Documentariesexploring the trial of the former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic, maleprostitution in Tel Aviv and immigrant tensions in a Texan farming communityare among 14 grant recipients from the Sundance Documentary Fund (SDF).

Originally established in 1996as the Soros Documentary Fund, the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund was created in 2002 and offers development, work-in-progress and supplemental awards to USand international pictures that tackle human rights-related themes.

The fund isbacked by a $4.6m grant from the New York-based Open Society Institute and haslaunched such award-winning titles as Gail Dolgin and Vicente Franco's DaughterFrom Danang and KateDavis's Southern Comfort, which won the 2002 and 2001 Sundance Documentary Grand JuryPrize respectively.

"These 14 projects are powerful stories from LatinAmerica to Scandinavia, the Middle East to Eastern Europe, and the US to SouthAfrica," Diane Weyermann, director of the Sundance Institute DocumentaryFilm Programme, said in a statement.

"From thelegacy of the Vietnam War to the current crisis in the Middle East, theyilluminate the global society we live in.

"Therecould not be a more urgent time for supporting international documentaryfilm-makers whose work is intended to inform, heal, and inspire."

The 14recipients are:

WORK-IN-PROGRESSGRANTS

Milosovic OnTrial by MichaelChristoffersen (Denmark)

This film follows the case of Slobodan Milosevic from histrial before the War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague through the appeals process.

Mafeteeh by Saleem Daw (Palestine/ Israel)

Mafeteeh (The Keys) tells the stories of loss experiencedby Israeli Palestinian refugees who still retain the keys to the homes fromwhich they were evicted.

Justice by Fabrizio Lazzaretti (Italy)

The film follows Sisto Turra, the father of a young manmurdered by police in Colombia, and his groundbreaking struggle to bring theColombian government to justice.

Valley OfTears by Hart Perry (US)

Explores the ethnic divisions and inequalities within asmall south Texas farming community that is home to a large population ofMexican/American migrant workers.

The Boy WithNo Face By Foke Ryden(Sweden)

Follows a Swedish man's attempts to help a youngVietnamese boy severely disfigured by an American phosphorus bomb nearly 30years after the end of the Vietnam War.

FreedomMachines by Jamie Stobie(US)

Explores the struggles of people with disabilities as theycontend with the promise of new technologies and the realities of governmentalparalysis, economic hurdles, and pervasive discrimination.

On TheObjection Front - APersonal Journey byShiri Tsur (Israel)

Presents the stories of Israeli combat soldiers who refuseto serve in the Occupied Territories of Palestine and are willing to voicetheir objections.

DEVELOPMENTGRANTS

The Wall by Simone Bitton (France)

Studies the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by tracking theIsraeli construction of a gigantic wall along the northern West Bank to preventPalestinian terrorist infiltration.

Two MenTalking by Doug Block(US)

Investigates the complexities of South Africa'shuman rights issues through the autobiographical storytelling performance oftwo white, gay South African expatriates who return home to tell their story.

OperationSpring by AngelikaSchuster and Tristan Sindelgruber (Austria)

Follows the developments surrounding the trials of blackAustrians arrested as suspected drug dealers in 1999. The film focuses on severalcases that are currently being appealed, and questions the motives of OperationSpring, the police code name for the massive arrests.

Advise AndDissent by David VanTaylor (US)

This film willchronicle the potential controversy around the next US Supreme Court justiceconfirmation battle, and explores fundamental questions of the Judiciary'srole in an open society.

SUPPLEMENTALGRANTS

Garden by Adi Barash and Ruthie Shatz (Israel)

Through the stories of four teenage boys from Israel,Palestine, Russia, and Jordan working as prostitutes in downtown Tel Aviv, thefilm reveals the plight of rejected young immigrants struggling for a betterfuture.

Red HookJustice by Meema Spadola(US)

Explores a controversial new approach to justice forlow-income neighbourhoods, by following the daily activities of the Red HookCommunity Justice Centre, a pilot project in Brooklyn that houses a court andan array of social services.

PinkInferno/Four Prison Stories by Liliana Sulzbach (Brazil)

This film depicts daily life at a correction house inBrazil, run by nuns, as the female inmates struggle with loss of freedom andautonomy and reintegration into society.