CAPE and TAAF Announce Recipients of Inaugural Rising Filmmakers Finishing Fund

Writer-directors Beth de Araújo and Ravi Kapoor awarded post-production grants of $50,000 each to complete their highly anticipated feature films

Funding aims to ensure more Asian American and Pacific Islander filmmakers have the resources and support to bring their stories to life

‍LOS ANGELES, CA – Today, CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) and The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) announced Beth de Araújo and Ravi Kapoor as the inaugural recipients of the 2025 Rising Filmmakers Finishing Fund, with the two writer-directors receiving post-production grants of $50,000 each to complete their highly anticipated features Josephine and Patel, respectively. The grantees will also receive networking opportunities through CAPE and TAAF’s networks, as well as Filmmaker Pro Memberships from Film Independent.

The Rising Filmmakers Finishing Fund, launched by CAPE and TAAF in January 2025, aims to support the career longevity of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) filmmakers as demand for authentic AAPI stories grows. To qualify for the grants, applicants were required to submit live-action narrative feature film projects at least 90% through principal photography or in post-production. The project must also have been an applicant’s second, third, fourth, or fifth feature film.

“In light of the precipitous decline in funding support after a debut feature, CAPE is proud to partner with TAAF on the only funding opportunity of its kind that invests in sustaining filmmakers’ careers by supporting their second through fifth feature films,” said Michelle K. Sugihara, Executive Director & CEO of CAPE. “Both Beth de Araújo and Ravi Kapoor are talented storytellers with strong voices. Josephine and Patel could not be more different and they are important additions to the canon of Asian American storytelling.”

“We’ve seen unprecedented audience demand for more nuanced Asian American and Pacific Islander stories, and with it, incredible opportunities to invest in directors working to capture the full humanity of our community,” said Norman Chen, CEO of TAAF. “TAAF is proud to support Beth de Araújo and Ravi Kapoor through the Rising Filmmakers Finishing Fund. We believe in championing talented artists at all stages, and hope that programs like this can help grow and sustain their long-term careers.”

MEET THE RISING FILMMAKER FUND RECIPIENTS

Beth de Araújo: Beth de Araújo is a Writer and Director featured in Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film and was nominated for the 2022 Gotham Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award for her debut film, Soft & Quiet. Soft & Quiet premiered at SXSW in 2022, was acquired by Blumhouse, and distributed by eOne. Her Moth story, Don’t Move, performed in three sold out shows for The Moth Mainstage at BAM Theater in NYC, Byham Theater in Pittsburgh, and The Palace Theater in Los Angeles in 2019. Her short film, based on her Gawker essay of the same name, “I Want To Marry A Creative Jewish Girl,” won best screenplay at Hollyshorts Film Festival.

JOSEPHINE: 

• Logline: After 8-year-old Josephine accidentally witnesses a crime in Golden Gate Park, she acts out in search of a way to regain control of her safety, while adults are helpless to console her.

• Cast: Mason Lily Reeves, Gemma Chan, Channing Tatum, Phillip Ettinger, and Syra McCarthy.

Ravi Kapoor: Ravi Kapoor is an LA based writer-director-actor. He wrote and directed the feature film Four Samosas, a quirky heist comedy set in LA’s “Little India” which premiered at Tribeca and was picked up for distribution by IFC. It won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Newport Beach Film Festival. He also directed and co-wrote the feature film Miss India America, a coming of age comedy set in the world of South Asian American beauty pageants originally released on Netflix. ‍

PATEL: 

• Logline: An off-kilter, deadpan gangster tragedy based on Macbeth, set in the world of Indian-American motel owners in the 90’s, that asks: how big should an immigrant dream? Wes Anderson meets Scorsese meets Shakespeare.

• Cast: Utkarsh Ambudkar, Richa Moorjani, Kal Penn, Kunal Nayyar, Meera Simhan, Danny Pudi, Nik Dodani, Rizwan Manji, and Pete Holmes. 

About CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment)

CAPE is the longest-running non-profit organization creating opportunities and driving change for Asian and Pacific Islander (API) success in Hollywood. For nearly 35 years, CAPE has advanced representation in film and television by championing people, stories, and culture. Follow CAPE on Instagram and TikTok (@CAPEUSA), Facebook and LinkedIn or visit capeusa.org.

About The Asian American Foundation (TAAF)

TAAF serves the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community by promoting safety, fostering belonging, and advancing prosperity. Launched in 2021 in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate and to address the long-standing underinvestment in AAPI communities, we invest in initiatives to combat anti-Asian hate, integrate AAPI studies into school curricula, elevate authentic AAPI storytelling, and expand resources and representation for our communities. Through our high-impact initiatives, events, and investments in national and local nonprofits, we’re creating a permanent and irrevocable sense of belonging for millions of AAPIs in the United States. For additional information about TAAF, please visit www.taaf.org or follow @TAAForg on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, or Facebook.