Sisters in Cinema, a South Side Chicago-based media arts center supporting black women, girls, and non-binary individuals, has selected three first-time women filmmakers for its Documentary Fellowship. Backed by Chicago Women’s Foundation LBTQ Giving Council, the program boosts “Black women and gender nonconforming non-fiction directors working on films that center LBTQ stories,” a press release details.

The Documentary Fellows are Cai Thomas, Luchina Fisher, and Ashley O’Shay. They will each receive a $2,500 grant as well as year-long fiscal sponsorship and “tailored mentorship focused on both professional and project development” from Sisters in Cinema founder and CEO Yvonne Welbon.

Each Documentary Fellow shares stories that occur at “the intersection of race, gender, and social justice.” Thomas is working on an untitled project about the increasing number of housing insecure LGBTQ seniors, while Fisher’s “Mama Gloria” focuses on Gloria Allen, a 73-year-old trans woman who transitioned before Stonewall and opened a charm school for homeless trans youth in her 60s. O’Shay’s “Unapologetic” follows queer activists Janaé and Bella while offering an “intimate peek into the personal and political battles that have transformed the city of Chicago.”

Go to Sisters in Cinema’s website for more information about the Fellowship and the center’s overall mission.