New Film Fund to Elevate U.S. Muslim Stories Announced by the Center for Asian American Media and the Doris Duke Foundation
Left to Right: Sapana Sakya (Talent Development & Special Projects Director, CAAM), Stephen Gong (Executive Director, CAAM), Zeyba Rahman (Director for the Building Bridges Program, Doris Duke Foundation), Donald Young (Director of Programs, CAAM), Dominic Asmall Willsdon (Executive Director, IDA). Photograph courtesy of Vanessa Skopeo, Urbanite LA.
The Building Bridges Documentary Fund is Set to Catalyze New Narratives and Support Underrepresented Voices in Documentary Filmmaking
The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) announced the launch of the Building Bridges Documentary Fund at IDA's Getting Real '24 conference on April 18, 2024, at the Japanese American National Museum Tateuchi Democracy Forum. This pioneering initiative, generously funded by the Doris Duke Foundation, is designed to support and elevate the voices of Muslim filmmakers across the United States, promoting a deeper understanding of the Muslim experience through the powerful medium of documentary film. Applications for the 2024 Building Bridges Documentary Fund are open now through June 17, 2024.
The Building Bridges Documentary Fund will provide critical financial support, resources, and mentorship to filmmakers working on projects related to the Muslim experience in the U.S. With a commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion of Muslim filmmakers within the industry, this fund aims to spotlight stories that challenge stereotypes, break down barriers, and celebrate the multifaceted lives of Muslims in the United States.
“We at CAAM are so honored to announce the official launch of the Building Bridges Documentary Fund,” says Donald Young, Director of Programs at CAAM. “This historic opportunity to uplift Muslim creatives in the United States, through harnessing decades of organizational learnings in building narrative power for Asian Americans, both humbles and inspires us. As we now seek to help build narrative power for the U.S. Muslim documentary filmmaking community, we are again reminded of the deep privilege it is to try to make the world a better place through the power of storytelling.”
“Documentary films are among the most authentic methods of storytelling, offering unfiltered and honest perspectives that help to understand issues and open hearts and minds to shift narratives,” said Zeyba Rahman, Director, Building Bridges Program. “The Doris Duke Foundation is honored to continue our longstanding relationship with CAAM and their grantees as they apply their craft to uplift Muslim stories.”
The fund will accept applications from today, with a deadline for submission set for June 17, 2024. Eligible projects can be at any stage of production, from development to post-production. Selected projects will be announced in fall 2024, with grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000.
In addition to financial support, recipients of the Building Bridges Documentary Fund will gain access to CAAM’s network of industry professionals, opportunities for professional development, and exposure to a wide audience through CAAM’s distribution channels.
For application guidelines, eligibility criteria, and more information on how to apply, please visit the Building Bridges Documentary Fund page.
Launched in 2007 to counter hate directed at U.S. Muslim communities in the United States in the aftermath of 9/11, Doris Duke Foundation’s Building Bridges Program is the largest U.S. funding program of its kind. Through this program the Foundation has allocated approximately $48M in grants to date aimed at fostering dialogue and understanding between communities with a focus on the voices and perspectives of U.S. Muslims.
Over recent years, Doris Duke Foundation has begun to focus on the role of entertainment and popular culture to bring diverse communities together. This has included support for the 2023 Oscar-nominated film Stranger at the Gate, the Pulitzer Prize-winning folk opera Omar, the Secret Life of Muslims, a Peabody-nominated web series that has been viewed 45 million times, and the 1979 Revolution game by Navid Khonsari, which won a BAFTA, a Facebook award and is recommended by UNESCO as a solution for conflict.
About CAAM
For over 40 years, the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) has been dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. As a nonprofit organization, CAAM funds, produces, distributes, and exhibits works in film, television, and digital media. For more information about CAAM visit caamedia.org.
About Doris Duke Foundation
The mission of Doris Duke Foundation is to build a more creative, equitable and sustainable future by investing in artists and the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research, child well-being and greater mutual understanding among diverse communities. Visit dorisduke.org to learn more.