Durga Entertainment, in partnership with the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), announces Olivia Newman as the recipient of the Durga Entertainment Filmmaker Grant — created to recognize the challenge of balancing parenthood with the pursuit of independent filmmaking.
A mother of two young children, Olivia Newman plans to use the grant to produce her first narrative feature, First Match — the story of a teenage girl from Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood who joins her school’s all-boys wrestling team in a determined bid to reconnect with her estranged father.
The $20,000 unrestricted grant reflects Durga’s ongoing commitment to champion artists who navigate both creation and care, helping bring to light stories and voices often left behind in the industry.