In recognition of Pride Month, we are pleased to open applications for the 2025 BENT Film Festival Grant, which supports LGBTQ+ filmmakers and artists in the greater Sacramento region. The grant will award $1,500 to fund creative projects that explore LGBTQ+ experiences, history, or perspectives — particularly those engaging youth, art students, or gallery audiences.
The longest-running LGBTQ+ film festival in Sacramento, the BENT Film Festival celebrated queer stories and fostered inclusion, cultural expression, and activism for nearly 30 years before sunsetting in 2023. Through the BENT Film Festival Fund, its founders are ensuring that legacy continues by supporting the next generation of queer storytellers and artists.
“These grants carry forward the BENT Film Festival’s legacy by celebrating creativity and visibility, and by uplifting LGBTQ+ artists whose voices need to be heard,” said Kerry Wood, our chief executive. “This cause is critically important, especially at a time when support for the arts and LGBTQ+ causes is increasingly at risk.”
Past grantees include Cecilia Romo, A La Mode and Daniel Sellers-Norman, whose projects continue to center the rich diversity of LGBTQ+ voices in the region.
“Receiving the BENT grant meant so much to me, not just as a filmmaker, but as a queer Latina telling a story that reflects real experiences,” said Cecilia Romo, whose film Me Porto Bonita was supported by the fund. “Through it, I wanted to explore perspectives that are often overlooked — Latinas, queer communities, and our city itself. This support helped bring that vision to life.”
She added: “Thanks to the support from Sacramento Region Community Foundation and BENT, Me Porto Bonita was able to flourish from an idea on a page to a fully produced film that has been receiving laughs, gasps and awards nominations on the festival circuit.”
The BENT Film Festival Grant is a powerful example of how charitable funds can preserve the spirit of beloved local organizations and events. We encourage community members, businesses, or groups interested in establishing similar grantmaking programs in partnership to explore our philanthropic services.
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