQ+ filmmakers are each receiving a $15,000 grant and will have their films showcased at Frameline49 this June in San Francisco. 🌈🎥

Learn more: www.colinhiggins.org

07/16/2024

Congrats again to this year's Colin Higgins Youth Filmmaker Grant recipients - Farah Jabir & Leaf Lieber. They were each awarded $15,000 at Frameline's SF International LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Learn more: https://colinhiggins.org/press/

06/25/2024

For a second year, Colin Higgins Foundation has once again partnered with Frameline, the arts nonprofit that hosts the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, to announce the recipients of the 2024 Colin Higgins Youth Foundation Grant. The partnership centers on providing young LGBTQ+ filmmakers with financial support to continue their work. Eligible applicants must self-identify as LGBTQ+ filmmakers, be under the age of 25, and currently reside in the U.S. The 2024 winners are New York-based filmmakers Farah Jabir (Kasbi) and Leaf Lieber (Burrow).

Learn more about our winners at: https://colinhiggins.org/press/