A&E

Three Lafayette filmmakers awarded grants

by Walter Pierce

Conni Castille, Zach Godshall and John Sharp are among eight statewide to receive filmmaking grants recently awarded by Louisiana Entertainment.

Conni Castille

A trio of filmmakers from Lafayette - Conni Castille, Zach Godshall and John Sharp - are among eight statewide to receive filmmaking grants recently awarded by Louisiana Entertainment, a division of Louisiana Economic Development. The Louisiana Filmmakers Grant Program is designed to support indigenous, independent filmmakers. More than $140,000 was awarded to the eight filmmakers in this first round of grants. Roughly 50 applied for the program.

Castille is the award-winning director/producer behind such Louisiana-themed documentaries as I Always Do My Collars First, King Crawfish and Raised on Rice & Gravy. Her upcoming project, Horseplay, is a documentary on Acadiana's equine culture.

Godshall's credits include Low and Behold, God's Architects and the recent Sundance Film Festival fave Lord Byron. His is currently casting and developing his next feature, The Preacher and the Salesman.

Sharp was awarded a LFGP grant for his project Acadian Club to Wild Cherry: Dancehalls of South Louisiana.