The International Documentary Association has selected 11 films for its inaugural production grants from the IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund.
The fund supports feature-length explorations of original and contemporary journalistic documentaries, with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
These 11 films were chosen from 250 submissions. The selected documentaries will receive a total of $850,000, as well as additional resources based on the projects’ needs. A further $150,000 will be granted to 10 projects in development.
Selected documentaries are: Richard Rowley’s The Blue Wall; Nanfu Wang and Lynn Zhang’s Born In China; Marilyn Ness’s Charm City; Stephen Maing’s Crime + Punishment; Sonia Kennebeck’s Enemies Of The State; Assia Boundaoui’s The Feeling Of Being Watched; Byron Hurt’s Hazing; Tom Casciato’s Louisiana Justice; Beth Aala’s Made In Boise; Cynthia Lowen’s Netizens; and Daffodil Altan and Andres Cediel’s Slaves Among Us.
“The inaugural IDA Enterprise Production Fund grantees are producing deeply reported, original documentary films,” Carrie Lozano, director of the IDA Enterprise Fund, said. “Through their engaging storytelling and extraordinary access to their subjects, the films provide unique insights into some of the most pressing issues in the public discourse, and shed light on a range of underreported topics.”
One of the fund’s priorities is supporting diversity, both in filmmakers and in subject matter. Seven of the 11 projects are directed by women, and seven are directed by filmmakers of colour.
“The MacArthur Foundation is proud to continue our long tradition of providing major support to independent journalistic documentaries through the IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund,” Kathy Im, director of the Journalism and Media Programme at MacArthur, said. “The inaugural grantee projects are positioned to inform, engage, and inspire the American public to think critically and deeply about the challenges facing our nation and the world.”
No comments yet