The Seattle International Film Festival announced the 2019 Film Teams for the four feature films – two documentary and two narratives, and Industry Mentors for the New Works-in-Progress (WIP) Forum.
Industry
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Seattle International Film Festival Picks 4 Films for 2019 New Works-in-Progress Forum
LINA FROM LIMA (Chile/Argentina/Peru) | Director Maria Paz González
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Film Independent Selects 13 Filmmakers with 8 Film Projects for 2019 Documentary Lab
Lift Like a Girl by Mayye Zayed Film Independent has selected 13 filmmakers and eight projects for its 2019 Documentary Lab, an intensive two-week program designed to help filmmakers who are currently in post-production on their feature-length documentary films.
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5 Indie Directors Selected for Film Independent’s 19th Directing Lab
Film Independent has selected five up and coming directors for its 19th annual Directing Lab, an intensive eight-week program designed to support emerging independent film directors on their feature films. This year’s creative advisors and guest speakers include Andrew Ahn, Ruth Atkinson, Daniel Barnz, Ava Berkofsky, Destin Cretton, Catherine Hardwicke, Tina Mabry, Alex O’Flinn, Lisa Robertson, and Emily Schweber.
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11 Screenwriters Selected for Sundance Institute’s 7th Screenwriters Intensive
2015 June Screenwriters Lab Brent Green, Frances Bodomo, and Rashaad Ernesto Green at the 2015 June Screenwriters Lab. © 2017 Sundance Institute | Photo by Fred Hayes. Eleven screenwriters have been selected to participate in Sundance Institute’s seventh annual Screenwriters Intensive in Los Angeles, to take place February 28 – March 1, 2019. Part of the Institute’s commitment to introducing the industry to an inclusive pipeline of exciting new storytellers, the Intensive is a two-day workshop for writers or writer/directors from underrepresented communities developing their first fiction feature. Fellows at the Intensive will advance the art and craft of their work under the guidance of experienced filmmakers and in collaboration with Institute’s Feature Film Program.
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17 Indie Films Awarded Rooftop Films 2018-19 Filmmakers Fund Grants
Dandelion Seed, courtesy of Ru Kuwahata & Max Porter Rooftop Films awarded seventeen cash and service grants to alumni filmmakers, including the Rooftop Films Water Tower Feature Film Grant, which was presented to director Anastasia Kirillova and co-directors Ru Kuwahata & Max Porter. Kirillova will receive $20,000 to help finish her film In the Shadows of Love, and Kuwahata & Porter will receive $10,000 to support their film Dandelion Seed.
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37 New Feature Film Projects Selected for 2019 Berlinale Co-Production Market
Berlinale Co-Production Market 37 new feature film projects whose producers are looking to team up with co-production partners from other countries have been chosen to participate in the 16th edition of Berlinale Co-Production Market, taking place From February 9 to 13, 2019.
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Chinese Filmmaker Siyi Chen Wins 2019 SFFILM New American Fellowship
Siyi Chen Chinese filmmaker Siyi Chen is the winner of the 2019 SFFILM New American Fellowship, supporting the development of her current documentary work, including My Grandma’s a Dancer (in development) and People’s Hospital (in post-production).
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5 Filmmakers Selected for 5th Ikusmira Berriak Development Program
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ALL DIRT ROADS TASTE OF SALT, Raven Jackson[/caption]
Out of 174 submissions, five film makers from Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Switzerland and the USA have been selected for the fifth edition of the Ikusmira Berriak development and residency program for audiovisual projects. The selection committee – comprising representatives from the International Centre for Contemporary Culture Tabakalera, the San Sebastián Film Festival and Elías Querejeta Film School selected Jo ta ke by Aitziber Olaskoaga, a film maker from the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country; Antier noche (The Night Before Yesterday) by Alberto Martín, in the Spanish film makers section; Sin dolor (Painless) by Michael Wahrmann, in the international category, and; two from among the participants in the most recent editions of Nest Film Students – All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt by Raven Jackson, and Un personaje volador (A Flying Character) by Martina Juncadella.
In Jo ta ke (Rise up to win), the visual artist Aitziber Olaskoaga (Bilbao, 1980) – director of the medium-length film La sonrisa telefónica (The Telephonic Smile) and collaborator on the films Faux Guide and Al Nervión (To The Nervión ) – brings us a video essay on nationalism and the construction of national identity in the Basque Country. The short film starts out with the Negu Gorriak concert in 1990 outside Herrera de la Mancha prison and gives a first-hand account of the director’s awakening and personal search. It examines images from memory and thoughts on the political discourse of the Abertzale Left and discusses her father, from whom she has ‘inherited’ her political activism.
Alberto Martín (Madrid, 1986), director of Mi amado, las montañas (My Beloved, the Mountains) (Best Short Film at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival), uses Antier noche to depict youth in today’s Southern Europe. The world of hunting meets mobile applications in this documentary feature film.
Michael Wahrmann (Montevideo, 1979) has already taken his first feature film (Avanti Popolo, 2012) to festivals such as Rotterdam and Marseilles, and premiered his short film The Beast (2016) at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes. In Ikusmira Berriak he will develop the fictional feature film Sin dolor (Painless), co-written with Diego Lerman -Best Script in San Sebastián for Una especie de familia (A Sort of Family)-, about a retired French diplomat and his Brazilian wife who purchase an abandoned farm on an idyllic island in north-east Brazil, only to discover that it is inhabited by the descendants of an old German colony. The director describes the film as a social terror thriller which poses questions about limits, borders and the class war.
In All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, the poet, photographer and film maker Raven Jackson (Tennessee) takes a poetic look at the nature of memory and at how events from one woman’s youth are reflected in her adult life, since she is 3 until she is 60, in Mississippi. Jackson’s short film Nettles premiered in the Nest Film Students section of the last San Sebastián Film Festival.
The short film Fiora by Martina Juncadella (Buenos Aires, 1992) was selected in the International Film Students Meeting at the 2017 San Sebastián Film Festival and won Best Short Film at BAFICI. In Un personaje volador, a writer attempts to work on his new book in the Ritz – a legendary hotel in central Buenos Aires – after separating from his partner and still grieving over the death of his mother.
