Reel South Originals

Overview
In 2020, Reel South commissioned six filmmakers from the American South to chronicle the cultural shifts, community ingenuity, and pivotal conversations defining their communities for a pilot, short-form anthology series called HINDSIGHT.

With HINDSIGHT, Reel South invites filmmakers from racially-diverse (BIPOC) and historically under-served backgrounds living in the American South to submit proposals for non-fiction, digital shorts that speak to the critical topics defining our natural world: from climate change, agricultural practices, and green economies to environmental justice, biodiversity, and beyond.

Selected filmmakers each receive $20,000 to produce a 10-minute short film. The filmmakers work with Reel South and other public media organizations throughout all stages of development, production, post-production, and distribution. Selected filmmakers are paired with a public media station mentor.

Story Criteria
HINDSIGHT is an exploration of the lived experiences of BIPOC communities in the American South who reflect the complicated history and cultural shifts of the region. We are looking for stories that maintain a rigorous, fact-driven approach while still centering dynamic cinematic work which disrupts mainstream narratives and illuminates the issues, communities, and identities of the region. 

2023 Topic: The Environment
We see that environmental and science stories from the South continue to shape and define national media coverage: natural disasters, urban and rural utility failures, scientific exploration and economic opportunity. We feel that HINDSIGHT can be of great service to our communities across the region who live these realities day to day, not once a season.

This iteration of Reel South HINDSIGHT hopes to expose and behold our natural instincts as a source for recovery, perseverance, and communion over the greatest issues of our time.