Grant award winners have been announced for the 2025 lineup of The Big Tell. CMAC image

Ten storytellers from across the Valley will each receive $5,000 grants to bring once-untold stories to life, part of this year’s Big Tell film festival organized by Community Media Access Collaborative (CMAC).

The festival, launched in 2017, aims to raise awareness and empower community voices through storytelling, according to a news release. This year saw 146 applicants submit their film concepts, proposing undiscovered stories from the six-county region served by CMAC.

A panel of judges evaluated applications based on subject, diversity of stories and perspectives and the potential reception among Central Valley audiences and beyond.

“We believe that everyone has a story to tell , and everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and recognized,” CMAC Executive Director Bryan Harley said. “These stories create a more connected and informed community, inspiring people to take action and make a positive difference in the Central Valley.”

The ten winning filmmakers will now have three months to complete their film projects before they premiere at The Big Tell Showcase in November.

Along with the cash prize, recipients will also receive one-on-one mentoring from CMAC Education Specialist and award-winning filmmaker Angelica Hernandez.

“I was extremely impressed by the passion, originality, and heart behind every submission we received,” Hernandez said. “It was a privilege to see the vibrant and diverse community of the Central Valley through their eyes.”

Filmmakers will also have the opportunity to participate in a career development seminar featuring Emmy-nominated documentarian and founder and president of Fire of Life Films, Sascha Brown Rice. Rice is the granddaughter of former California Governor Pat Brown.

This year’s film contest winners are:

• “Retired and Inspired: A Town Transformed by Senior Creativity”, Silvia Gonzalez S.
• “Laotian Celebration”, Karina E. Turner
• “Still in Print”, Kristin Lesko
• “The West Was Ours Too: From Forgotten to Khalra’s Fresno”, Naindeep Singh
• “Happy Trails: Where Every Stride Transforms”, Debra Youngquist
• “The Last King”, Adam Perez
• “The Reel Story: The Madera Drive-In”, Marcos Dorado
• “Stories in the Soil: Where the Delano Manongs Rest, Their Stories Rise”, Christine Rose
• “Growing Forward”, Jackie Schuster
• “Rhythm in Motion. Culture in Power”, Jeremy Miller
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The film festival is made possible through support of community partners CMAC, the Central Valley Community Foundation and the James B. McClatchy foundation. The Central Valley Community Foundation serves as the area’s philanthropic leader, serving the six-county Central San Joaquin Valley and investing in solutions to address the region’s most pressing issues, according to a news release. The James B. McClatchy Foundation was founded in 1994 and aims to support literacy and First Amendment protections while celebrating cultural diversity in the Central Valley.