Four projects selected from previous editions of Ikusmira Berriak have been completed and screened in San Sebastián: the short films El extraño (The Stranger) by Pablo Álvarez, Calipatria by Leo Calice and Gerhard Treml, and Gwendolyn Green by Tamyka Smith were screened at Zabaltegi-Tabakalera in 2016 and 2017, and the feature film Trote directed by Xacio Baño was shown at Zabaltegi-Tabakalera following its screening at the Locarno Festival. Maider Oleaga from Bilbao, another resident from the first edition, has just premiered Muga deitzen da pausoa (The Step Is Called Limit) at the Gijón International Film Festival.
RAVEN JACKSON
ALL DIRT ROADS TASTE OF SALT RAVEN JACKSON (USA) In lyrical, non-linear portraits evoking the texture of memories, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt viscerally and experientially explores the life of a Black woman in the American South – from youth to her older years. Director’s bio/filmography A native of Tennessee, Raven Jackson is an award-winning filmmaker, poet, & photographer currently attending New York University’s Graduate Film Program. In her work, gray areas of life are often explored. She is particularly interested in stories which add texture to the pivotal experience of coming-of-age and/or into one’s sexuality – as well as the body’s relationship to nature. A 2018 IFP Marcie Bloom Fellow, her short film, Nettles, recently had its International Premiere at the 66th edition of the San Sebastián International Film Festival. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, TriQuarterly, Kweli, PANK, and elsewhere. Director’s note All Dirt Roads Taste Of Salt is, in essence, a lyrical conversation between all of the protagonist’s selves at different ages and experiences in her life. The film is told non-linearly to speak to the nature of memory and how events from youth are often mirrored in adulthood. With All Dirt Roads Taste Of Salt , I’m exploring the significant shifts and sparks in the protagonist’s life and how the ripple of them spills out across years.ALBERTO MARTÍN
ANTIER NOCHE ALBERTO MARTÍN (SWITZERLAND – SPAIN) Hunting takes place in the countryside of southern Extremadura during the cold winter months. Ana (20) and Juan Luis (25) are a young couple in charge of leading the dogs in this ritual event. For some time, Ana has been thinking about leaving her town for the capital. The two must negotiate the terms of their relationship and whether or not they want to stay together. Martín (11), Ana’s younger brother, is growing up in a rural environment alongside the violence of nature. A rupture in the present may evoke the memory of a fracture between an old world on its way out and an emerging modern one. Director’s bio/filmography (Madrid, 1986) Alberto grew up in Alcalá de Henares and now lives and works in Geneva. He is a film editor and director who studied Visual Arts at Geneva University of Art and Design. His work has been exhibited in arts centers, museums and international film festivals, including Musée de l’Elysée in Lausanne, Filmmuseum München, Entrevues Belfort and the International Film Festival Rotterdam. His film Mi amado, las montañas (My Beloved, the Mountains) won Best Short Film at the Las Palmas International Film Festival and the Peninsulas Prize at the Curtocircuíto International Film Festival in Santiago de Compostela. Director’s note Antier noche is something I’ve always heard my grandmother say. It refers to something that took place the night before yesterday. The past is narrated from the present. The piece stems from my wish to make a film in a forgotten corner of the world, with a group of young people I know and who I’ve already worked with. I wanted to rebuild their story with them, the same story that starts with my family in the 1960s, a time when emigration was one way that people adapted to a time of constant progress. It still is.MICHAEL WAHRMANN
SIN DOLOR MICHAEL WAHRMANN (BRAZIL) A retired French couple buy an abandoned house on a paradisiac island in the northeast of Brazil. The island is more isolated than what they had imagined. To their surprise, upon arriving on the land they acquired, they find a small fishing village inhabited by descendants of an old German colony; strange scars on the villager’s bodies hide a secret kept for decades. A class struggle over land and borders is established raising questions about the limits and different kinds of pain in a social horror thriller. Director’s bio/filmography Michael is a director and producer. Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, lives in Brazil since 2004, he graduated in cinema at FAAP in Sao Paulo in 2007. His short films Avós (2009), Oma (2011), The Beast (2016) and his feature film Avanti Popolo (2012) were shown in many international and national festivals, as the Directors´ Fortnight in Cannes, Berlinale, Rotterdam and Brasília and received more than 60 awards over the years. As producer, he funded Sancho&Punta and produced feature films such as Los territorios by Ivan Granovsky; Invisible, by Pablo Giorgelli; Elon Não Acredita na Morte by Ricardo Alves Jr and others. Director’s note From the very beginning, this film came to me as a horror narrative. I’m not particularly fond of genre movies, and I never explored genre in my films before. Nevertheless, I thought this initial concept should be used for the basic dramatic structure of the film. At the same time, what seems at first to be a clear genre construction should find a way to transcend the obvious into a more abstract audiovisual form. It should detach from the genre system and rules and turn into a personal expression on the fervent social and political issues of current brazil.AITZIBER OLASKOAGA
JO TA KE AITZIBER OLASKOAGA (SPAIN) In 1990, Negu Gorriak played their first concert outside Herrera de la Mancha prison and later sold a VHS recording of the event. The tape became a symbol for followers of the Abertzale left. Jo ta ke is a video essay which uses images from the video and the director’s own memories as its starting point. It opens up reflections on the construction of national identity and the links between fatherland, father and patriotism. The project relates the author’s political awakening in the politicized and polarized context of the Basque Country. Director’s bio/filmography Work-in-progress – Jo ta ke, director, co-writer and co-producer. 2017 – Una alegría loca (Crazy Joy), direction, editing, sound and cinematography. 2017 – Top bill for the LA OLA film showcase, direction, cinematography and editing. 2016 – La sonrisa telefónica (The Telephonic Smile), direction, editing, screenplay and cinematography. 2011 – Faux guide, workshop together with Red Caballo. Director’s note In 1992 -the only year in which Negu Gorriak did not release a record- my mother ended an unhappy marriage. Though I’d never heard the word feminism, I began standing up to an authoritarian and misogynistic father figure. Years later, I asked myself why the followers of a leftist ideology could organize themselves to fight against certain forms of oppression and yet was incapable of doing the same against others, such as the patriarchy. These memories would pave the way for reflections on the links between father, fatherland and nationalist ideologies. Can images be tools for imagining other possibilities of past and future?MARTINA JUNCADELLA
