LOS ANGELES --

The two projects that will each receive $50,000 grants for their production as part of “The Short Film Project” presented by the Producers Guild of America and Google are: Esmeralda from producers Sabrina Ehlert and Ashley Flores; and Haider, Texas from producer Rabia Sultana. 

Grant recipients Ehlert, Flores and Sultana will also benefit from the involvement of Powderkeg, the content company launched in 2018 by DGA Award-winning and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Paul Feig and Emmy-winning producer Laura Fischer that has long championed and discovered emerging and underrepresented creators. Powderkeg is coming aboard to executive produce, overseeing the production of the two short films and serving as mentors and collaborators to the selected producers.

The title character in Esmeralda is an observant dry cleaner by day and amateur sleuth by night who suspects that one of her customers may be involved in a local arson case. She has 24 hours to uncover the truth. Ehlert is writer/producer/director on the short with Flores as writer/producer.

Haider, Texas introduces us to a young Pakistani boy who finds a little piece of home in his new Texas neighborhood. The short is written by Robin Rose Singer who teams with producer Sultana to direct.

In a joint statement, Producers Guild presidents Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher shared, “We could not be happier with the Short Film Project submissions–the creativity and craft showcased in each pitch are greatly encouraging for the future of the producing profession. These grants connect to one of our priority missions at the Guild, which is to help ensure equitable opportunities for producers from underrepresented backgrounds. Our collaborators at Google and Powderkeg have shared this goal with us from the beginning and we’re incredibly grateful for their collaboration and support in providing necessary resources. We look forward to seeing the premiere of the completed projects this summer at our Produced By Conference.” 

Elle Roth-Brunet, Google’s entertainment partnerships lead, said, “The team at Google is beyond excited to congratulate the first ever recipients of the Short Film Project presented by the Producers Guild and Google. There were so many talented rising creatives that submitted their work, and we’re looking forward to seeing their projects come to life and to continue championing underrepresented talent in Hollywood.”

Powderkeg founders Feig and Fischer in a joint statement added, “We are thrilled to be a part of this amazing program. The whole reason Powderkeg was founded was to create actual production opportunities for underrepresented creative voices, since only by making films can these up and coming filmmakers show the industry and audiences what they are capable of.  To be partnered with the PGA and Google on this effort just makes it all the more special for us.”

This grant opportunity was offered exclusively to PGA Create Fellows from its recent scripted lab for emerging and mid-career creative producers from backgrounds underrepresented in the industry. The commissioning of new short films from independent producers extends Google’s previously announced lead sponsorship of the PGA Create lab. The recipients were selected by the Producers Guild, Google and Powderkeg. Each producer will retain ownership of the short films, which will receive sneak previews this summer at the Produced By Conference before making their way onto the festival circuit and other distribution outlets. 

The partnership was brokered by UTA Entertainment & Culture Marketing, the brand consulting division of United Talent Agency that represents Google.

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