Center For
Independent
Documentary
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Resources & Opportunities |
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BFI DOC SOCIETY FEATURES FUND |
The BFI Doc Society Fund aims to develop storytellers from all parts of the UK, backing feature projects with bold cultural and social ambitions. The fund supports features at any stage including development, production and completion.
The deadline for submissions is September 16th. Learn more and apply here.
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[Image Description: The BFI Doc Society logo] |
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PACIFIC ISLANDERS IN COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA FUND |
The Media Fund is PIC's longest standing funding initiative, which provides funds for single non-fiction projects of half an hour or an hour in length about the indigenous Pacific Islander experience for two critical phases of production: Production and Post-production. Projects applying to the Media Fund must be intended for national public television broadcast, and therefore must be able to enter into a production agreement - this is not your typical grant.
Deadline for applications has been extended to August 15th. Learn more here.
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[Image Description: Pacific Islanders in Communications logo] |
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Starting at the height of the pandemic in 2020, Tasveer Film Fund was one of the first funds in the US solely dedicated to supporting South Asian filmmakers. Winners receive a monetary grant and year-long mentorship. With partal support from Netflix, Tasveer has expanded the program to support short film, documentary, and LGBTQIA+ short film projects.
Early bird deadline is August 25th. Learn more here.
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[Image Description: Tasveer logo] |
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PBS/FIRELIGHT WILLIAM GREAVES PRODUCTION FUND |
The PBS/Firelight William Greaves Production Fund will resource documentary productions by mid-career filmmakers from diverse communities in the US that are intended for distribution on PBS through finishing funds or co-production funding.
Deadline to apply is August 8th. Learn more here.
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WILLIAM GREAVES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FUND |
The William Greaves Research and Development Fund resources talented, mid-career nonfiction storytellers from racially and ethnically underrepresented communities in the US, as well as filmmakers from Mexico, Brazil, Purto Rico, and Colombia with a particular interest in those who identify as being of Indigenous and/or of African descent.
Deadline to apply is August 8th. Learn more and apply here.
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[Image Description: Firelight Media logo] |
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CATAPULT FILM FUND DEVELOPMENT GRANT |
Catapult gives early support to propel projects forward that hold the promise of a story that should be uniquely told in film. The Development Grant provides development funding, up to $20,000, to documentary filmmakers who have a strong story to tell, have secured access, and are ready to create a fundraising piece to help unlock critical production funding.
Deadline to apply is August 31st. Learn more here.
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[Image Description: Catapult Film Fund logo] |
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"PRODUCING TOWARDS EQUITY" CONSULTANTS |
The Documentary Producers Alliance (DPA) seeks to hire a team of three Curriculum Development Consultants to design the structure, pedagogy, and materials for "Producing Toward Equity (PTE)" a new series of free workshops developed in partnership with the International Documentary Association (IDA) with support from the the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
PTE will offer interactive training through the lens of equity, inclusion and accessibility in areas such as film financing and crediting for independent documentary producers of all experience levels. More information and a job description are available here. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and CV to docproducersalliance@gmail.com.
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[Image Description: Documentary Producers Alliance logo] |
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SUNDANCE DOCUMENTARY EDIT AND STORY LAB |
The Sundance Institute has set the participants and projects for its Documentary Edit and Story Lab. The list includes CID sponsored filmmaking partners Jude Chehab and Fahd Ahmed (Q).
The Institute also named the artists selected for the second edition of its Art of Editing Fellowship. The fellows include CID sponsored filmmaker Luna X. Moya (WHAT THE PIER GAVE US).
Read the full list of fellows here.
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[Image Description: Sundance Institute logo] |
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GOTHAM WEEK 2022 PROJECT MARKET |
The Gotham Film & Media Institute has selected the films and series for its Project Market, the annual sales and development forum which connects creators to distributors, financiers, and other industry decision-makers. The projects include two CID sponsored films: IN PLAIN SIGHT, directed and produced by Sarah McClure, co-directed and produced by Jessie Deeter, and OUR MR. MATSURA, directed and produced by Beth Harrington. Read the full slate of projects here.
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[Image Description: The Gotham Film & Media Institute logo] |
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HAWAI'I WOMEN IN FILMMAKING'S WAHINE IN FILM LAB |
Sophia Perez (director) and Sylvia Frain (producer) have been accepted into the Hawai'i Women in Filmmaking's Wāhine in Film Lab with their film TIP OF THE SPEAR. Other fellows include CID filmmaker Alison Week, with her film WANLE. The film lab mentors include CID filmmaker Robin Lung (FINDING KUKAN).
The Wāhine in Film Lab is an incubator for the development of short film ideas into viable projects by the end of their time at the Lab. The Lab is in collaboration with Sundance Co//ab and made possible thanks to the generous support of Hawai'i Peoples Fund and powered by the Creative Lab Hawai'i.
