Columbia film producer wins documentary grant.

S.C.-based film producer Sherard Duvall has won a research and development grant from the Southern Documentary Fund for his exploration of Gullah Geechee culture.

Saltwata Vibes: Sankofa Seeds from Geechee Roots follows siblings Sara Makeba Daise and Simeon Daise, children of former television personalities Ron and Natalie Daise, as they try to define their cultural identity. Ron and Natalie Daise hosted the 1990s-era Nickelodeon show Gullah Gullah Island.

The film, one of 20 selected documentary projects which will receive cash awards totaling $150,000, also explores how music can influence culture.

Duvall, founder of OTR Media Group, is a Columbia native and an adjunct professor at Columbia College who has produced projects for VH1, The Discovery Channel, BET and ESPN.

"This is the first of several feature length documentary projects that we have currently under development right now," Duvall said in a news release. "We started this company with a laser vision on bringing untold stories to the world that reflected the African Diaspora, particularly in South Carolina. As a...