ULSTER COUNTY - HUDSY, a local filmmaking collective and soon-to-be digital streaming app, closed their grant application period last week with almost 40 submissions from content creators throughout the Hudson Valley. All video project applications received by their July 1 deadline are now in the running to be selected for grants of up to $5,000 supported by HUDSY’s Community Content Fund.

Charged with assessing which projects move forward to be made into video content for the HUDSY app, set to launch by the end of 2021, are members of HUDSY’s Content Committee.

The diverse, multi-generational group of community stakeholders will spend the coming weeks reviewing synopsis one-pagers of each project with respective applicants remaining anonymous to prevent any bias in the assessment process. Once selected by the HUDSY Content Committee, content creators must be prepared to present completed projects by November 1, 2021.

“Having a committee made up of community members deciding who gets access to the grants, versus a small group of people holding all the power, was key for us. We are intentionally limiting the amount of nepotism that can occur in these situations, breaking a pattern that often exists in the entertainment industry,” said HUDSY co-founder Angel Gates Fonseca. “We are incredibly excited to be kicking off this phase of the Community Content Fund, and are of course grateful for the committee’s involvement in empowering local storytellers.”

“With the Community Content Fund, HUDSY is engaging local creatives and putting money in their hands to encourage productions here in our communities,” said Content Committee member Aja Schmeltz of Good Work Institute. “I am very excited to be a part of this Content Committee and greatly look forward to diving into these proposals!”

The free HUDSY app will be the Hudson Valley’s convenient, all-in-one destination for the best docs, live performances, local series, short films, and community-generated content that showcases the talent in our region. The app will be available on iPhone, Android, AppleTV, Roku, FireTV, and anywhere else folks get their apps.

“HUDSY looks forward to bringing the most meaningful stories from Hudson Valley communities to life, and considers the Community Content Fund just one of many capital-injection initiatives that our platform cooperative hopes to offer to local content creators in the future,” HUDSY co-founder Jesse Brown said. “As filmmakers ourselves, we know how hard it is to get passion projects off the ground, and we want to help provide a supportive way forward.”

In addition to offering this exciting grant funding opportunity out to the public, HUDSY is currently in production on several in-house HUDSY Originals, and is working on licensing community content from creatives in the region.

Those interested in receiving updates on HUDSY screening announcements, events, content releases, and the status of the app launch can subscribe to HUDSY’s newsletter at HUDSY.tv/connect.