2017 Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund Grantees Announced
2017.08.03
2017 Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund Grantees Announced
$150,000 in Funds and Services to be Awarded to Documentaries that Highlight and Humanize Global Social Issues
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More than Half the Fund to be Dedicated to Projects that Showcase the Impact of Women and Youth Around the World
[New York, NY – August 3rd, 2017 ] – Tribeca Film Institute® (TFI), Gucci and Oath Foundation today announced the 2017 grant recipients for the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund. The program, funded by Gucci with additional support from Oath Foundation (formerly AOL Charitable Foundation), provides production and finishing finances, along with year-round support and guidance from TFI, to feature-length documentary films that highlight and humanize critical domestic and international social issues. This year eight projects have been selected to receive a total of $130,000 in grants.
Now in its tenth year, the fund has supported 83 films and provided more than $1.3 million in grants since its inception in 2008. This year, more than half of the supported projects will spotlight the lives of women and youth around the globe, and highlight the ways they are working to improve their communities, their futures and the world.
New this year, in addition to providing production and post-production grants, Oath Foundation will support impact distribution and campaign strategy work to select projects to increase their reach and drive social change. Creative impact agency Picture Motion will execute the impact work for these selected projects.
The grantees were selected by a jury comprised of: producer JANNAT GARGI, Head of Feature Documentaries and Distribution at Vulcan Productions; RYAN HARRINGTON, Hot Docs Acting Director of Industry Programs; YASMEEN HASSAN, Global Executive Director, Equality Now; actress; and filmmaker (SUPER SIZE ME, 7 DEADLY SINS, CONFESSIONS OF A SUPERHERO).
This year’s grantees showcase a diverse set of themes, including: the global fight against ISIS, government surveillance in an Arab-American community in Chicago, breaking the class ceiling within Hasidic communities in Brooklyn, and combating drug addiction in Afghanistan.
“At a time of extreme social divisiveness both nationally and abroad, we are proud to be able to grant these filmmakers the opportunity to tell such important stories through the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund,” said Amy Hobby, Executive Director of TFI. “These films tackle issues from around the world, and the backgrounds of the directors and producers reflect a wide diversity of those with important stories to tell. Thank you to our partners on this project – without Gucci and additional support from Oath Foundation, the backing of these films would not be possible.”
“What excites us about working with these filmmakers is the opportunity to raise awareness about the critical social issues their films address,” said Sara Link, President of Oath Foundation. “In addition to providing filmmakers the resources to complete their projects, the collective work of the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund is to make sure these films are seen by larger audiences around the world to ultimately drive meaningful change. This project dovetail’s with Oath’s mission to build the future of media by engaging our passionate global community.”
"It has been an honor and a privilege to view and consider such a diverse, timely and exceptional collection of documentary films together with such an esteemed group of jurors.” said Gargi, “I am in awe of the courage and tenacity of these filmmakers in capturing such extraordinary stories that truly bring awareness to some of the most significant domestic and international issues of our time. The jury is incredibly proud to award eight of the filmmakers with production and impact grants on behalf of Gucci and the Tribeca Film Institute."
2017 Recipients of the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund
- 93QUEEN — Directed and Produced by Paula Eiselt. Produced by Heidi Reinberg and Adam Bolt. 93QUEEN follows a group of tenacious women who are shattering the glass ceiling in their Hasidic Brooklyn neighborhood by creating the first all-female volunteer EMS corps in NYC.
- CRIME + PUNISHMENT (WORKING TITLE) — Directed and Produced by Stephen Maing. Co-produced by Ross Tuttle. Amidst a landmark lawsuit over illegal policing quotas, CRIME + PUNISHMENT (WORKING TITLE) intimately observes the real lives and struggles of a group of black and Latino whistleblower cops and the young minorities they are pressured to arrest and summons in New York City.
- — Directed by Elissa Sylvia Mirzaei and Gulistan Mirzaei. Produced by Ina Fichman. Having witnessed her brother’s 25-year battle with drug addiction, former child bride Laila devotes her life to treating heroin-addicted men and women in Kabul. As foreign troops withdraw from Afghanistan and international aid dries up, Laila struggles to prevail over a crisis of addiction and a corrupt government in a country on the verge of collapse.
- THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED — Directed and Produced by Assia Boundaoui. Produced by Jessica Devaney. When a filmmaker investigates rumors of surveillance in her Arab-American neighborhood in Chicago, she uncovers one of the largest FBI terrorism probes conducted before 9/11 and reveals its enduring impact on the community.
- THE INTERPRETER— Directed by Andrés Caballero and Sofian Khan. Afghan and Iraqi military interpreters serve as a crucial bridge between American soldiers and local nationals. But as a result of their work with the U.S., many have become targets. In the chaotic aftermath of war, these loyal allies now struggle to find safety for themselves and their families.
- NO WOMEN NO REVOLUTION — Directed by Antonia Kilian. Produced by Sefinaz Mohhamad, Anna Markovski and Anja Vrdlovec. Against the backdrop of the Syrian Civil War, 20-year-old Hala is fighting not only for the liberation from IS, but also for the liberation of patriarchal and traditional structures, even inside her own family.
- UNTITLED JENNIFER LAUDE DOCUMENTARY — Directed and Produced by PJ Raval. Produced by Marty Syjuco, Lisa Valencia-Svensson and Kara Magnsanoc-Alikpala. Grassroots activists in the Philippines are spurred into action when a local transgender woman is found dead in a motel room with a 19-year-old U.S. marine as the leading suspect. As they demand answers and a just trial, hidden histories of U.S. colonization come bubbling to the surface.
- — Directed and Produced by Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas. In one of the most socially oppressive and patriarchal states of India emerges a newspaper run entirely by rural women belonging to the Dalit or ‘untouchable’ community. Meera, its popular political reporter, decides to magnify the local paper’s impact with an audacious move - to transform from print to a digital news agency. Working in media dark villages, mocked and discouraged, this is the story of a visionary woman's feisty spirit in building what will probably be the world’s first digital news agency run entirely by rural Dalit women.
Images of the films can be found at:
https://tribecafilminstitute.org/press_releases/images/grantees_announced
About Tribeca Film Institute
Tribeca Film Institute champions storytellers to be catalysts for change in their communities and around the world. Through grants and professional development programs, TFI supports a diverse, exceptional group of filmmakers and media artists, providing them resources needed to fully realize their stories and connect with audiences. The Institute’s educational programming leverages an extensive film community network to help underserved New York City students learn filmmaking and gain the media skills necessary to be productive citizens and creative individuals in the 21st century. Featuring hands-on training and exposure to socially relevant lms, the Institute administers programs to more than 25,000 students annually. TFI was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in the wake of September 11, 2001 and is a 501(c)(3) year-round nonprofit arts organization.
About Gucci
Founded in Florence in 1921, Gucci is one of the world’s leading luxury fashion brands, with a renowned reputation for creativity, innovation and Italian craftsmanship. Gucci is part of the Kering Group, a world leader in apparel and accessories that owns a portfolio of powerful luxury and sport and lifestyle brands. For further information about Gucci, visit www.gucci.com.
About Oath Foundation
Oath Foundation Inc. is a 501(c)(3) private foundation with the mission to improve the lives of women, girls and underserved youth. Oath Foundation works to expand opportunities for future leaders around the world by providing grants to organizations that are increasing access to underserved communities through education and technology, fostering leadership and cultivating creativity and innovation. Oath Foundation is committed to empowering these key communities with the ability to address the world's biggest challenges today and tomorrow. Learn more about Oath Foundation: www.oath.com/our-story/oath-for-good/oath-foundation/
About Picture Motion
Picture Motion is the leading creative impact agency for film and entertainment. Working with filmmakers, influential brands, foundations and changemakers, Picture Motion amplifies awareness, exposes injustice and drives activism for the entertainment industry. Working with clients like Participant Media's "An Inconvenient Sequel," Netflix’s "13th," The Weinstein Company’s "Lion," and Red Bull's "Blood Road," Picture Motion works to produce social action campaigns that lead to social progression. Led by Founder and CEO Christie Marchese, Picture Motion has unparalleled expertise in impact strategy, partnership development, grassroots screening tours, and digital & social media strategy. For more information, visit www.picturemotion.com.
