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The Sundance Institute has announced this year’s grantees for the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, with a total of $1,396,500 in unrestricted grant support bestowed upon 35 projects.
“As we celebrate the DFP’s 20th anniversary, it’s an exceptional achievement that Sundance has been able to provide documentary filmmakers robust and sustained financial support, from development through post-production, for two decades,” said Carrie Lozano, director of the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program. “Thanks to our incredible funders, supporters, staff, and external reviewers, the Documentary Fund has been able to realize its top priorities during a tumultuous time: supporting underrepresented stories, directors and producers; providing much needed resources to urgent international projects; and elevating human rights and social, civic and environmental justice, all while foregrounding bold and artistic approaches. I am constantly amazed by the breadth and depth of our grantees.”
This year’s grant recipients have roots in 31 countries, with 57% of submissions coming from outside the U.S.. Among the 14 U.S. films granted this year, the projects are helmed by at least one BIPOC director and/or lead producer, while two of these projects are directed by Indigenous filmmakers. This round consists of 35 projects, with five in development, 15 in production, 10 in post-production and five currently pursuing audience engagement and social impact campaigns.
“With growing opposition to human rights and freedom of speech around the world, it is imperative now more than ever that we continue to provide resources to independent artists at all stages of their career, uplifting marginalized narratives and perspectives from development to impact,” said Paola Mottura, documentary film fund director. “Our grantees are telling culturally significant stories that will help shift global narratives and effect real change, and it is a privilege to bring these independent stories into the fabric of the Sundance community.”
Here are the 2022 Sundance Institute Documentary Fund grantees:
“Flying Cows,” dir. Vahagn Khachatryan and Aren Malakyran, prod. Jia Zhao, Khachatryan and Kamee Abrahamyan
“Imago,” dir. Déni Oumar Pitsaev, prod. Alexandra Mélot
“Oaklead,” dir. and prod. Alex J. Bledsoe
“The Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest,” dir. Viv Li, prod. Daniela Dieterich and Erik Winker
“Vintage or Violence,” dir. Nikissi Serumaga-Jamo, prod. Lesedi Oluko Moche
“Concrete Land,” dir. Asmahan Bkerat, prod. Sahar Yousefi
“For Venida, For Kalief,” dir. and prod. Sisa Bueno
“Here, the Silence is Heard,” dir. and prod. Gabriela Pena and Picho García
“In Your Shadow,” dir. Thabi Mooi and Tom Fassaert, prod. Renko Douze and Hasse van Nunen
“Matabeleland,” dir. Nyasha Kadandara, prod. Sam Soko and Bob Moore
“Matininó,” dir. Gabriela Díaz Arp, prod. Karla Claudio Betancourt and Tatiana Monge Herrera
“Night Fight,” dir. Khary Saeed Jones, prod. Jones and Kendra Taira Field
“Por Arte De Magia / Like Magic,” dir. Melissa Saavedra-Gil, prod. Maritza Blanco Ruano
“Queendom,” (pictured) dir. Agniia Galdanova, prod. Igor Myakotin and Galdanova
“Theft of Fire,” dir. Amer Shomali, prod. Ina Fichman and Rashid Abdelhamid
“The Vanishing,” dir. Rama Thiaw, prod. Thiaw, Yanis Gaye, Jean-Laurent Csnidis, Vadim Jendreyko, Marie Schmidt Olesen
“Untitled Jewish Abortion Doc,” dir. Paula Eiselt, prod. Darcy McKinnon
“Untitled Kenyan Politics Project,” dir. and prod. Christopher King and Maia Lekow
“Untitled Labor Union Documentary,” dir. Stephen Maing and Brett Story, prod. Samantha Curley and Mars Verrone
“Untitled Residential School Documentary,” dir. Emily Kassie and Julian Brave NoiseCast, prod. Kassie and Kellen Quinn
“Delikado,” dir. Karl Malakunas, prod. Michael Collins, Marty Syjuco, Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala
“Fire Through Dry Glass,” dir. Alexis Neophytides and Andres “Jay” Molina, prod. Jennilie Brewster and Neophytides
“Lakota Nation vs. United States,” dir. Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli, prod. Benjamin Hedin and Phil Pinto
“Mai American,” dir. and prod. Kevin Truong
“Rejeito,” dir. Pedro de Filippis, prod. Leonardo Mecchi, Bronte Stahl and Tarsila Nakmura
“Stronger Together,” dir. Tania Claudia Castillo, prod. Gabriela Gavica, Carlos Hernández
“Testament,” dir. Meena Nanji and Zippy Kimundu, prod. Nanji, Kimundu and Eliane Ferreira
“The Untitled Baltimore Documentary Project,” dir. Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough, prod. Dawne Langford and Goodenough
“Untitled,” dir. Nishtha Jain and Akash Basumatari, prod. Jain Valerie Montmartin and Torstein Grude Ruwe Yuxinawá
“Xixi,” dir. Fan Wu, prod. Wu, Venice Atienza and Sona Jo
“Black Mothers Love & Resist,” dir. Débora Souza Silva, prod. Silva, David Felix Sutcliffe, Adina Luo
“Hollow Tree,” dir. Kira Akerman, prod. Monique Walton and Chachi Hauser
“Razing Liberty Square,” dir. Katja Esson, prod. Esson, Ann Bennett, Corinna Sager and Ronald Baez
“The Territory,” dir. Alex Pritz, prod. Gabriel Uchida, Will N. Miller, Lizzie Gillett, Sigrid Dyekjaer and Darren Aronofsky
“Tigre Gente,” dir. Elizabeth Unger, prod. Unger and Joanna Natasegara
