The Alexia Foundation is now accepting applications for The Alexia 2018 Professional and Student Grants. The winner of the The Alexia Professional Grant will receive $20,000 to produce his or her proposed story. The First Place winner of The Alexia Student Grant will receive a cash grant of $1,000 to produce the proposed story, funding for a semester at Syracuse University and $500 will be awarded to the wining student’s academic department. Up two four Award of Excellence winners will receive $500 to produce a proposed body of work and $1500 to be applied toward tuition at Syracuse University or tuition for one of the following workshops: a MediaStorm One-Day Masterclass, a Momenta Photo Workshop, or The Kalish Workshop, which is provided by The Gilka Grant.  Professional Deadline: Feb. 1, 2018 Student Deadline: Mar. 1, 2018 To apply and learn more please click here

MediaStorm is proud to present our new feature-film, Fight Hate with Love, a story about prison-survivor and activist, Michael Ta’Bon. Michael spent fifteen years in prison, where he promised himself that one day he would start a movement to prevent young people from repeating his mistakes. But the impacts of addiction and the traumas of prison have left invisible wounds that may cost him his family. Fight Hate with Love premiered at the Camerimage Film Festival and had its USA premiere at the Cleveland International Film Festival. It has since shown at the Philadelphia Film Festival and most recently had its New York City premiere at the Made in New York Media Center. To set some of Michael’s story in context, we have created a playlist of interviews with two experts on the criminal justice system and its impact on society and the individual. Glenn E. Martin is the President and Founder of JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA), an…

Applications for the CatchLight Fellowships are now open. The CatchLight Fellowship annually recognizes three professional photographers—leaders in visual storytelling—who have demonstrated excellence in the novel use of photography to bring awareness to challenging social issues. Each CatchLight Fellow receives a $30,000 grant and then collaborates with a CatchLight media partner to complete his or her proposed project. The CatchLight Fellowship serves as an incubator — a place to receive financial support, unlock individual potential, grow and leverage partnerships. The Fellowship cultivates a vibrant community of creative thought leaders whose work will be enhanced by collaboration, mentorship, and networking. A CatchLight Fellowship is awarded for life.  To learn more and to apply, see here. The inaugural class of fellows include Sarah Blesener, Brian Frank, and Tomas Van Houtryve. We are honored to have partnered with the International Center of Photography and Harbers Studio to develop a film showcasing Van Houtryve's work on the impacts of US…

The World Health Organization estimates 36.7 million people worldwide are currently living with HIV/AIDS. Of these, 2.1 million are children under the age of 15. Today we commemorate World AIDS Day by remembering those who lost to the virus, and supporting our amazing collaborators working to treat and prevent this disease. Bloodline is Kristen Ashburn's intimate portrait of African mothers, fathers and children being crushed by AIDS. Ashburn's work connects us to these people deeply; we learn that only through such connection is hope possible. The Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance, GAIA ,takes the medical breakthroughs of the developed world and brings them to The Far End of the Road. Their focus is one district in Malawi where 1 out of 6 adults are HIV-positive and healthcare can be hours away. 24,000 children under the age of five will die today, many from preventable diseases, such as HIV/AIDS. In 2009, Save the Children launched the ambitious EVERY ONE campaign to work directly with…

As Veterans Day approaches, we would like to take a moment to remember the many men and women who have shared their stories of war, loss, and love with us. Today, we share these films to honor their sacrifices and thank them for their service: The War Comes Home, by Soledad O’Brien and MediaStorm , takes an intimate look at two veterans as they struggle with the transition from war to home. The film first aired on CNN and pays tribute to the invisible wounds of too many of our soldiers. Homecoming tells the story of Major Amy Quesenberry's transition from solider to civilian.  The veteran unemployment rate is nearly double the national average. That is simply unacceptable to Starbucks' former CEO Howard Schultz, who believes that veterans can become assets to any company. To those who serve in the armed forces, what is the impact of war? The Marlboro Marine is photographer Luis Sinco’s portrait…