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[Image Description: Hawai'i Women in Filmmaking logo] |
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ENDURING DEMOCRACY WORLD PREMIERE
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ENDURING DEMOCRACY: THE MONTEREY PETITION (directed by David Schendel, and produced by David Schendel and Elizabeth Nordt) will have its World Premiere at the in-person Cinequest Film Festival on Sunday, August 21st at 1pm. Get your tickets here.
In a dusty filing cabinet in Monterey, CA, a 1938 film is discovered that depicted a joyous Japanese-American community just before their lives are destroyed. Along with this remarkable never-before-seen film was a trove of signed petitions demanding the restoration of civil rights to those same Americans. Enduring Democracy explores the motivations of individuals who financed hate campaigns as well as the daring women who spearheaded the carefully thought-out response.
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[Image Description: A poster for the film "Enduring Democracy: The Monterey Petition" with black and white photos of Japanese Americans scattered across a backdrop of aging brown paper. On a large luggage tag is the film's title "Enduring Democracy: The Monterey Petition". Below that is the logo for the Japanese American Citizens League of the Monterey Peninsula.] |
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SALLY RECEIVES 2022 SAUL ZAENTZ AWARD FROM BERKELEY FILM FOUNDATION
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The Sally Gearhart documentary is pleased and proud to announce that they are the recipients of the Berkeley Film's Foundatiion's 2022 Saul Zaentz award, named after the academy award winning producer of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Amadeus," and other works. The Berkeley Film Foundation supports filmmakers from Berkeley and several adjacent cities, and has funded some wonderful films, including "Crip Camp," "Belly of the Beast," and more. The SALLY team is now in post-production and this new grant gives them a great injection of moral support and funding to hopefully finish a rough cut by the end of 2022.
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[Image Description: A black and white photo of Sally Gearhart sitting on a couch and smiling. She wears a black leather jacket and black pants, with a small black and white puppy laying next to her. A sign on the wall behind her reads "NO ON 6. PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS"] |
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LOVE & STUFF, directed by Judith Helfand, will premiere on September 5th, 2022 on PBS' "POV", the longest running series for independent documentaries on television.
Seven months after helping her terminally ill mother have a "good death" in home-hospice, filmmaker Judith Helfand becomes a "new old" single mother at 50. Love & Stuff explores the transformative power of parenting, our complex and very emotional attachment to "stuff," and what it is we really need to leave our children.
Read the full lineup for the 35th season of "POV" here.
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[Image Description: Filmmaker Judith Helfand sits on a red couch holding her baby. She gazes directly ahead into the camera. Packages of diapers and other "stuff" are stacked behind her.] |
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FILM EVENT ACCESSIBILITY SCORECARD |
FWD-Doc has launched their Film Event Accessibility Scorecard. The Scorecard was developed by FWD-Doc in partnership with Film Event Accessibility Working Group with the support of Film Festival Alliance, and in association with 1IN4 Coalition. Film event organizers, filmmakers and guests are invited to participate in the collection of accessibility data. The results will be utilized to improve the film events experience and create a more inclusive field, accessible for all. Check out the Scorecard here. Read more in Variety here.
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[Image Description: The FWD-Doc logo] |
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The team behind CREDIBLE FEAR has partnered with social justice fashion brand The Outrage to bring you an exclusive t-shirt! The Defend Asylum unisex tee is the perfect way to show your support for the asylum seeker community. And every purchase benefits the film! Get yours here.
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[Image Description: A photograph of a model wearing a black t-shirt that reads "defend asylum" in white text. A large white line drawing of a flower is sandwiched between the words "defend" and "asylum". Next to the photo, text reads "New Shirts. The Outrage. While Supplies Last."] |
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UPSTANDER PROJECT FILMS AT WOODS HOLE FILM FESTIVAL |
From July 30th to August 6th, stream BOUNTY and RECIPROCITY PROJECT courtesy of the Woods Hole Film Festival. Or, if you're in Massachusetts, check out the films in person on August 2nd. Purchase your tickets here.
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[Image Description: Bluish-gray text reads "Woods Hole Film Festival 31." ] |
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THE ONLY WOMAN BOOK BY IMMY HUMES
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CID filmmaker Immy Humes has written a book, THE ONLY WOMAN, a compelling gallery of women who made their way into a man's world, shown through group portraits each featuring a lone woman. Purchase the book here, and receive a 30% discount with code: ONLYWOMAN30.
Read a review of the book here.
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[Image Description: The cover of the book, "THE ONLY WOMAN". The cover is a vivid purple with "THE ONLY WOMAN" in neon yellow all-caps big block letters. Only the "O" in "Only" is neon pink. Small text at the bottom of the book cover reads "Immy Humes" ] |
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CURED NOMINATED FOR A NEWS & DOCUMENTARY EMMY
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CURED, a documentary by Patrick Sammon and Bennett Singer, has been nominated for a News & Documentary Emmy in the Outstanding Research category. The film was among more than 2,500 submissions in this year's Emmy competition; winners will be announced at a ceremony in late September.