UN PERSONAJE VOLADOR MARTINA JUNCADELLA (ARGENTINA) A writer moves to a mythical hotel in central Buenos Aires while in the depths of grief following the death of his mother. While tackling his next novel, he wanders the city with a roll of paintings that he can’t open. His life grows complicated following a series of chance and enlightening encounters with strangers. One long night, he finally manages to unfurl the works his mother left behind. From now on, he won’t be just him: he’ll be Pablo, a lawless yet gentle beast, and Ursula, a bitter and melancholic woman. Three identities, three lives, all forged around one experience. Director’s bio/filmography Martina Juncadella (Buenos Aires, 1992) acts, films, writes poetry and co-directs the Argentine publishing house Socios Fundadores. In 2016 she took part in the Proyecto Documental film workshop coordinated by Andrés di Tella. During that time she worked on two short films: Mensajes (Messages) (2016), and Fiora (2017), the latter co-directed with Martín Vilela. Fiora was selected for EIECINE 2017 (International Film Students Meeting, part of the San Sebastián Film Festival). In 2018, she directed No me imagino siendo vieja (I Can’t Imagine Being Old), a short film written in collaboration with Jacqueline Golbert, who also stars in the movie. The film had its international premiere at the 2018 Biarritz Latin Film Festival, where it won the Liziéres Prize. She has published the poetry collections 8 poemas (8 poems) (2015) and Prendan el horno (Turn on the oven) (Socios Fundadores, 2018). Director’s note How many identities fit into one life? How many do we know about? How many are we ignorant of? At the origin of each one, and throughout its exploration, is the excitement of the possibilities that influence and define them. Un personaje volador sets this constellation in motion. Inspired by a writer (Iosi Havilio) who goes through a crisis after losing his mother, the Argentinian painter Mónica Rossi, the character sets out to meet other lives which are as fictional and real as his own, inhabiting and embodying each one throughout its unique evolution. These other identities talk, think and act – in parallel and solo – each with their own color, rhythm, language, music and silence. Original idea and development: Iosi Havilio and Martina Juncadella
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5 Indie Films Win $100,000 in Fall 2018 SFFILM Westridge Grants
Five filmmaking teams were granted funding in the Fall 2018 round of SFFILM Westridge Grants, to help support the screenwriting and project development stages of their narrative feature films. SFFILM Westridge Grants, which are awarded twice annually, are designed for US-based filmmakers whose stories take place primarily in the United States and focus on the significant social issues and questions of our time. The next application period will open later this month.
SFFILM Westridge Grants provide support to film projects in their critical early stages, safeguarding filmmakers’ creative processes and allowing artists to concentrate on thoughtfully developing their stories while building the right strategy and infrastructure to guide them through financing and production. In addition to cash grants, recipients will benefit from SFFILM’s comprehensive and dynamic artist development program, SFFILM Makers, as well as support and counsel from SFFILM and Westridge Foundation staff.
The panelists who reviewed the finalists’ submissions were Lauren Kushner, SFFILM Senior Manager of Artist Development; Alana Mayo, Head of Production at Outlier Society; Shelby Rachleff, Westridge Foundation Program Manager; Shira Rockowitz, Associate Director, Feature Film Program, Sundance; Jenny Slattery, SFFILM Associate Director of Artist Development and Foundations; and Caroline von Kühn, SFFILM Director of Artist Development.
In a statement, the panelists said, “We are delighted to support these five outstanding projects—each of the filmmakers has the boldness and originality to make a world visceral and vivid, whether it’s a freezing village in northern Alaska or a megachurch hell house in Texas. But they also have the sensitivity to lay bare the deeply personal experiences of the characters who move through those worlds, shouldering their burdens and reaching out for each other despite them.”
FALL 2018 SFFILM WESTRIDGE GRANT WINNERS
Captain C! John Paul Su, writer/director – screenwriting – $20,000 Caleb Diaz is an eleven-year-old Filipino-American queer comic book fanboy who lives in a diverse working-class neighborhood in American suburbia. After saving his classmate from a group of bullies, he is wrongfully accused of stabbing that same classmate. With the impending threat of expulsion, he struggles to prove his innocence, and fulfill his dream of becoming his family’s ultimate superhero. Invoking Juan Angel Daniel Eduvijes Carrera, writer/director – screenwriting – $20,000 Mexican immigrant Magdalena Cruz is hired as the live-in caretaker for Ian, a severely ill child whose forced isolation has created budding psychic abilities and a fascination for the paranormal. But unbeknownst to Ian’s overprotective father, the distressed Magdalena has a child of her own hidden in the basement bedroom. After the two boys share an unexpected encounter, Ian is convinced the mysterious child must be a ghost and seeks to unravel his tragic story. Placas Paul S. Flores, writer; Tashana Landray, producer – screenwriting – $20,000 Sixteen-year-old Edgar wants nothing to do with his father, former gang member Fausto (known as “Placas” for his many tattoos). Placas wants what every father wants: to provide a better life for his son. As Placas strives to put his past behind him, going through tattoo removal and therapy, Edgar is recruited by a rival gang. As Placas’ past and Edgar’s future collide, they both face choices that will change the course of their lives. Qimmit Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, writer/director; Cara Marcous, producer – screenwriting – $20,000 Inspired by true events, Qimmit tells the story of Suvlu, an Iñupiaq hunter who is forced to make a monstrous decision for the survival of his family. Righteous Acts Alicia D. Ortega, writer – screenwriting – $20,000 Homeschooled teenager Judith thinks she’s finally found her people when she joins the cast of a megachurch “hell house,” where evangelical teens aim to scare people into salvation. But when she doesn’t land the coveted role of the Abortion Girl, she convinces herself she’s the only player doing God’s work and that it’s her holy duty to expose the true wages of sin.
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15 Rising Filmmakers Win 2019 Sundance Ignite Fellowships
From a broad global pool of more than 1,200 applicants, Sundance Institute and Adobe selected fifteen 18-to-24-year-old filmmakers from three continents for the one-year 2019 Sundance Ignite Fellowship.
For the fourth year, fellows were selected based on their one- to eight-minute original films, submitted through Adobe Project 1324, Adobe’s platform for young creators, along with their written applications. The finalists were selected based on their original voice, diverse storytelling and rigor in their filmmaking pursuits.
