Baby Reindeer’s Nava Mau Teams Up with Level Ground to Support Underrepresented Filmmakers Through New Fellowship
EXCLUSIVE: Emmy-nominated Baby Reindeer star Nava Mau has partnered with Level Ground, the producer and independent distributor behind the Emmy-nominated and Oscar-shortlisted documentary Union, to establish a new fellowship aimed at supporting a cohort of trans and queer filmmakers, as well as filmmakers of color, in the creation of their next short films.
The fellowship will offer a series of film salons, one-on-one mentorship, a stipend, and fiscal sponsorship. It aims to explore innovative approaches to film production and distribution, encouraging emerging filmmakers to push creative boundaries and take risks.
A total of 17 fellows have been selected to participate in the inaugural film fellowship. The recipients include Andy James Garcia, April Maxey, Avrielle Gallagher, Cedric Tai, Chica Barbosa, Emory Chao Johnson, Evelyn Angelica Martinez, Gerardo Maravilla, Hansen Bursic, Helen Peña, J.D. Shields, Nicole Mairose Dizon, Paolo Riveros, Rraine Hanson, Sion-Raize, Taegen Meyer, and Yemi Seyi.
Samantha Curley, Co-Director of Level Ground, expressed the initiative’s importance, stating, “Producing and distributing UNION taught me so much about how the industry works behind the scenes. We designed this fellowship with Nava to specifically address the gatekeeping and barriers to industry access that many underrepresented filmmakers face, especially early in their careers. We are proud to be building a robust ecosystem that will allow artists to thrive and work more equitably, and in community.”
Previously, Mau collaborated with Level Ground on all the words but the one, which she wrote, directed, and starred in, as well as the feature documentary Survivor Made. She reflected on the challenges faced by underrepresented creatives, saying, “Time and time again, I am faced with the reality that the film and television industry can be a site of isolation and systemic disempowerment for artists of color, queer and trans creatives, and anyone who doesn’t fit a very specific mold determined by the dominant class. This fellowship is an exploration and an experiment to see what happens when we plant seeds outside the studio system and beyond the mainstream.”
Supported by Shane King Zackery, the fellowship will officially launch this month, with films created under the program slated for a public showcase in 2027.
