2021 Black List x Hornitos “Take Your Shot” Short Film Program Grant Recipient Announcement

blackfilm.com correspondent Koku Tona attended the 2021 Black List x Hornitos “Take Your Shot” Short Film Program Grant Recipient Announcement. Frankin Leonard, founder and CEO of The Blacklist moderated the panel.

In April 2021, Hornitos Tequila and the Black List announced the program in support of amplifying new voices in the film industry. After reviewing submissions, Hornitos and the Black List have selected five recipients from around the world who have hopes of turning their screenplays into proof of concept short films with mentorship from the Black List.

Information on each of the grant recipients you met yesterday and their cinematic visions below:

• Ella Gale: Ella Gale grew up outdoorsy in Colorado before becoming a standup-comedy basement gnome. Ella’s proof of concept short film follows a struggling comedian who tries to win a local standup competition without losing her best friend after being infected by a demon who eats anyone she envies.
• John Killoran: Hailing from Massachusetts, John (Johnny) Killoran is a writer and director with a number of feature and television credits to his name. Johnny’s short follows a nostalgia-obsessed man who finds himself transported to a world where seventh grade lasts forever.
• Leslie Nipkow: Leslie Nipkow is a breast cancer survivor and the daughter of an Auschwitz survivor. As a result, she writes characters who battle overwhelming odds, whether it be institutionalized prejudice, natural disasters, or their own rogue cells. Based on a true story, Leslie’s concept depicts a blacklisted film director in 1953 who defeats the odds in making a truly American independent film.
• Steve Anthopoulos: Steve is a comedy writer and director, based in New South Wales, Australia. Steve’s proof of concept follows a socially awkward young man who is happy to live in a world ruled by robots, but has their life upended when falling in love with a handsome anti-robot revolutionary.
• Roland Esparza and Austin Savage: Roland and Austin are filmmakers, based in El Paso, Texas. Roland and Austin both have vast, authentic experiences in writing, art, comedy and film. Their short concept follows a subject who abandons a career in wrestling following the death of his best friend, and takes up a career in music in an effort to win back his long lost love.

The Hornitos x the Black List’s “Take Your Shot” Short Film Program is a continuation of Hornitos’ The Shot Fund – a multi-year, investment platform dedicated to empowering today’s generation of shot-takers, taking shots at trailblazing ventures in their careers.