The 2019 Garrett Scott Documentary Development Grant has been awarded to Jon-Sesrie Goff for After Sherman and Diane Hodson and Jasmine Luoma for Million Dollar Block. The recipients will present excerpts from their works in progress at 4:30 pm on Saturday, April 6, prior to the screening of Easter Snap and Caballerango.

After Sherman
Jon-Sesrie Goff

A personal journey into Gullah heritage interrupted by the murder of nine people at Mother Emanuel AME Church in 2015. At the center of the film is the director’s relationship with his father, Reverend Dr. Norvel Goff, who served as interim pastor for Mother Emanuel in the aftermath of the murders. They explore the idea of forgiveness through the lens of cultural retention and land preservation.

Million Dollar Block
Diane Hodson, Jasmine Luoma

Weaving together the stories of residents in Brownsville, Brooklyn’s Van Dyke Houses, Million Dollar Block is a portrait of life in a community rich in land, history, and institutional disinvestment. With slowly rising “affordable housing” serving as the backdrop, the film will craft an evocative tableau, considering a neighborhood often described in terms of squalor and despair, with dignity and nuance.

The Garrett Scott Documentary Development Grant is supported by Joan Gillings and HBO.