In addition to their trip to the Festival, Sundance Ignite fellows are paired with a Sundance Institute alumni professional for a full year of guidance and development, gaining industry exposure and meaningful mentorship. This year’s new Sundance Ignite mentors include Heather Rae (Tallulah), Dee Rees (Mudbound) and Andrew Ahn (Spa Night). In addition to a personalized Festival experience and mentorship track, Sundance Ignite fellows gain unique access to workshops, internships, and work opportunities at Sundance Institute’s renowned Labs and artists programs supported by Adobe Project 1324.
With Sundance Ignite as their launchpad, past fellows have springboarded into opportunities on the festival circuit, graduate film programs and beyond. Past Sundance Ignite Fellows include Sindha Agha, whose Sundance Ignite Short Film Challenge submission Birth Control Your Own Adventure was picked up by the New York Times’ Op-Docs and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival; Charlotte Regan, who premiered her film Fry Up at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival; Emily Ann Hoffmann who also premiered her film Nevada at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, and Gerardo Coello who participated in the Sundance Institute’s Creative Producing Summit in 2018.
2019 Sundance Ignite Fellows
Daniel Antebi Daniel Antebi began art doing magic at the age of five. Yes, ‘Is this your card?’ kind of magic. He’s racialized as white and categorized as a cisgender-heterosexual male. However, he’s a Queer-Mexican-Jew whose normative appearance is deceiving. In his work, he hopes to reconcile opposing realities. Daniel makes films, dabbles in poetry and sculpture, but if you ask him, he’s still a magician. Naëmi Buchtemann Naëmi is studying Film Directing at the German Film and Television Academy of Berlin and working as an assistant director. She holds a Bachelors of Performing Arts from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds, United Kingdom. Luna Carmoon Luna Carmoon is an SE, London-based filmmaker whose first short film “NOSEBLEED” premiered at the BFI London Film Festival this year also selected to be part of the LFF Network programme this year too. A self-taught writer-director, Luna was one of six filmmakers selected to make a film as part of the “ShortFLIX” initiative searching for underrepresented talent in the UK run by “Creative England” in partnership with “NYT” and “Sky Arts”. Her work is strange and surreal at times. Maya Cueva Maya Cueva is an award-winning multimedia producer, specializing in directing and audio producing for documentary films and radio. Her work has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, Latino USA, The Atlantic, National Geographic, Cosmopolitan, and NBC’s Nightly News. Maya was awarded an Emmy from the College Television Awards and her films have screened internationally and across the U.S. She is also a Valentine & Clark Emerging Artist Fellow at the Jacob Burns Film Center. Kira Dane Kira Dane is a half-Japanese filmmaker, painter, and native New Yorker. She graduated New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in filmmaking. After graduating from NYU, Kira worked as an associate producer on Humans of New York: The Series, which was nominated for an Emmy award. She is currently an active member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective. Embracing sincerity over irony, Kira sets out to tell unexpected and nuanced stories. Aaron Dunleavy Aaron Dunleavy is a filmmaker from Blackburn. His debut student short, Throw Me to the Dogs, won 10 awards on the festival circuit, screening at some of the most prestigious BAFTA and Oscar® qualifying festivals around the world. Aaron’s films explore stories of working class youth; with unscripted and improvised performances, street casting and non-professional young actors at the core of his filmmaking approach. Emily Gularte Emily Gularte is a Guatemalan writer and director. She is a film student at Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala. She has been the director and screenwriter of many short films, educational films, as well as commercials and music videos. She was a head writer on a children’s animated web series and was the director of the show’s voice-actors. Additionally, she has produced several videos for the Oslo Freedom Forum run by the Human Rights Foundation. Yusuf Kapadia A recent NYU Tisch graduate, Yusuf Kapadia is a skilled filmmaker forging a career in documentary. He is currently an Assistant Editor on Stanley Nelson’s Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (w.t.), and in post-production on his own film, a portrait of a family supporting their child on the autism spectrum. An avid cyclist, Yusuf spent his college years racing with the NYU cycling team. He enjoys riding mountain or road whenever he can. Kerry LeVielle Kerry LeVielle is a Hudson Valley based filmmaker. Her work explores the experience of women and the nuanced intimacy of their impassioned journeys to “come of age.” Kerry graduated from SUNY Purchase College in 2017. After graduating, she was a recipient of the Fall 2017 Valentine and Clark Emerging Artist Fellowship in the Creative Culture Fellowship Program at the Jacob Burns Film Center where she directed two short films, Niskyland and Playhouse. Rachael Moton Rachael Moton is a Philadelphia based writer and director. She attended Temple University where she graduated with a degree in Film and Media Arts. She is passionate about telling stories that center on women and people of color and wants to create work that promotes empathy. She currently works at a non-profit, The Creative Mind Group, as an administrative manager and program director. Lance Oppenheim Lance is a filmmaker whose work has been screened at over 65 film festivals, including the Tribeca Film Festival, and featured by The New York Times (as three Op-Docs), the Smithsonian, The Atlantic, Vimeo (as five Staff Picks), Short of the Week, and PBS national broadcast. He received two nominations at the 2017 Cannes Young Director’s Award and is the youngest contributor to the New York Times Op-Docs. Lance attends Harvard University and is currently in post-production on his first feature-length documentary. Frida Perez Frida Pérez is a Dominican-American filmmaker based in Los Angeles. She’s a recent graduate of Brown University with an Honors Degree in Modern Culture and Media (Production Track) and Political Science. Frida currently works as an assistant at Point Grey Pictures. She previously worked at UTA and has held internships at Comedy Central, Women Make Movies, William Morris Endeavor, Pretty Matches Productions, in addition to working as an AC, AD, and PA on several independent shorts. Eli Salameh Eli Salameh is a film director born in Lebanon. He graduated with Honors from the Lebanese University Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture II in 2018 with a Master’s degree in Film Directing. He is now a Masters student in cinematography. His short academic films are “FLY MY LOVE,” “ARYAN” and “THE BOY WHO WORE THE SUN.” “EXIT BEIRUT” is his recent short film submitted to the Sundance Ignite Film Challenge. Cai Thomas Cai Thomas is a Liberty City native whose curiosity was born and nurtured in the “Moonlight” neighborhood. She’s a Chicago based filmmaker interested in stories at the intersection of identity, self-determination and location. She is a NextDoc 2018 Fellow and was a Berlin Capital Fulbright awardee in 2017. She spent two seasons as a production associate on CBS Sunday Morning. A graduate of Boston College, she was a Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholar. Aziz Zoromba Aziz Zoromba is a Canadian filmmaker of Egyptian descent. He is currently finishing his BFA at the Mel Hoppenheim Film School. His first short film, Leila (2017), which he wrote and directed, was selected and presented at the Toronto International Film Festival as part of Canada’s Top 10. His most recent short film, Amal (2018), premiered at the Festival du nouveau cinéma in October. Image: Top, L-R: Daniel Antebi, Naëmi Buchtemann, Luna Carmoon, Maya Cueva, Kira Dane. Middle, L-R: Aaron Dunleavy, Emily Gularte, Yusuf Kapadia, Kerry LeVielle, Rachael Moton. Bottom, L-R: Lance Oppenheim, Frida Perez, Eli Salameh, Cai Thomas, Aziz Zoromba.
