Leading development consultancy and screenplay discovery platform ScreenCraft and Santa Monica-based media financier BondIt Media Capital have announced two recipients of the Spring 2018 ScreenCraft Film Fund Backed by BondIt Media Capital. 

The first recipient is feature film A Girl From Mogadishu from writer-director Mary McGuckian. The film is based on the testimony of Ifrah Ahmed, who - having made the extraordinary journey to escape war-torn Somalia - emerged as one of the world's foremost international activists against Gender-Based Violence and female genital mutilation. Female genital mutilation is a barbaric act affecting over 200 million women across the world. For so long a taboo topic, the appropriate world health organizations have now recognized the shocking extent of the practice, endeavored quite successfully to bring it to the attention of the relevant authorities.

Mary McGuckian is an independent filmmaker whose film credits include Man on the Train,The Making of Plus One, Intervention and This is the Sea.

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The second recipient is a documentary titled El Pueblo Unido from filmmaker Jonathan M. Machado. El Pueblo Unido (The People United) is a documentary on the front lines of Nicaragua's current deadly civil uprising. Centered around a 17-year-old student activist known as "Ramirez", we follow him as he navigates clashes between resistance fighters and police forces while also interviewing multiple people on the frontlines as they fight to overthrow President Daniel Ortega's regime.

Jonathan Machado is a latino filmmaker of Nicaraguan descent born and raised in Miami. He has directed over 100 music videos, commercials, branded content and short films. His upcoming feature film, Nacio Rey, will mark his narrative debut.

With a strong personal connection and acute timeliness, ScreenCraft is excited to see Jonathan and his team bring this incredible story to life.

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The ScreenCraft Film Fund is administered biannually in amounts up to $30,000 to talented filmmakers with projects that display singular talent, originality, vision, impact and development potential. The program accepts documentary and feature submissions in addition to short films and online series. Here is the cycle's full list of finalists:

ScreenCraft provides ongoing creative development and BondIt (with sister company Buffalo 8 Productions) offer guidance and resources throughout the project’s production. Previous ScreenCraft Fund recipients include filmmakers Samira Shackle, Owen Kean, Haya Fatima Iqbal, Alex Lanipekun, Natasja Fourie, Tom Botchii & Sam Kozel and Dani Bailes and Alexis Korycinski, Danny Madden, Chris Osborn, Matthew Thorne, and Farraz Khan.

The deadline for the current cycle of the ScreenCraft Film Fund is December 1st, 2018.

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