The Sundance Institute and Cinereach recently announced a $1.5 million, three-year grant to form The Cinereach Project at Sundance Institute. The program, underwritten by Cinereach, will support a unique and flexible resource pool for documentary and feature film projects with themes that evoke global cultural exchange and social impact. The partners anticipate that at least 12 films will have been supported through this initiative.
The Cinereach Project at Sundance Institute will consist of a discretionary fund that can be used towards projects that are participating in Sundance Institute's existing Feature Film Program and Documentary Film Program, and are in need of emergency support. As a result, Sundance program directors will be more equipped to bridge gaps at critical stages of its Fellows' projects.
Additionally, the project will establish a special Fellowship for emerging directors committed to global cultural exchange and social impact. The Fellowship, for both documentary and fiction filmmakers, will provide the Fellows access to the multitude of Sundance Institute resources, as well as special funding and support from Cinereach. Fellows will be chosen from existing Sundance Institute Lab Projects as well as projects specifically recruited by both organizations.
"For nearly 30 years, Sundance Institute has been discovering and developing emerging independent artists," said Philipp Engelhorn, Cinereach founder and executive director, in a prepared statement. "This long record of nurturing diverse and authentic stories that foster empathy and understanding dovetails directly with the Cinereach mission."
Cinereach, founded in 2006, supports and produces artful films that depict underrepresented perspectives, cross-cultural boundaries and promote dialogue through three focus areas--Grants & Awards, The Reach Film Fellowship and Productions.
"We have long admired the work of Philipp and his team and commend them for their vision and dedication to promoting storytelling and awareness," said Jill Miller, Sundance Institute's managing director. "Their long-term commitment comes at a crucial moment as the current global financial crisis threatens to constrict film artists' possibilities of connecting to audiences."
For an article about Cinereach and Chicken&Egg Pictures that appeared that appeared in the Spring 2009 Documentary, click here.
The Sundance Institute also announced this week the expansion of its Creative Producing Initiative designed to nurture emerging independent producers in both narrative and documentary fields. For 2009-2010, the Initiative will include the re-conceived Creative Producing Summit (formerly the Independent Producers Conference), the Creative Producing Lab supporting six Fellows from the Feature Film Program and, new for this year, four from the Documentary Film Program, as well as Sundance Industry Meetings to connect filmmakers with industry members at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
The Creative Producing Initiative is designed to support producers with project-specific support through Labs, grants and long-term advisor relationships and to also reinvigorate dialogue within the independent producing community.
Fellows and projects attending the Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab and selected for the Documentary Film Creative Producing Fellowship are:
¿Dónde Están? / Kaye Pyle
El General / Daniela Alatorre
Give Up Tomorrow / Marty Syjuco
Match+ / Ann S. Kim
Producers Jennifer Fox (Love & Diane; On the Ropes) and Tia Lessin (Trouble the Water) will serve as creative advisors to the Documentary Creative Producing Lab.