Northwest Film Forum Announces Winner of the Fifth Annual Lynn Shelton ‘Of a Certain Age’ Grant

Chinese filmmaker Jing Zou, director of the narrative feature film “A Girl Unknown,” has been named as the winner of the fifth annual Lynn Shelton “Of a Certain Age” Grant from Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum (NWFF). This grant includes an unrestricted cash award of $25,000 to support her directorial debut, which follows a girl from age six through her 30s as she’s passed between multiple families and is inspired by the true story of generations of Chinese girls who were abandoned as a result of the country’s defunct one-child policy.

“I am absolutely honored to be selected as the recipient of the 2024 Lynn Shelton ‘Of a Certain Age’ award for my first feature, ‘A Girl Unknown.’ Thank you for this recognition and for your support,” Zou said in a statement. “I am committed to making the most of this award and to creating a film that honors the spirit of Lynn Shelton.”

“A Girl Unknown” previously received the top prize at the Next Step Initiative at Cannes Critics’ Week and Zou’s short film, “Lili Alone” (“Duo Li”) won the Leitz Cine Discovery Prize at Critics’ Week in 2021. Born in 1984, the filmmaker has a literary background, but found her passion for filmmaking working as a director and editor of documentaries at Shanghai International TV Station. She is currently based out of Shanghai and Los Angeles.

Following her sudden passing in 2020, the Lynn Shelton “Of a Certain Age” Grant was co-established by Duplass Brothers Productions, who collaborated frequently with Shelton, and NWFF —with major ongoing support from COLOR, Eliza Flug, CB Shamah, Lacey Leavitt Gray, Megan Griffiths, Olivia Newman, Marc Maron, Jennessa & Rob West, Sean Donavan, Michaela Watkins, and additional community members. It aims to support a U.S.-based female, non-binary, and/or transgender filmmaker – age 39 or older – in the process of developing and directing their first narrative feature.

Of the grant’s impact, filmmaker and NWFF Board Member Megan Griffiths said, “Knowing that there are now five extraordinary filmmakers ‘of a certain age’ that have received support for their work and affirmation of their dreams through this grant would have brought Lynn so much joy. I’m so grateful to Northwest Film Forum and all of the people who make this grant possible, and thrilled to be introduced to the work of Jing Zou and the rest of this year’s amazing finalists.”

NWFF Grants Manager Emily Zimmerman added, “This grant does something absolutely unique in the context of the United States by offering support to a woman or gender diverse filmmaker 40-and-over embarking on their first feature length narrative film. It has been a singular honor to be part of this award.”

Jennifer Phang, Sarah Smith, and Avril Speaks served as this year’s Award Selection Committee and in a collective statement wrote, “We were overwhelmed and overjoyed by the sheer volume of talent that submitted their projects to this grant. There were countless artistic reasons to get behind each filmmaker and their project, so it was challenging to select the finalists, let alone the final awardee.”

“Ultimately we as jurors shared a deep appreciation for Jing Zou’s distinctive filmmaking style and the subject of her next project ‘A Girl Unknown.’ The story follows the tumultuous journey of a young Chinese girl who has three names as she navigates the complexities of her past, present, and future amidst a tapestry of three distinct family dynamics. This work and Jing Zou’s subject of choice stood out in the global relevance of a story about how women are collectively undervalued around the world.”

15 other filmmakers were also considered for the award, including Cat Solen, Cynthia Wade, Fatemeh Hosseini, Gabriela Garcia Medina, Kate Marks, Katrina Whalen, Lana Wilson, Marissa Chibas, Michele Atkins, Missy Hernandez, and Sonia Malfa. Honorable Mentions from the Award Selection Committee went to Catya Plate, Elizabeth Sargent, and Masami Kawai.

You can contribute to the Lynn Shelton “Of a Certain Age” Grant by donating to NWFF through their NetworkForGood portal. The Shelton/Seal Family Fund for the Northwest School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children and Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum are also accepting donations in Shelton’s honor.