UpTilt is celebrating our 10th anniversary in 2026! Festival passes are now on sale!
UpTilt Filmmaker Scholarships
The Joy James, aka Livity The Poet Memorial Scholarship $2000
The Joy James, aka Livity The Poet Memorial Scholarship $2000
The Joy James, aka Livity The Poet Memorial Scholarship $2000
Joy James, aka Livity the Poet Joy James (1979-2021) was an integral part of the Wilmington North Carolina's Theater, Film and Poetry community. Joy was born in St. Croix and moved to Wilmington in 2015. She performed her poetry at several of our film festivals and wrote, directed and starred in "Judging Eyes," which was shown at UpTilt i
Joy James, aka Livity the Poet Joy James (1979-2021) was an integral part of the Wilmington North Carolina's Theater, Film and Poetry community. Joy was born in St. Croix and moved to Wilmington in 2015. She performed her poetry at several of our film festivals and wrote, directed and starred in "Judging Eyes," which was shown at UpTilt in 2020. Joy had a magnetic personality, gentle spirit, and a passion for film. UpTilt is honored to name our female+ filmmaker scholarship, The Joy James, aka Livity The Poet Memorial Grant.
The Lisa Christine Hyatt Memorial Scholarship $2000
The Joy James, aka Livity The Poet Memorial Scholarship $2000
The Joy James, aka Livity The Poet Memorial Scholarship $2000
Lisa worked her entire life to use language in helping people better understand their hearts. Lisa helped establish a Women's Center, the Women's Resource Coalition and worked at an AIDS Hotline and Hope Line. In 2020, she joined the board of UpTilt Film Fest, provided invaluable feedback on film submissions and pushed the board members o
Lisa worked her entire life to use language in helping people better understand their hearts. Lisa helped establish a Women's Center, the Women's Resource Coalition and worked at an AIDS Hotline and Hope Line. In 2020, she joined the board of UpTilt Film Fest, provided invaluable feedback on film submissions and pushed the board members outside of their comfort zones to increase sponsorships in order to provide opportunities to female+ filmmakers. We are proud to name our North Carolina resident scholarship in memory and honor of Lisa Christine Hyatt.
The Silberman Family Emerging Filmmaker Scholarship $500
The Joy James, aka Livity The Poet Memorial Scholarship $2000
The Silberman Family Emerging Filmmaker Scholarship $500
The Silberman family is pleased to support the UpTilt Film Fest and emerging filmmakers in the industry. Andrew and Martha Silberman have been a huge support for their filmmaker daughter, Rachael, and all three continue to spread their love of film throughout their community and hope to inspire the next generation through film scholarships.
An UpTilt scholarship was the reason I completed my short doc, 'Won't You Be My Dumpling', a deterrent to Asian hate showcasing the universality of fun, food and humanity. I had given up hope on this concept but, now I am paying it forward and sponsored a scholarship in 2025.
- Jinna Kim, 2023 Scholarship Recipient
Meet Our Scholarship Committee
Kiersten Houser
Kiersten Houser is a filmmaker and educator known for producing, directing, and screenwriting. In addition to working as Assistant Director on films such as Pooja, Sir (Rauniyar, 2024, Venice International Film Festival), she excels in crafting diverse, character-driven stories that often balance themes of grief, loss, and identity. Her directorial works have earned awards such as “Best Suspense Film” and “Best Experimental Film”, along with PBS NC’s “Reel South Award”, given annually to a standout NC documentary filmmaker/project. As an Assistant Professor at Butler University, she leads the undergraduate Blue Frame Film Festival alongside teaching courses ranging from Narrative Horror Production to Screenwriting.
Mariah Dunn Kramer, M.F.A
Mariah Kramer is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Cinema and Media Arts at Vanderbilt University, with a passion for storytelling that stretches far beyond the classroom. A co-founder of UpTilt Film Fest, Mariah is also a proud board member, dedicated to supporting women’s voices in film. When she's not teaching or giving back to the film community, she's making her own mark as an independent filmmaker. She’s been fortunate to have her work screened at festivals across the country, from Bend Film Festival to Cucalorus Film Festival, with her short documentary This Is My Home Now even making its premiere on PBS and the World Channel.
Her latest project, Shirley, dives deep into family history, telling the poignant tale of her maternal grandmother, who passed away from polycystic kidney disease at just 36, leaving behind six young children. Mariah’s work is inspired by the belief that while each of us has moments that feel uniquely personal, they are often deeply universal. Through her films, she explores the resilience of the human spirit, always aiming to capture the shared experiences that connect us all.
Suzannah Moore
Suzannah is a Toronto-based writer and filmmaker. Early in her career, she was a selected participant in the Canadian Media Producers Association mentorship program. While working production jobs on set, she continued to hone her writing craft in the University of Toronto Screenwriting post-grad, the Second City Sketch Writing Conservatory and most recently the Professional Writing and Communications program at Humber College. Additionally, she has worked in script development for various companies and independent writers (Marble Media, Coverfly, Wildling Pictures). She is elated to bring her passion for film and writing under one umbrella as UpTilt Film Festival’s Communications Manager!
Melissa Willenborg, M.F.A
Melissa is a documentary filmmaker, guest lecturer, and professional media producer with specialities in editing, audio acquisition, and camera operation. She is the sole proprietor of Zirin Productions LLC, a client-based media production company based in California's North Bay Area. Melissa's administered guest lectures on documentary filmmaking at Santa Barbara City College, Sonoma State University and City College of San Francisco.