Durga Entertainment, in partnership with the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), announces Eleanor Burke as the inaugural recipient of the Durga Entertainment Filmmaker Grant — created to support filmmakers balancing two of the hardest jobs: making independent films and raising children.
Parenting shapes both moms and dads, but the weight of care still falls unevenly. Too often, it’s women whose careers are interrupted — and the perspectives born from that labor, which shape both our children and our culture, rarely make it to the screen. And when they do, they’re often watered down.
The $20,000 unrestricted grant recognizes American directors or screenwriters working in narrative film who have participated in IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs or Emerging Storytellers program. The award is presented during IFP’s Independent Film Week in New York City, bringing together global filmmakers, financiers, and creative leaders to champion independent storytelling.
Eleanor Burke, the recipient, is known for Stranger Things (Slamdance Grand Jury Prize, Woodstock Film Festival) and Bright As Day, and continues to develop Through & Through, selected for the Venice Biennale College Cinema.