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33 Documentaries Win Sundance Institute Documentary Fund and Stories of Change Grant
Thirty-three nonfiction works from seventeen countries comprise the latest Sundance Institute Documentary Fund and Stories of Change Grantees. 81% of the supported projects have at least one woman producer or director; 48% originate from outside the US.
That support takes the form of grants to films in the development, production, post-production and audience engagement stages, and includes custom grants from The Kendeda Fund, which provides specific support for projects addressing environmental themes or the challenges of gun violence; John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which provides specific support for journalistic projects, prioritizing diverse, Native and Indigenous voices; and the Stories of Change Fund, a creative partnership with the Skoll Foundation, which supports social entrepreneurs and independent storytellers. This slate of Institute grantees join those supported by Science Sandbox, a collaboration with the Simons Foundation, and the Art of Nonfiction Fellowship and Fund, announced last month.
“From renowned Argentinian director Lucrecia Martel addressing the legacy of 500 years of colonial history in her first feature documentary, to first-time Chinese director Runze Yu exploring a profoundly intimate domestic space, these are the vivid individual threads that form the narrative tapestry of our culture and we are proud to support them.” said Tabitha Jackson, the Documentary Film Program’s Director.
“These wildly diverse projects from around the globe encompass a staggering scope of subjects,” said Hajnal Molnar-Szakacs, the Documentary Fund’s Director. “We are thrilled that our grants and tailored support opportunities can play a catalytic role across the lives of these projects, from developing creative languages to securing additional funding and finally launching the films on the world stage.”
Sundance Institute has a long history and firm commitment to championing the most distinctive nonfiction films from around the world. Recently-supported films include Shirkers, Hale County This Morning, This Evening; Minding the Gap; The Silence of Others; I Am Not Your Negro; Last Men in Aleppo; Casting JonBenet; Strong Island; Hooligan Sparrow.
Sundance Institute Documentary Fund Grantees
DEVELOPMENT
Chocobar (Argentina / US) Dir. Lucrecia Martel Prod. Benjamin Domenech, Joslyn Barnes, Santiago Gallelli, Matías Roveda Javier Chocobar was shot dead fighting the removal of his indigenous community from their ancestral land in Argentina. His death appeared in a video on YouTube. This film unravels the 500 years of “reason” that led to this shooting, both with a gun and a camera, and contextualizes it in the system of land tenure that emerged across Latin America. Cowboy Love (Argentina / Mexico) Dir. Manuel Abramovich Prod. Manuel Abramovich A gay cowboy community in Mexico reinvents the classical heteronormative cowboy figure. Like a documentary remake of ‘Brokeback Mountain’ with the tone of Mexican telenovela, ‘Amor vaquero’ is the movie these cowboys always wanted but never had: the one about their own love stories. Democrats II (Denmark) Dir. Camilla Nielsson Prod. Signe Byrge Sørensen Zimbabwe is at a crossroads. The new leader of the opposition party, MDC, Nelson Chamisa, challenges the old guard, ZANU-PF, represented by the acting president Emmerson Mnangagwa, also known as ‘the crocodile’. The election is the ultimate test for both the party in power and of the opposition. How do they interpret the principles of democracy in a post-Mugabe era – in discourse and in practice? Untitled Dystopia Film (US / UK) Dir. Malika Zouhali-Worrall Caught in a modern day dystopia, a novelist uses fiction to examine the very real brutality and absurdity of authoritarian rule. Gabi (Sweden) Dir. Engeli Broberg Prod. Anna J. Ljungmark and Jacob Eklund Gabi just wants to be Gabi. A simple wish one would think, but as it turns out, it is not. Showing the perspective of a child that refuses to be put in a box, we follow Gabi from age eight to thirteen, struggling to find a place in a society dictated by adult rules and gender categorizations. Mayor (US) Dir. David Osit Prod. David Osit With startling and unprecedented access, Mayor follows a charismatic leader’s quixotic quest to build the city of the future in a land paralyzed by its past. My Mom and My Little Secret (China) Dir. Runze Yu Prod. Runze Yu This film is an intimate portrait of the relationship between the closeted filmmaker himself and his estranged mother. In a fast-changing society like China, where traditional values collide with the new ones. Will revealing the secret bring the family together or rip it apart? Until I Find You (Mexico / France) Dir. Ludovic Bonleux Prod. Ludovic Bonleux and Sonia Paramo Until I Find You tells the story of Ana, a Honduran mother in search of her son, who disappeared in Mexico on his way to the United States.PRODUCTION
Alabamaland (US) Dir. April Dobbins Prod. April Dobbins, Moira Griffin, Trevite Willis Jones Farm is a lush, 688-acre farm situated in the heart of western Alabama. Three generations of black women explore their very different ties to this place that shaped them and continues to exert a strange hold on their identities. This is the same plot of land that their ancestors once worked as slaves—a history that is important to their identities and to how they navigate the world. Aleph (US / Croatia) Dir. Iva Radivojevic Prod. Madeleine Molyneaux, Vilka Alfier, Iva Radivojevic Aleph is a mysterious portal that contains the entire universe. The portal is hidden in a splintered labyrinth of magic and meaning and encompasses the thoughts, ideas and dreams of ten protagonists in ten countries, spanning five continents. These collective stories serve as pieces of a puzzle that lead to what the writer Jorge Luis Borges called “the unimaginable universe.” The Fight (Bolivia & Australia) Dir. Violeta Ayala Prod. Redelia Shaw, Daniel Fallshaw, Fernando Barbosa, Andrea Monasterios People with disabilities are amongst the most discriminated in Bolivia, with the majority living in dire poverty. Fed up with being ignored, a group of them decide to take their fight to the streets; Feliza and her husband Marcelo lead the way, as the protest grows into a movement. They embark on an unimaginable journey, marching 260 miles over the Andean mountains in their wheelchairs to go toe-to-toe with the Bolivian government. Heaven Through the Backdoor (US) Dir. Anna Fitch and Banker White Prod. Sara Dosa Heaven Through the Backdoor is a multi-platform documentary that explores identity, judgement and family bonds through the experience of Swiss émigré Yo (Yolanda Shae), a fiercely independent 88-year old woman who we meet as she prepares for her next great adventure: death. The