The 2018 Leibner Cooper Grant for Creative Productions on the History of Media has been awarded to documentary filmmaker Dr. Brian Graves for his latest project, “It’s Your War Too.”
Dr. Brian Graves is an Assistant Professor of Media and Technology in the School of Communication at Florida State University, with specialties in media writing and production, documentary storytelling, public memory, and critical race studies. In addition to publishing scholarly research articles, he has written, produced, and directed numerous award-winning film productions. His most recent short documentary, My First Drag Show, screened nationally during 2016-2017, achieving fifteen official selections from juried film festivals, an Award of Excellence at the Broadcast Education Association’s On-Location Creative Competition, an award for Best LGBT Documentary Short at the Atlanta International Documentary Film Festival, and a nomination for Best Documentary at the Tampa Bay Underground Film Festival. In the Fall of 2017, Dr. Graves finished preproduction on his latest film project, “It’s Your War Too:” Charlotte Dee Mansfield’s Photographic Memoir of the Women’s Army Corps, a short documentary that explores the pioneering career of World War II military photographer Charlotte Dee Mansfield. The film’s production will launch this Spring thanks to the generous support of the Florida State University Council on Research and Creativity and the Leibner Cooper Grant for Creative Productions on the History of Media.
The Leibner Cooper Grant for Creative Productions on the History of Media is made possible thanks to an endowment from Leibner Cooper Family Foundation. Annually, a $2,500 grant will be awarded to a faculty member who is producing a documentary, news story, multimedia project or sports production focused on historical issues, figures and/or events related to media. Each year the recipient will be recognized at the LABF Giants of Broadcasting Luncheon and at BEA’s annual awards ceremony in Las Vegas.
