FilmScene in Iowa City and the Varsity Cinema in Des Moines are among hundreds of arts groups across the country whose National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants have suddenly been revoked by the Trump administration.
On May 2, arts organizations large and small received emails notifying them that their grants had been canceled. The notifications came just hours after President Donald Trump introduced a federal budget proposal that would eliminate the NEA entirely.
The email explained that the NEA is shifting its funding focus to align with new presidential priorities, including projects that celebrate American heritage, support military communities, promote Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions, encourage AI education, aid disaster recovery and bolster the skilled trades. Grants not matching these themes are being terminated, though recipients were given seven days to appeal.
FilmScene's $30,000 grant was intended to help fund the cinema's Refocus Film Festival, the Iowa Disability Film Festival and FilmScene in the Park. FilmScene's executive director, Andrew Sherburne, says it has put money toward those programs and plans to submit a reimbursement for the funds, though any remaining funds they were awarded have been rescinded seven months earlier than expected.
Sherburne is optimistic that the majority of the money put toward programming already will be reimbursed, and anticipates no immediate changes to upcoming programming and events. Still, since the NEA is FilmScene's second-largest source of funding, he's worried about what might happen down the line if the agency disappears altogether.
"Knowing that ... we might not be able to count on them for anything next year, that's a little bit more concerning," he said. "We're trying to be smart about how we look at our budget over the next year to make sure that we are positioning ourselves to be able to continue to do the work, whether that means we have to increase our fundraising or find other sources of support, or just be smarter about how we spend money."
Eliminating the NEA would ultimately require Congressional approval.
The Varsity Cinema saw its $20,000 grant dedicated toward community partnerships revoked on May 2, though the theater's executive director, Ben Godar, says they were able to receive $10,000 from the grant before the termination emails were sent.
"We are not going to have access to an additional $10,000 this year," he said.
Godar said while he wasn't shocked to see the funds canceled after the president's messaging and prior changes to the NEA, it was disappointing to read the email deprioritizing the cinema's programming.
“To have to have them sort of shift direction and say, 'This is no longer a priority for our country' — it's disheartening," he said.
Other Iowa arts groups that have had their grants revoked include the Des Moines Civic Center and the Des Moines Metro Opera, though it's unclear how many local organizations the terminations affect.
The NEA is one of several agencies listed under "small agency eliminations" in the Trump administration’s proposed 2026 Discretionary Budget. The plan also targets the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services for defunding or closure. However, on Monday, a federal judge halted Trump's attempt to eliminate the IMLS.
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FilmScene and the Varsity Cinema are sponsors of Iowa Public Radio.
