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 THE JOY JAMES, aka Livity The Poet Memorial Scholarship 

Joy James, aka Livity The Poet Joy James (1979-2021) was an integral part of the Wilmington Theater, Film, and Poetry community. Joy was born in St. Croix and moved to Wilmington in 2015. She performed her poetry at several Cinema Sisters film festivals and wrote, directed, and starred in “Judging Eyes” which was shown at CSIFF 2020. Joy had a magnetic personality, a gentle spirit, and a passion for film. Cinema Sisters is honored to name our New Hanover County resident female filmmaker grant, The Joy James, aka Livity The Poet Memorial Grant.  

The Francine DeCoursey Scholarship Francine DeCoursey “Writer, Producer, Director of Independent films, documentaries, political campaigns, promotional & music videos, that begins to describe her… But you have to add film industry ambassador, lobbyist, a community activist for social and economic justice, and most of all…” (excerpt from) Cinematic Wilmington  

Filmmaker and Activist, FRANCINE DeCOURSEY has supplied Locations, Cast, Crew, and Support Services for over 100 feature film, television, and video productions.  Based on Screen Gems Studios lot for over a decade with the Telemedia Group, her award-winning documentaries include Remembering 1898: A Community Effort toward Racial Reconciliation, The Wilmington Ten: Justice Denied, Begin to Live, Women Leaders in NC Community Colleges, Women in the Arts, and Vote Yes for NC Film Incentives.