project juxtaposes cinematic interpretations of Yo’s stories using intricately built sets and miniatures,with raw, intimate documentary footage her present life. Just a Band (Kenya / Canada) Dir. Anjali Nayar, Wanuri Kahiu Prod. Katie Doering, Senain Kheshgi Just a Band is a story about four nerdy Nairobians, who drop out of university and form an Afro-electric pop band, a counter narrative to the lives expected of them by their middle-class families. Playing on popular band movie tropes (the story of every great band that’s ever broken up), while borrowing from a post-modern cultural mishmash of Sun Ra, Kung Fu Movies, Hip Hop and a thousand other bits of detritus, the film Just a Band presents a fresh coming-of-age story in the midst of the post-dictatorship art renaissance in Kenya. Outta The Muck (US) Dir. Ira McKinley & Bhawin Suchak Prod. Tracy Rector, Bhawin Suchak, Ira McKinley, Sam Pollard Family, football, and the forgotten history of the Deep South come to life in this intimate portrait of generational struggle and resilience in Pahokee, Florida. Outta The Muck tells a story about the power of community, the echoes of trauma, and the strength of Black families in rural America. Softie (Kenya) Dir. Sam Soko Prd. Toni Kamau and Sam Soko A young idealistic Kenyan challenges the status quo, facing questions on the cost of sacrifices made, past and present. Through the Night (US) Dir. Loira Limbal Prod. Loira Limbal To make ends meet, Americans are working longer hours across multiple jobs. This modern reality of non-stop work has resulted in an unexpected phenomenon: the flourishing of 24-hour daycare centers. Through the Night is a vérité documentary that explores the personal cost of our modern economy through the stories two working mothers and a childcare provider – whose lives intersect at a 24-hour daycare center.POST-PRODUCTION
Advocate (Israel / Canada / Switzerland) Dir. Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche Prod. Philippe Bellaiche, Rachel Leah Jones, Paul Cadieux, Joelle Bertossa Lea Tsemel defends Palestinians: from feminists to fundamentalists, from non-violent demonstrators to armed militants. As a Jewish-Israeli lawyer who has represented political prisoners for nearly 50 years, Tsemel, in her tireless quest for justice, pushes the praxis of a human rights defender to its limits. Born in China (US / China) Directors: Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang Prod. Julie Goldman, Chris Clements, Carolyn Hepburn, Christoph Jorg First-time mother and filmmaker Nanfu Wang uncovers the untold history of China’s One-Child policy and the generations of parents and children forever shaped by this social experiment. The Last Out (US) Dir. Sami Khan and Michael Gassert Prod. Michael Gassert, Jonathan Miller, Sami Khan Three young Cuban baseball players are pushed to their limits as they flee their homeland, leaving their families and everything they’ve ever known behind, to chase their dreams of playing in the Major Leagues. The Letter (Kenya) Dir. Maia Lekow and Chris King Prod. Maia Lekow and Chris King In coastal Kenya, a frenzied mix of consumerism & christianity is turning hundreds of families against their elders, branding them as witches as a means to steal their land. Filmed with a gentle pace and incredible closeness, The Letter is an intimate family portrait that weaves a complex story of shakespearean proportions. The Kendeda Fund Provides specific support for projects addressing environmental themes or the challenges of gun violenceAUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT
Charm City (US) Dir. Marilyn Ness Prod. Katy Chevigny Charm City delivers a candid portrait of citizens, police, community advocates, and government officials on the frontlines during three years of unparalleled, escalating violence in Baltimore. The film highlights the positive actions undertaken by groups and individuals, optimistically offering humanity as common ground. Harvest Season (US) Dir. Bernardo Ruiz Prod. Bernardo Ruiz and Lauren Capps Rosenfeld Like studio musicians or backup singers, the behind-the-scenes players in the premium California wine industry are essential, yet rarely recognized for their efforts or contributions. Following three people whose lives and livelihoods are intimately tied to winemaking in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, Harvest Season delves into the “backstage” action over the course of one dramatic grape harvest and during a period of of rapid change for the California wine industry. Inventing Tomorrow (US) Dir. Laura Nix Prod. Diane Becker, Melanie Miller, Laura Nix Meet passionate teenage innovators from around the globe who are creating cutting-edge solutions to confront the world’s environmental threats – found right in their own backyards – while navigating the doubts and insecurities that mark adolescence. Take a journey with these inspiring teens as they prepare their projects for the largest convening of high school scientists in the world, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), a program of the Society for Science & the Public.PRODUCTION
As Goes Parkland… (US) Dir. Kim A Snyder Prod. Lori Cheatle, Maria Cuomo Cole, Kim A. Snyder In the wake of the February 14, 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida–the worst school shooting since Newtown–Parkland students ignite the largest student movement since the 1960s to address gun violence in America and demand change. Hollow Tree (US) Dir. Kira Akerman Prod. Monique Walton Three teenagers come of age in Southeast Louisiana’s fragile delta; a parable for climate adaptation. John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Provides support for journalistic projects, prioritizing diverse, Native and Indigenous voicesPRODUCTION
And She Could Be Next (US) Dir. Grace Lee, Marjan Safinia, Yoruba Richen, Amber Fares, Deb Esquenazi, Geeta Gandbhir. Anayansi Prado, Ramona Emerson Prod. Grace Lee, Marjan Safinia, Jyoti Sarda In a polarized America, where the dual forces of white supremacy and patriarchy threaten to further erode democracy, women of color are claiming power by running for political office. And She Could be Next, made by a team of women filmmakers of color, asks whether democracy itself can be preserved — and made stronger — by those most marginalized. Untitled Puerto Rico Documentary (US) Dir. Cecilia Aldarondo Prod. Cecilia Aldarondo, Ines Hofmann Kanna A kaleidoscopic portrait of the aftermath of Hurricane María in Puerto Rico. Untitled Race & Criminal Justice Project (US) Dir. Ursula Liang Prod. Rajal Pitroda & Chanelle Aponte Pearson A nuanced look at how two communities of color navigate an uneven criminal justice system, anchored by one polarizing New York City case. Stories of Change Fund A creative partnership with the Skoll Foundation, which supports social entrepreneurs and independent storytellers. Untitled