CURED opened the 2021-22 season of PBS' Independent Lens series and has garnered more than 20 awards and nominations to date. Learn more at www.cureddocumentary.com.
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[Image Description: A poster reads "CURED. News & Doc Emmy Nominee. Outstanding Research - Documentary." In the middle of the poster is a picture of a golden Emmy award with the text "43rd Annual News & Doc Emmys" At the bottom of the poster, text reads "View the full list of nominees at theemmys.tv/news"] |
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CSFILM'S FUND FOR AFGHAN EVACUATION AND RESETTLEMENT |
Thank you to the filmmaking community and beyond for your support of Community Supported Film's efforts to help Afghan filmmakers and human rights workers since August of 21. Since last August, CSFilm supporters have contributed $44,000 to CSFilm's Fund for Afghan Evacuation and Resettlement. CSFilm has to date distributed $45,000 to families in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.
Of the 22 families being helped with evacuation and resettlement, two are seeking asylum in the US, one has been granted asylum in Canada, two are seeking asylum in Europe, and five have been evacuated to Europe and are being processed for asylum in the US. Three have evacuated to Iran and Pakistan but do not yet have a path forward to process their asylum cases to the US. Nine families are still hiding in Afghanistan.
The situation for Afghans, including the families being assisted, is unimaginably painful. Worldwide inflation and food scarcity have hit Afghanistan and neighboring countries hard. The economies are systemically weak and further destabilized by Wwestern sanctions in Iran and Afghanistan. That is without even addressing the recent earthquake, flash floods, and historic drought. Learn more here.
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WBCN AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION BOOK RECEIVES AWARDS
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Bill Lichtenstein has received a third award for his new book WBCN AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, the companion to the documentary of the same name on MIT Press. It has just won a New England Society Book Award. Other winners of the 11 book awards given include Sherry Turkle and Alexander Nemerov. The award is over a century old and recognizes books of merit that celebrate New England and its culture. Previous recipients include Mark Twain, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louis Auchincloss, William F. Buckley Jr., David McCullough, and Dominick Dunne. This is the third award won by the book. The award will be given at a ceremony at the National Arts Club in NY in September.
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DOC FILMMAKING COURSES SCHEDULED FOR SUMMER |
Please help spread the word about these upcoming doc filmmaking courses:
“Michael Sheridan is one of the best teachers one could hope to have. He has a genuine commitment to facilitating students’ ability to realize their vision, which is backed by a deep understanding of technology and technique. I had the pleasure of hiring Michael to teach over twenty years, and student reviews were always excellent.” – Anne Marie Stein, Former Executive Director, Boston Film/Video Foundation and Dean Emeritus, Massachusetts College of Art and Design
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[Image Description: A close-up photo of a kaksori performer looking into their rearview mirror as they apply eye makeup. A string of beads hang from the mirror.] |
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"Kaksori!"
Directed and produced by Shirley Kim-Ryu and Eben Portnoy
Kaksori! is a feature documentary that follows a troupe of “singing-beggar” street performers across the South Korean countryside as they struggle to hold onto an ancient tradition while adapting to changing times. Representing those left out of Korea’s rapid economic transformation, kaksori performers provide their fans with a communal space to process the past and release shared trauma. Considered trashy by the Korean mainstream, performers break open class hierarchy and gender roles, providing cultural critique in a space for marginalized communities. Kaksori! immerses viewers in this brash and colorful subculture, a far cry from K-pop’s polished exports. Through intimate verité scenes we follow one kaksori troupe’s struggle for authenticity as a new trend threatens to fundamentally change their world. Tracing kaksori’s untold history and living spirit, we ask how an ancient culture of class critique, collective generosity, and communal catharsis can survive in a transformed country.
Read more and contribute to the film here.
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Featured Resource Of The Month |
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[Image Description: A red poster with cartoon-like drawings of movie theater popcorn in red and white striped containers. Text in the center reads "Distributors Fact Sheet 2022 Edition"] |
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Distributors Fact Sheet: 2022 Edition |
For the third year in a row, Dear Producer brings you the Distributor Fact Sheet, a directory of distributors as well as their tenets; what do they look for, where do they look for it, and how are they acquiring content.
Check out the Fact Sheet here.
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Want to support CID while you shop? Sign up for AmazonSmile and select The Center for Independent Documentary, Inc. as your preferred charity at smile.amazon.com/ch/04-2738458. Remember to shop for deals at smile.amazon.com, or with AmazonSmile ON in the Amazon app, and AmazonSmile will donate to us at no cost to you.
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We are grateful for the generous support of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, and the Boston Cultural Council, a local agency which is funded by the Mass Cultural Council, and administered by the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture. |
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Center For Independent Documentary | 1-339-364-1278 | www.documentaries.org |
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