Remi Gabriel (“Barbie Boy”), Carmela Murphy and AJ Dubler (“A Bird Hit My Window and Now I’m a Lesbian”) are among this year’s 2025 Colin Higgins Youth Filmmaker Grant recipients, Variety can exclusively reveal.
Since 2023, the partnership with Frameline has focused on supporting LGBTQ+ filmmakers with financial support. This year’s filmmakers will receive $15,000 each to support future film endeavors, along with having their films screened at the 49th San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival.
“As support of LGBTQ+ art — and artists in general — is being systematically dismantled, it falls on our community’s shoulders to protect the future of queer cinema, all while preserving its rich history,” Frameline’s executive director Allegra Madsen said in a statement. “Frameline’s partnership with the Colin Higgins Foundation has allowed both of our organizations to do just that for the past three years. Together, we will continue to uplift LGBTQ+ youth and their vital stories.”
The grant is named after the late Higgins, the acclaimed director and screenwriter behind “Harold and Maude,” “9 to 5” and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” Frameline49 runs June 18-28.
Jump Cut Taps Jacky Shu as Executive Vice President
Jump Cut, the New York-based film and episodic marketing company, has tapped industry veteran Jacky Shu as executive VP. In her new role, she will oversee A/V and print divisions while continuing to be based in Los Angeles.
Prior to joining Jump Cut, Shu co-founded the film marketing company Rogue Planet and served as its CEO for the past ten years. She has collected over thirty Clio awards over the years, including work on campaigns for Pixar’s “Soul,” Netflix’s “Okja” and 20th Century’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.”
“Jacky is the perfect person to complement our team,” Jump Cut founder Stephen Garrett said in a statement. “As our industry continues to evolve, so does Jump Cut, and Jacky has the vision and energy to steer us into a very bright future.”
Of her new position, Shu said in a statement: “I could not ask for a more perfect place to hitch my wagon. I am so proud of what Jump Cut has already accomplished, and I am thrilled to make it my new creative home.”
