Hornitos Tequila, a leading premium tequila brand founded on the belief that nothing great ever happens without taking a chance, and producer and screenwriter hub the Black List have announced the 2021 Black List X Hornitos “Take Your Shot” Short Film Program, a unique granting program aimed at supporting and amplifying underrepresented, creative voices in the film industry.

The collaborative short film grant program is a first-of-its-kind program for Hornitos and the Black List, who are joining forces as a continuation of Hornitos’ The Shot Fund – a multi-year, investment platform dedicated to empowering creative entrepreneurs taking shots at trailblazing ventures in their careers. Through this program, Hornitos and the Black List will support five emerging filmmakers in turning their screenplays into proof of concept short films, affording them the initial backing needed to do so — both through funding and mentorship from the Black List.

“Hornitos Tequila has a history of pushing boundaries for the betterment of tequila, and through our partnership with the Black List, we seek to honor that same innovative spirit while spotlighting some of the most overlooked creatives in film,” said Rashidi Hodari, Managing Director of Tequila at Beam Suntory. “It’s a major step for anyone to develop their writing into a visual film, and that bold chance is something Hornitos aims to encourage, celebrate and make possible.”

Hornitos Tequila and The Black List Team up to Help Emerging Filmmakers Take Their Shot in First-of-Its-Kind Short Film Program

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Hornitos on this program,” said Franklin Leonard, Founder of the Black List. “It’s one thing to encourage filmmakers to make a proof of concept short in the hopes of getting financing for a feature, as we all often hear. It’s quite another to give them the financial resources to do so. Now’s the time, filmmakers: Take your shot. There are grants available for five of you so that you can.”

Beginning now and continuing through August 31, 2021, screenwriters 21+ are invited to submit their script to blcklst.com/HornitosTakeYourShot. Up to 20 short-list writers will be notified on September 1, 2021 and invited to submit additional materials. From the short list, five screenwriters will be selected by Hornitos and the Black List on October 1, 2021 to be a part of the 2021 Black List x Hornitos Tequila “Take Your Shot” program. Filmmakers will have until December 31, 2021 to wrap production on their short and until January 31, 2022 to finish post-production and submit the completed film to Hornitos and the Black List. Filmmakers will be provided mentorship from the Black List along the way to turn their creative ambitions into a reality. For all of the details on this program, filmmakers can head to blcklst.com/HornitosTakeYourShot.

Hornitos Tequila’s “The Shot Fund” was inspired by Hornitos own shot-taking history as a tequila brand, along with its track record of enabling change makers from all walks of life, including creators, artists, aspiring entrepreneurs, business owners and fans of the brand. This is further highlighted by the brand’s “A Shot Worth Taking” campaign, which has inspired fans to push boundaries and take chances at achieving something great since its launch in 2017.

To learn more about Hornitos Tequila and its shot-taking brand history, visit www.hornitostequila.com or follow along with Hornitos Tequila on Instagram, Twitter  and Facebook.

To learn more about the Black List and their mission to highlight extraordinary, often overlooked filmmakers, visit https://blcklst.com/ or follow along on Instagram,  Twitter and Facebook.