WEG Short Film Lab

The WEG Short Film Lab is a hybrid film and media incubator and community arts program servicing emerging filmmakers and underserved communities.
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The WEG Short Film Lab is part of ASFI’s Building Careers, Building Communities initiative and is made possible thanks to the John S. And James L. Knight Foundation, as well as the NBCUniversal Foundation, NBC6 and Telemundo 51.
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in 2022 the program commissioned over $70,000 in short film projects by local South Florida filmmakers, while also providing creative and logistic production advising and additional resources in support of original short film projects.

ASFI x Slamdance Unstoppable Commission

The WEG Short Film Lab has also partnered with national industry leader Slamdance Film Festival, for the Unstoppable program, which promotes disability and diversity inclusion in film by showcasing projects created by filmmakers with visible and non-visible disabilities.
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ASFI and WEG Films along with Slamdance Unstoppable will be funding work by two disabled artists in South Florida. The Unstoppable commission seeks to support the work and development of disabled filmmakers, and has awarded $5,000 dollars to two local disabled filmmakers, along with developmental support from the White Elephant Group to help them produce their short films.

“The WEG Short Film Lab will serve as a podium for South Florida creative voices, and will be a celebration of the place we all call home”
- Kevin Ondarza (WEGFilms Co-Founder)

Public Programming

The WEG Short Film Lab not only produces and showcases South Florida films, but is also the catalyst for free public-programming.

The programming, produced by ASFI, has each commissioned filmmaker create and lead unique events centered around the arts, and presented in some of Miami’s most historically underserved communities through partnerships with program partners.

The 2022 WEG Short Film Lab Fellows

AL'LKENS PLANCHER

KONPA

A young Haitian-American learns how to dance Konpa to impress his crush.

BRUKLYN

Sambo

For those who took over The Allen Building to force Duke University to respond to the needs of its Black students, February 13th, 1969 was a day to be cherished as one of unrivaled bravery and glory. But for Theo, a photographer who has no experience participating in the civil rights movement, it quickly turned into a nightmare as the looming threat of police arriving grew and his secret gets exposed.