Emerging Filmmakers Receive Grants from Comcast NBCUniversal and The Alliance for Media Arts + Culture

For the second year, Comcast NBCUniversal partnered with The Alliance for Media Arts + Culture on their Power of Storytelling grant program to award eight emerging filmmakers from nonprofit creative agencies that participate in NBCU’s Creative Impact Lab. The $5,000 awards will enable these early career media makers to write, shoot, edit and/or distribute their own digital media projects that demonstrate this year’s theme: The Art of Nonfiction. Grantees also receive funding and mentorship from award-winning filmmakers and participate in workshops throughout the year on budgeting, editing, impact producing, and distribution strategy. 

Learn more about this year’s grantees and the nonprofit creative agencies they’ve worked at below:  

Carl Harrison Jr. is a New Orleans-based filmmaker, artist, and storyteller committed to preserving cultural heritage and exploring themes of resilience and sustainability. He has been involved with NOVAC for years, both as a participant and as an instructor. Carl’s work includes The Buzz of Saint Roch, a short film celebrating the vibrant cultural traditions of New Orleans, the documentary series Eve’s Garden, which explores ancestral connections through food and community, and Spy Boy Dow, a poetic portrait of Black masking traditions. Rooted in his experiences as a beekeeper and urban farmer, Carl’s films highlight untold stories that inspire audiences to honor their histories, embrace cultural diversity, and envision a more sustainable future.  

Elvira Michelle Castillo is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, and curator based in New Orleans. Of Bolivian descent and raised in Miami, Florida, her work explores intergenerational memory and trauma, particularly as they shape the experiences of marginalized communities. She co-owns Studio Lalala, a New Orleans film studio cooperative, and is an alumna of the NBCU Creative Impact Lab 2023 while she was working at NOVAC. Her work has been exhibited locally at The Front Gallery, The Parlour Gallery, and the Contemporary Arts Center, as well as nationally in "Is it Real? Contemporary Artists for Reproductive Freedom" at Lagoon Studios in Dallas, TX. 

JaMiracle White is a writer, producer, and director based in Atlanta, GA. She recently participated in the RE: IMAGINE’s No Comment Film Fellowship 2024 powered by Warner Bros Discovery. Through character-driven narratives, she focuses on bringing diverse, relatable stories to life all while exploring themes of identity, love, and personal growth. She is passionate about creating visual and literary stories where people are seen and understood in all their complexities. Her latest project that she produced was a short film called The Choice Is Yours with No Comment Media.  

"I'm truly grateful for your belief in my vision. I feel honored to be selected, and I can't express my gratitude enough." - JaMiracle White 

Kercel Montes is a Youth FX filmmaker who aims to create films centering around a multitude of issues ranging from community violence, to the mental wellbeing of young people. Born and raised in Albany NY, Kercel has strived to be a voice of change, having been a part of multiple panels as a guest speaker spanning from issues around school safety, to the issue of gun control in his community. He is currently working on a documentary about gun violence in Albany, a piece for his late uncle, Elijah Cancer. 

"Can’t wait for the first meeting and I really am so very thankful for this opportunity!" - Kercel Montes  

Lamont Lamar is a filmmaker whose work is deeply inspired by his upbringing in New Jersey and Philadelphia and by his mother’s strength as a person with a disability. Her resilience shaped his passion for storytelling, focused on the beauty of humanity and the power of collective voices. Lamont got his start early with PhillyCam Voices, where he helped amplify community stories. He works in directing both documentaries and narratives and holds an MFA in Film and Television Production from USC, as well as a Bachelor’s degree from California College of the Arts. Lamont’s work centers on healing and honoring one's past. 

Luke Harris is an award-winning Black Director-Writer and a USC School of Cinematic Arts graduate. He was a part of the NOVAC Documentary Cohort, where he directed a short film called South Body that won the Audience Award at the New Orleans Film Festival. Former President of the African American Cinema Society, Luke won the 2022 #CreateLouisiana Film Grant for Tambou, which premiered at the French Film Festival. His work includes Pam on Omeleto (1M+ views) and The First Day of Being Black, a DGA Jury Award winner. Provenance won Best Drama at the College Television Award. 

Natalia Casio is an aspiring visual anthropologist and filmmaker, affiliated with Kids In the Spotlight, who is dedicated to telling stories that are often overlooked. With a passion for exploring the diverse threads of humanity, she seeks to shed light on the unique and universal experiences that shape the human condition. Natalia’s goal is to create documentaries and narrative films that amplify underrepresented voices, uncover hidden truths, and celebrate life’s complexities. She strives to showcase different parts of humanity and culture that make this world so great, inspiring others to think beyond what they know and embrace new perspectives about the world.