Water Inequality in Kenya Project (Kenya), scripted short Dir. Judy Kibinge Prod. Emily Wanja A young women working as a house help in a middle class home in Kenya discovers that her affluent employers are paying less for water than she and her community do. She soon discovers the source of the problem is far closer to home. First Time Stories (India), feature documentary Directors: Shirley Abraham, Amit Madheshiya Deep inside the Amazon, rainforests flourish untouched from horizon to horizon, guarded by mountains never climbed, and cut by rivers unmapped. And yet, they have all been claimed by stories told by elders around a fire. Keepers of the oral storytelling tradition in Suriname for 300 years, frail Matawai elders seek to pass them to the young, who are lured away by gold mining, far from the secrets of the forest. Mystery of Epilogue (Denmark/Syria), feature documentary Dir. Feras Fayyad Prod. Kirstine Barfod In the chaotic war-torn world of Syria, three lawyers and judges attempt to re-establish the rule of law amid the collapse of the justice in the ongoing civil war. Untitled Government Technology Project (US) Prod. Kate Osborn, Josh Penn, Elizabeth Lodge Stepp A comprehensive look at our nation’s contemporary infrastructure that matters most: technology. Examining how government works in this digital age, largely at the expense of the American people. The Widow Champion (US), short documentary Dir. Heather Courtney Evicted from their land and homes by their in-laws, widows in Kenya are forced to live destitute with their children in empty market stalls, or even under trees out in the open. But now these women are coming together to fight for what is rightfully theirs — their land, their homes and their lives.
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5 Film Projects Selected for 4th THROUGH HER LENS: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program
Tribeca and CHANEL continue to provide extraordinary opportunities to propel women filmmakers forward with the fourth annual THROUGH HER LENS: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program. The mentorship program was created to provide a balance of industry support, artistic development, and funding for new and emerging U.S.-based female writers and directors of short-form narrative films.
Presented by Tribeca and CHANEL, in collaboration with Pulse Films, and facilitated by Tribeca Film InstituteÒ (TFI), the multi-faceted program has selected five short film projects from women storytellers to receive project support, and take part in one-on-one mentorship and master classes over a three day immersive program. On the final day, each of the five filmmaker pairs will pitch their projects to a jury of industry experts. One filmmaker will be awarded full financing to produce their short film, along with support from Tribeca Studios to make the project. The four other projects will each be awarded grant funds to continue developing their films.
From October 16-18, the filmmakers will gather in New York City with the mentor and program advisors for an in-depth intimate program concentrating on script-to-screen development, casting, finding collaborators, and working with cinematographers, music composers, costume designers, and producers. The selected program participants will attend master classes and have individual mentoring sessions with leading women in filmmaking, meet distributors, and spend concentrated time refining their pitching skills. During the summer, each filmmaker was given the opportunity to work with writing mentors to shape and refine her project.
“In the years since Tribeca launched Through Her Lens with CHANEL, the program has created invaluable opportunities for the next generation of women storytellers,” said Paula Weinstein, EVP of Tribeca Enterprises. “The program brings established women filmmakers together to mentor these emerging voices, provide hands-on guidance and feedback, as well as fund their projects. We’re proud to help expand the pipeline for great inclusive storytelling.”
“TFI’s (Tribeca Film Institute) mission is to join with filmmakers in breaking barriers to access, exposure, and sustainability in the media landscape. The Tribeca Chanel program unequivocally aligns with our nonprofit’s goals to provide this level of meaningful support to women filmmakers of all kinds,” said Amy Hobby, Executive Director, Tribeca Film Institute.
The Leadership Committee participating in the program are:
MASTER CLASS ADVISORS: Costume designer Stacey Battat (The Beguiled, Still Alice), casting director Ellen Chenoweth (The Goldfinch, No Country For Old Men), writer/director Debra Granik (Leave No Trace, Winter’s Bone), composer Laura Karpman (Paris Can Wait, Underground), and cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Black Panther, Mudbound).
JURORS: Producer Effie T. Brown (FOX’s “Star,” Dear White People, “Project Greenlight”), actor/writer/director/producer Lena Dunham (Tiny Furniture, “Camping,” “Girls”), cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Black Panther, Mudbound), and producer Paula Weinstein (“Grace and Frankie,” The Perfect Storm, Recount).
MENTORS: Director/producer Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty), actor/director/producer Courteney Cox (“Cougar Town,” “Friends”), producer and TFI Executive Director Amy Hobby (What Happened, Miss Simone?, Secretary), writer/director Stella Meghie (Everything, Everything, The Weekend), writer/director/executive producer Veena Sud (“The Killing,” “Seven Seconds”), and producer Christine Vachon (Carol, Far from Heaven).
WRITING MENTORS: Producer Stephanie Allain (Beyond the Lights, Dear White People), writer/executive producer Janine Sherman Barrois (“Claws,” “Criminal Minds”), writer/director Susanna Fogel (The Spy Who Dumped Me, Life Partners), writer Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married, Untitled Monsters Franchise for Universal Studios), and writer/executive producer Marti Noxon (“Sharp Objects,” “UnREAL”).
The selected projects and filmmakers are:
H-E-A-T-H-E-R: Heather, a young, racially ambiguous artist, confronts questions of identity when she becomes a part-time babysitter for 11-year-old Jayda. Their dynamic prompts Heather to explore the limitations of her persona as she voyages into other realms of her imagination through fantasy, alternate realities, and moving collages.
Francesca Mirabella (Co-Writer, Co-Director)
Francesca Mirabella is a writer and director who received her MFA from the NYU Tisch Graduate Film program, where she attended as a Dean’s Fellow. Her shorts have screened at a range of festivals and were most recently featured at the Museum of Modern Art. In 2017, Mirabella won an NYU Wasserman Award for Best Screenplay. A 2017/18 Marcie Bloom Fellow, Mirabella is currently developing her feature Modern Love, which was awarded a Tribeca All Access® grant.
