One Outside Film Grant

Artwork by Maya Ealey

Outdoor experiences should be for everyone

At Eddie Bauer, we believe that outdoor experiences should be for everyone – regardless of race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, mental and physical ability or age. In acknowledgement that outdoor spaces are not always a welcoming place for all, it’s our mission to bring the benefits of the outdoors to all communities, particularly those who have been underrepresented.

To further amplify the voices, stories, and experiences of underrepresented communities in the outdoors, we’re excited to introduce the Eddie Bauer One Outside Film Grant.

Each year, we’ll award up to six $10,000 film grants to help fund the creation of outdoor films made by filmmakers from underrepresented groups.

$10,000 film grants for outdoor filmmakers

For our 2021 Eddie Bauer One Outside Film Grant we’ve awarded film grants to 8 filmmakers who identify as part of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities. These filmmakers aim to tell stories that help all people feel invited, accepted, and validated in their full range of outdoor experiences and illuminate important narratives as we look to share the outdoors.

Congratulations to our 2021 One Outside Film Grant Recipients!

We look forward to sharing more about these artists and their projects in the coming days. Please check back or follow us @EddieBauer for the latest news.

Brutis Baez

Luis “Brutis” Baez grew up on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in Oregon. Hunting and fishing were a way of life for him, as was the celebration of roots and berries along with their seasons of the year. His love for art is what drives him and his ambition is to share important traditions and tribal stories with his people and others.

Esmeralda Hernandez

Esmeralda Hernandez is an award-winning independent filmmaker and artist born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. With her art, she highlights the voices and faces of underrepresented people. Her short films explore the American experience and other worlds, putting Latina protagonists at the forefront of the story.

Kiki Ong

Kiki Ong (she/her) is a mixed-media artist with a focus on documentary, stop motion animation, and collage. Through the study of Taiwanese culture, her work is primarily rooted in identity politics and cultural hybridity. Informed by the API diasporic experience, she is interested in uplifting BIPOC narratives, specifically in the outdoors.

Love Soulèy

Love Soulèy is a Haitian American director and photographer born in Miami, FL. Her work explores the themes of ancestral knowledge, culture, feminine energy, communal healing, returning to the earth, rememory, and sound. Her hope and desire is that her art will cultivate holistic spaces that help people reconnect deeply to themselves, each other, and their lineage.

Brutis Baez

Esmeralda Hernandez

Kiki Ong

Love Soulèy

Olivia Wong

Olivia Wong is a 25-year-old Asian-American, queer, cis-gender woman. Ever since she was 14, it’s been her life’s dream to be a writer and director. Through the medium of cinema, she aims to enact positive change in the world by inspiring others and telling the stories of marginalized groups of people.

Pallavi Somusetty

Pallavi Somusetty is an Oakland-based documentary filmmaker with a passion for amplifying social justice issues by focusing on personal stories about marginalized people and communities. She feels a deep calling to create BIPOC-centered portraits that offer an opportunity of being and feeling fully seen in our identities and journeys.

The Brave Space Project

The Brave Space Project is a multi-racial, women-led, collaborative creative team seeking to decolonize outdoor culture both in front of and behind the lens. Their film is inspired by a deep and urgent belief in the need for representation and reclamation of belonging in the outdoors for Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color.

Travis Wood

Travis Wood is a filmmaker from Minneapolis. His short films have been selected for multiple Vimeo Staff Picks, the SXSW film festival, and an NY EMMY award. He is a current member of the Meerkat Media Artist Collective and part of the special projects team at Farm League.

Olivia Wong

Pallavi Somusetty

The Brave Space Project

Travis Wood

We’re committed to ongoing support

In addition to the Film Grant and some Eddie Bauer gear, we’ve partnered with an outdoor production company Wondercamp, who has produced award-winning work with The Outbound Collective, to be a resource for grant recipients. They will be available to offer their production experience and advice as they progress through their project. They have valuable knowledge about all stages of production as well as tips for managing film grants.

“Hi, we’re Wondercamp. Contrary to the name, we are not a summer camp. We are however a creative production company based out of Seattle, WA. We like to ask hard questions, call people into a greater adventure, and dive deep into friendships.

With a blend of character-based storytelling for both non-profits and the outdoor industry, we’ve helped create films alongside folks like REI, Patagonia, The Wilderness Society, The Outbound Collective, HOKA, Preemptive Love, World Vision, and Rescue:Freedom. Some of these films have toured internationally with festivals like MountainFilm and Banff Mountain Film Festival, collectively gained over 5-million views on YouTube, and have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for non-profit organizations.

Through sharing stories of everyday world changers, status quo shakers, and adventure takers, our hope is to tell honest stories that challenge assumptions and broaden someone’s worldview.”

Advocating for more inclusion

Our committee of community leaders, outdoor guides and athletes, advocates, and storytellers had the incredibly difficult task of awarding the One Outside Film Grant with such an incredible response of applications. And we recognize we have a responsibility to be stewards of diversity, equality, and inclusion in the outdoors. That’s why our application included a question that asked, “How can Eddie Bauer advocate for more inclusive voices?” All responses will be shared directly with our leadership team and they will formulate a plan to put the feedback we receive into action.

All participation in the One Outside Film Grant has made an impact, and we encourage everyone to continue telling important stories.

Advocating for more inclusion

Our committee of community leaders, outdoor guides and athletes, advocates, and storytellers had the incredibly difficult task of awarding the One Outside Film Grant with such an incredible response of applications. And we recognize we have a responsibility to be stewards of diversity, equality, and inclusion in the outdoors. That’s why our application included a question that asked, “How can Eddie Bauer advocate for more inclusive voices?” All responses will be shared directly with our leadership team and they will formulate a plan to put the feedback we receive into action.

All participation in the One Outside Film Grant has made an impact, and we encourage everyone to continue telling important stories.

Questions

What’s next?
We’ll work with Film Grant recipients to receive their resources and work together to get projects completed by October of this year. Then we’ll share them with you.

Why didn’t my project get awarded a grant?
We received many amazing projects, stories, and perspectives. Our community committee evaluated the applications on many criteria including the One Outside Film Grant mission, originality and creativity, artistic merit, and perceived ability to complete the Grant project within the timeline. But not being selected does not mean your project is not equally as important to the ongoing conversation around equality and access in the outdoors.

Do artists retain the ownership and rights to their project?
Yes! But Eddie Bauer will enter into an agreement with them to share their work with a wider audience.

Who decided who received the grants?
Eddie Bauer has assembled a committee of community peers and industry professionals with diverse backgrounds and beliefs. We were excited to partner with The Outbound Collective to expand this committee.

What can I use the grant for?
The grant is meant to be used to create or complete work by covering the cost of expenses such as equipment, crew, services, fees, production costs, etc. It should not be used to cover already incurred costs, studio renovations, or promotional costs

How can I apply for next year’s One Outside Film Grant?
We’ll announce details about 2022’s criteria later. Stay tuned!

OUR GRANT COMMITTEE

An advisory panel made up of community leaders from the Eddie Bauer One Outside Program and The Outbound Collective who identify as a member of BIPOC, with diverse backgrounds in the arts, storytelling, and the outdoors, will join a small group of Eddie Bauer leadership to review film grant submissions.

OUR GRANT COMMITTEE

An advisory panel made up of community leaders from the Eddie Bauer One Outside Program and The Outbound Collective who identify as a member of BIPOC, with diverse backgrounds in the arts, storytelling, and the outdoors, will join a small group of Eddie Bauer leadership to review film grant submissions.