Industry

American Documentary Re-opens Artist Emergency Fund for Indie Documentary Community Affected by COVID-19 Pandemic

American Documentary Gala 2019 via Facebook

American Documentary (AmDoc), the nonprofit organization behind the PBS series POV, is launching a COVID-19 Artist Emergency Fund to support the independent documentary community. This adapted fund of over $100,000 will provide rapid response grants up to $500 to assist artists with basic needs including food, immediate health needs and insurance premiums. Applications are now open and will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the fund is expired. For more information about eligibility, criteria and the application process, visit www.amdoc.org/aefund

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International Film Organizations Call for Freedom of Iranian Director Mohammad Rasoulof

Mohammad Rasoulof

Major international film industry organizations today released statements expressing concern about “the imminent incarceration” of Iranian film director Mohammad Rasoulof who recently won the Golden Bear at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival for his latest film, There Is No Evil.

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Bentonville Film Festival Selects 8 Festival Alumni for ‘See It, Be It Filmmaker Fellowship’

Bentonville Film Festival Foundation and The Coca-Cola Foundation “See It, Be It Filmmaker Fellowship” | Top left to right: Jenna Laurenzo, Dawn Valadez, Amber McGinnis, Diane Paragas, Emily Ting, Fanny Veliz, McKenzie Chinn, Ursula Taherian. All images courtesy of the Bentonville Film Festival Foundation

The Bentonville Film Festival Foundation and The Coca-Cola Foundation announced the “See It, Be It Filmmaker Fellowship,” an annual fellowship designed to offer expansive developmental support for filmmakers from historically underrepresented communities. Eight Bentonville Film Festival Alumni have been selected for the inaugural program, which will include professional support from peers, entertainment industry leaders and major corporate changemakers, in addition to financial backing.

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Indie Filmmakers Gina Hackett and Josalynn Smith Win 2019 Sloan Science in Cinema Fellowships

Gina Hackett and Josalynn Smith Win 2019 Sloan Science in Cinema Fellowships

From an open call for submissions, SFFILM and the Sloan Foundation have awarded the 2019 Sloan Science in Cinema Filmmaker Fellowships to Gina Hackett to develop her screenplay A Bridge Between Us, and to Josalynn Smith for her project Something in the Water.

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5 Documentary Films Awarded 2019 SFFILMDocumentary Film Fund Grants

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project

SFFILM awarded five documentary films 2019 SFFILMDocumentary Film Fund awards totaling $125,000, which support feature-length documentaries in post-production. Lea Golb’s Apolonia, Apolonia, Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson’s Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, Landon Van Soest’s Light Darkness Light, David Osit’s Mayor, and CJ Hunt’s Neutral Ground were each awarded funding that will help push each project towards completion.

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3 Documentary Film Projects Win 2019 SFFILM Catapult Film Fellowships

2019 SFFILM Catapult Film Fellowships: Ilse Fernandez, Allison Otto, and Yusef Srouji.

SFFILM and the Catapult Film Fund have announced the three filmmaking teams that have been awarded 2019 SFFILM Catapult Film Fellowships: Ilse Fernandez, Allison Otto, andYusef Srouji. These fellowships are awarded to filmmakers working in the early stages of developing compelling, story-driven documentary features, and run August through December of this year.Also, in keeping with SFFILM’s broader commitment to the Bay Area’s documentary filmmaking community, SFFILM’s popular Doc Talks series of nonfiction filmmaking workshops will continue at the organization’s FilmHouse residency space through a renewed grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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9 Science-Focused Independent Film Projects Win Sundance Institute’s Science Sandbox Grants

The Eyes to See directed by an Cheney, Sharon Shattuck

Sundance Institute, in collaboration with Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation, announced the expansion of the Science Sandbox Nonfiction Initiative, alongside the initial nine science-focused independent projects selected for support this year. The initiative, first introduced in 2018, aims to elevate the voices of independent artists working at the intersection of science and nonfiction storytelling, as well as to encourage critical thinking, promote educated discourse and highlight the overlap of science and art.

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10th Durban FilmMart Announces Winners

Durban FilmMart Awards 2019 Winners

The 10th Durban FilmMart, the industry development program of the Durban International Film Festival closed in style with its awards ceremony.

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Continuance Pictures Reveals Top 25 Script Submissions for 1st Continue Short Film Initiative

Continuance Pictures has selected the Top 25 script submissions for the first Continue Short Film Initiative, which aims to establish a platform for Australian talent and provide opportunities for emerging filmmakers everywhere. Unexpectedly, the Continue initiative proved popular internationally, with filmmakers from all corners of the globe submitting their film and television scripts. A third of submissions came from female screenwriters, and of the top 25 finalists, over a third were written by women.

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5 Documentary Film Projects Selected for Sundance Institute’s 2019 Documentary Edit and Story Lab

Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program Director Tabitha Jackson at the 2016 Documentary Edit and Story Lab. (c) 2016 Sundance Institute | Photo by Jonathan Hickerson.

Five boundary-pushing nonfiction film project teams will convene at the Sundance Resort in Utah on June 21, for the Sundance Institute’s 2019 Documentary Edit and Story Lab.

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THE FAREWELL Director Lulu Wang to Receive Sundance Institute Vanguard Award

Director Lulu Wang attends the World Premiere of The Farewell by Lulu Wang, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. © 2019 Sundance Institute | photo by Jemal Countess.

Sundance Institute, will present The Farewell director Lulu Wang, an alumna of Institute’s 2017 FilmTwo Initiative, with its Vanguard Award. The Institute will also present a special premiere benefit screening of her film The Farewell and afterparty at The Theatre at Ace Hotel DTLA on Wednesday, June 26, 2019.

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Indigenous Filmmakers, Kyle Bell and Peshawn Bread Selected for 2019 Sundance Institute Native Filmmakers Lab

Top row (l to r) Kyle Bell (Creek-Thlopthlocco Tribal Town) and Peshawn Bread (Comanche) Bottom row (l to r): Petyr Xyst (Laguna Pueblo), Lejend Yazzie (Diné), Jolene Patterson (Oneida)

Two Indigenous filmmakers, Kyle Bell (Creek-Thlopthlocco Tribal Town) and Peshawn Bread (Comanche) have been chosen to participate in the 2019 Sundance Institute Native Filmmakers Lab, continuing the Institute’s commitment to supporting Native American and Indigenous storytellers since its founding. This year’s recently selected Indigenous Program Full Circle Fellows also will attend the Native Filmmakers Lab.

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