Kylah Benes-Trapp (Co-Writer, Co-Director)
Kylah Benes-Trapp is a visual artist from California currently based in New York City. She works primarily in digital illustration, photography and graphic design and has recently started writing for film. Her work explores ideas of self-expression, femininity, identity and nostalgia. Her purpose is to create a world of possibility through her work that will inspire discovery.
LIFE ON MARS: Six aspiring astronauts are sealed inside a solar-powered dome, attempting to simulate life on Mars. When Dana’s helmet malfunctions on the first spacewalk — depriving her of precious oxygen — she and her teammates have a critical decision to make.
Laramie Dennis (Writer, Director)
Laramie Dennis attended Wesleyan University and spent 10 years in New York City developing and directing new plays before earning her MFA in Film and Television Production from USC. Her short films have screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival and Short Film Corner at Cannes and have also been presented and distributed by Boyish, Shorts International and Sprint. Her short-form animated series, The Golden Rule, is currently in production.
Jenna Cedicci (Producer)
Jenna Cedicci is an international feature film and commercial producer. She has developed and produced more than 75 commercials and five features to date, three slated for distribution in 2019: the documentary Fire on the Hill, a remake of the classic German film Nosferatu, and the narrative indie feature Daddy Issues.
ROSA: While working at her aunt’s flower shop, Rosa takes her job underground when she begins a side business of shipping undocumented bodies to their home countries for burial.
Suha Araj (Writer, Director)
Suha Araj creates films that explore the displacement of immigrant communities. The Cup Reader, shot in Palestine, screened at the Tribeca Film Festival and was awarded The Next Great Filmmaker Award at the Berkshire International Film Festival and Baghdad International Film Festival. Araj followed with Pioneer High in 2015. She has received support for her work from the Sundance Film Festival, TorinoFilmLab, Independent Filmmaker Project, Berlinale Talent Project Market, Center for Asian American Media and Cine Qua Non Lab.
Maryam Keshavarz (Producer)
Maryam Keshavarz is a writer, director and producer whose short The Day I Died won the Gold Teddy and Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. Keshavarz’s first feature, Circumstance, won the Sundance Film Festival’s Audience Award and was distributed theatrically by Participant Media and Roadside Attractions. Her sophomore feature — Viper Club, starring Susan Sarandon — world premiered at Toronto International Film Festival and hits theaters this month.
EL TIMBRE DE SU VOZ: Yaneris, a Dominican teenager, plots a way to escape her hometown of Sosúa, where becoming an escort seems to be her only fate. After unexpectedly falling in love with her client’s son, she decides he may be the ticket to a new life — for both her and her disabled sister.
Gabriella Moses (Writer, Director)
Gabriella Moses is director, writer, and production designer based in Brooklyn. She is a graduate of the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She has received support for her work through the New York Women in Film & Television’s 2017 From Script to Pre-Production Workshop, Sundance Institute’s 2018 Screenwriters Intensive and 2018 TFI Network. Moses believes in sharing stories with underrepresented protagonists that push viewers’ perceptions of identity and imagination.
Shruti Ganguly (Producer)
Shruti Ganguly is a filmmaker and the founder of honto88. She has directed numerous videos and is a recovering media executive, with roles at MTV, Condé Nast/Vogue and more recently at NYLON as the Vice President of TV & Video. Her films have been screened at the Sundance Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, and AFI Fest. Ganguly hails from India by way of Oman.
WHAT IS YOUR SOUL PURPOSE?: A sheltered Korean American family travels to Atlanta to retrieve the body of their son after he passes away from an accidental overdose. In the depths of their grief, they find an unlikely connection and momentary solace with the African American family who owns the mortuary.
Jennifer Cho Suhr (Writer/Director)
Jennifer Cho Suhr is a Brooklyn-based writer and director. She is developing her debut feature, You and Me Both, starring Constance Wu and selected for the Tribeca All Access® and Film Independent’s Producing Lab and Fast Track programs. Suhr earned her MFA from the NYU Tisch Graduate Film program, where she was awarded the Tisch Fellowship and a grant from the Spike Lee Film Production Fund.
Carolyn Mao (Producer)
Carolyn Mao is a Los Angeles-based producer and former development executive. Nice, a pilot she produced by creator Naomi Ko and director by Andrew Ahn, premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. She is currently raising financing for You and Me Both. She is a fellow of Film Independent’s Project Involve, Producing Lab and Fast Track programs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud3__BbTr8g
CHANEL and Tribeca work year-round to support women filmmakers, not only with THROUGH HER LENS, but during the annual Tribeca Film Festival with the annual women’s filmmaking lunch and the Nora Ephron Award. The Award was created in 2013 to honor exceptional female filmmakers who embody the spirit and vision of the legendary filmmaker. Women who have received the award include: Meera Menon (Farah Goes Bang, Equity), Talya Lavie (Zero Motivation), Laura Bispuri (Sworn Virgin), Rachel Tunnard (Adult Life Skills), Petra Volpe (The Divine Order), and Nia DaCosta (Little Woods) from this past year.
The 2016 recipient of the THROUGH HER LENS grant, Feathers, directed by A.V. Rockwell, premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and was acquired by Fox Searchlight. Last year’s main recipient, Suicide by Sunlight, by Nikyatu Jusu is currently in post-production.
Tribeca actively cultivates independent voices in storytelling and has been at the forefront of supporting women filmmakers. This past year, it led the way as the first major film festival to have near equal representation by women directors in its feature film program. THROUGH HER LENS: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program—the most recent iteration of Tribeca’s commitment to female artistic voices—continues to provide resources to help empower emerging women storytellers in the industry. The nonprofit affiliate of Tribeca, Tribeca Film Institute, supports female filmmakers through, among other initiatives, its cornerstone grant and mentorship program, Tribeca All AccessÒ. Currently in its 16th year, the program supports scripted, documentary and interactive storytellers from diverse communities, including those that are statistically underrepresented in the industry.
Image:
(top row: l to r) Carolyn Mao, Francesca Mirabella, Gabriella Moses, Jenna Cedicci, Shruti Ganguly
(bottom row: l to r) Maryam Keshavarz, Laramie Dennis, Kylah Benes-Trapp, Jennifer Cho Suhr, Suha Araj