The Institute also announced the inaugural TFI/ESPN Prize, an extension of the Fund that will award an annual grant of $30,000 to a work-in-progress documentary that integrates “sports, competition and athleticism” into the story.

The TFI Documentary Fund received 500 submissions from more than 45 countries and selected 11 film-makers to receive a total of $160,000 in grants towards their documentaries.

The recipient of the inaugural TFI/ESPN Prize is The Battered Bastards Of Baseball, directed by Chapman Way and Maclain Way and produced by Juliana Lembi.

Five grants will be awarded to:

  • The Arrivals (Las Llegadas), directed by Heidi Ewing and produced by Rachel Grady;
  • The Battle With Satan, directed by Konrad Szolajski and produced by Ewa Zukowska;
  • Peaches Goes Bananas, directed and produced by Marie Losier and produced by Martin Marquet;
  • Wind On The Moon, directed by Seung-Jun Yi and produced by Min-Chul Kim;
  • The Wonderful Kingdom Of Papa Alaev, directed and produced by Noam Pinchas and Tal Barda.

Four grants will be awarded to films in various stages of production:

  • Art And Craft, directed by Sam Cullman and Jennifer Grausman;
  • Garnet’s Gold, directed by Ed Perkins and produced by Simon Chinn;
  • The New Czar, directed by Alejandro Alvarez and Ulrik Wivel and executive produced by Talal Al-Muhanna;
  • Teatro, directed and produced by Jeff Malmberg and Chris Shellen.

The only grant awarded to a film in post-production is One In A Billion, directed by Geeta V Patel and Ravi Patel and produced by Patel and Janet Eckholm.