THE LOUIES WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Six Miami-based filmmakers are set to bring South Florida’s compelling untold stories to life as the inaugural winners of The Louies, an initiative of the Miami Film Festival sponsored by the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation. These filmmakers will receive a combined $100,000 to create documentaries exploring South Florida’s history, cultural identity and iconic people and places. Two of the films will premiere at the 2025 Miami Film Festival, with the others debuting at future editions.

Feature-Length Documentary Winner ($50,000)

Margaret Cardillo – Jane Chastain: The Untold Story of the Nation’s First Female Sportscaster, a documentary about Jane Chastain, who made history as America’s first female sportscaster while capturing Miami’s growing sports culture of the 1960s and 70s for Miami’s first TV station WTVJ.

Short Documentary Winners ($10,000 each)

• Symone Titania Major – Under the Mango Tree, exploring a family’s deep connection to a mango tree in Goulds and its ties to the area’s rich agricultural heritage.
• Gina Ann Margillo – Mic Drop: Night Train’s Last Stop, a profile of Ted Grossman, whose Night Train radio show has preserved Miami’s connection to jazz and big band music for nearly 50 years.
• Jayme Kaye Gershen – Adult Night: A Super/Hot Wheels Doc, A film capturing the culture of Miami’s iconic Super Wheels roller rink and its enduring community impact.

Finishing Funds Winners ($10,000 each)

• Rachelle Salnave – Dual Citizen, a humorous and heartfelt exploration of Haitian-American identity and the journey to reclaim Haitian citizenship.
• Emilio Oscar Alcalde – El Sonido de Miami, tracing the evolution of Miami’s signature Latin music sound, a fusion of Cuban and American influences.

Special Jury Mentions

In addition, four filmmakers, Gaspar González, Kareem Tabsch, Matt Deblinger and Sasha Wortzel, received Special Jury Mentions for their submissions and will each receive a stipend and complimentary use of the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives to complete their projects.

A cornerstone of The Louies for all the winning filmmakers is access to the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives at Miami Dade College, housing over 35,000 hours of video and film chronicling Florida’s history. The archives’ robust footage will help winners bring their stories to life, from Miami’s cultural landmarks to pivotal historical moments.

The Louies, named for Louis Wolfson II, whose family started Miami’s first TV station WTVJ, were reimagined in 2024 to support South Florida’s documentary filmmakers. Established in collaboration with the Miami Film Festival and the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation, this initiative amplifies local voices by funding projects that celebrate the region’s vibrant culture and history. Winners were selected by a distinguished jury.

Learn more about The Louies.