The Michael Latt Legacy Fund Sets Inaugural Grants

Justin Kroll
·7-min read

The Michael Latt Legacy Fund, which launched earlier this year to honor and continue the social justice advocacy work of Michael Latt, has announced a series of grants, scholarships and educational programming to support nonprofit organizations and artists whose work leverages storytelling as a vehicle for social transformation.

The fund’s initial grantees include: Harness; Protect the Sacred; Question Culture; Saved By A Story; Center for Art & Advocacy; BLD PWR (Build Power); Sola Foundation; and Brown Girls Doc Mafia. Details of each organization can be found below.

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Latt, a studio marketing consultant and founder of social impact group Lead with Love, was killed in a home invasion robbery in November 2023 at age 33. His killer was convicted in July of this year.

In addition to the grantees, organizers said the fund also has garnered a three-year commitment from Panavision, which established the Panavision | Michael Latt First Feature Award, providing a first-time filmmaker from an underrepresented community access to a camera package and dedicated educational resources. The 2024 recipient is writer-director Ramzi Bashour, who recently completed filming his feature Tomahawk Springs.

In addition, Sundance Collab, the digital education arm of the Sundance Institute, will launch a Cultural Impact Online Residency for six emerging artists working in fiction and nonfiction. The six-month program begins in March 2025 and is designed to provide an accessible learning touchstone for global creators.

In honor of Latt’s dedication to the arts as a tool for social change, Howard University will offer the Michael Latt full scholarship for cinematic arts and social change, which will go to a student whose work uses film, photography or design in the service of cultural and social impact.

The fund also announced the formation of the Michael Latt Legacy Fund/Spark Features Marketing Impact Grant to be awarded annually through 2027 to a diverse emerging filmmaker with a film premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. Underwritten by Spark founders Robina Riccitiello and Josh Peters, the $12,500 award will help support a film’s marketing campaign, including social media and publicity initiatives. The 2025 recipient will be announced later this month.

“As a family, we are deeply moved by the support we have received during this difficult and sad time,” ” said Michelle Satter, David Latt and Franklin Latt. “Every day we miss Michael’s infectious energy, his passion for social advocacy work and his capacity for big ideas. So many of his friends and collaborators have shown us the way forward as they celebrate his memory. We are committed to continuing his work as a passionate social justice leader who believed in the power of art and storytelling to change the lives of individuals and communities. We will continue to use the Legacy Fund to support organizations that Michael worked along with organizations that Michael would have embraced. We hope you will join us in this work.”

The announcement caps a year of advocacy work by the fund and recognition for Latt that included the NAACP Dorothy Parker Ally Award, the African American Film Critics Association Freedom Award, and the first-ever Changemakers Film Showcase, hosted by New Media Ventures in partnership with the fund to empower and spotlight the work of emerging BIPOC artists.

As part of that event, three filmmakers were awarded mentorship opportunities and access to the educational resources of Sundance Collab to support their ongoing endeavors.

Latt and his company, Lead With Love, were recently commemorated in Glenn Kaino’s art installation “Sails” at the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers. Latt also was honored by the For Freedoms Congress, an artist-led organization that centers art as a catalyst for creative civic engagement, discourse and direct action.

Here is more into on the Michael Latt Legacy Fund grantees:

Harness

Harness is hosting a series of artist salons and community gatherings to harness the power of storytelling and community to ignite civic engagement. The goal is to resource and coordinate emergent strategies that foster innovative and impactful collaborations between artists and social justice organizers from underserved communities. Harness.

Protect the Sacred

Protect the Sacred educates and empowers the next generation of Native leaders and allies to use transformative storytelling and community building to strengthen Indigenous sovereignty and protect Indigenous elders, languages, and medicine ways. We create a world where ancestral resilience and generations of traditions echo through Indigenous youth and their creativity; where Indigenous voices not only survive but thrive; where hope is restored, lighting the way forward for the next seven generations. Protect the Sacred – Harness.

Saved By A Story

Saved By A Story’s Community Writing Workshop for Former Foster Youth will offer a safe, affirming, inclusive space that creates a sense of belonging for young people who are transitioning out of the foster care system. This prompt-driven writing workshop will help former foster youth get their story to the page, create a cohesive narrative of their life experiences, build community with each other and elevate well-being through writing. The workshop will put youth in community with others who have experienced a life of foster care and who are now transitioning to adulthood with scant support in place–a space where young people can be free of stigma and lean into their strengths and wisdom and share their stories, Saved By A Story.

Center for Art and Advocacy/Right of Return

The Center for Art and Advocacy will bring together system-impacted artists, cultural leaders, and advocates to explore the role of art in justice reform at the Los Angeles Right of Return Fellows Convening to take place alongside Frieze LA. The event will showcase the work of Right of Return fellows and the Frieze LA Impact Prize winner, focusing on how storytelling can challenge mass incarceration in the United States. Attendees will engage in discussions, share experiences, and network, promoting collaboration and amplifying the impact of art in advocacy efforts. Center For Art and Advocacy.

BLD PWR/Free Yo’ Mind

Free Yo’ Mind is a healing justice initiative by BLD PWR focused on mental health care for Black and Indigenous men. Through immersive experiences such as True: an Immersive Experience, it combines live events, multimedia storytelling, and community engagement to challenge harmful media narratives and inspire systemic change. In addition to live events, the project continuously updates its Liberate Mental Health resource page, providing an evolving list of mental health resources, uplifting the work of partner organizations, and ensuring ongoing access to culturally relevant tools and support for Black and Indigenous communities. BLD PWR/Free Yo’ Mind.

SoLa Foundation

The SoLa will host a 12-week program for ten young adults (ages 16-21) from South LA interested in art, advocacy and entrepreneurship. This initiative will explore opportunities for art and activism through workshops, programming, and events featuring prominent artists and creatives of color. The program aims to inspire and educate the next generation of artistic and entrepreneurial leaders in Greater South Los Angeles. SoLa Foundation.

Brown Girls Doc Mafia (BGDM)

Brown Girls Doc Mafia (BGDM)’s Sustainable Artist Micro-Grants offer women and non-binary filmmakers of color financial support, impact mentorship, industry access, and a strong community to embolden their creative practice and develop deeper sustainability for their careers. The 2025 cohort will prioritize directors and producers that seek to leverage storytelling for cultural and social change. The three selected recipients will also receive in-kind benefits through BGDM’s robust year-round programming which prioritizes visibility for underrepresented artists, and centers wellness, care, joy, and community. Brown Girls Doc Mafia.

Question Culture

The impact campaign for “Songs from the Hole” centers around a national tour of free community events for incarcerated people and people from communities impacted by interpersonal and state violence. The events feature screenings of “Songs from the Hole” and are followed by guided healing circles facilitated by the film’s JJ’88, producer Richie Reseda and other currently and formerly incarcerated facilitators. Question Culture.

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