Archive for April, 2011

04/26/2011

»  Cinereach Celebrates the 2011 Reach Film Fellows

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On April 13, 2011, Cinereach celebrated its outgoing Reach Film Fellows at the fourth annual Reach Out event. We screened all four Fellowship films for cast, crew, family and some friends of Cinereach, and surprised the fellows with bonus grants of $1,000 to put towards festival campaigns.

We’re so proud of the stunning finished films, and of how the fellows navigated the intense seven-month program, taking their films from concept to completion. For an overview of the 2011 Reach Film Fellowship, check out the behind-the-scenes video here. Our first album of photos from the event is up on Facebook (more to come).

Pictured above are the 2011 Reach Film Fellows with their mentors (from left to right) Marshall Curry, Matt Bockelman, Nancy Schwartzman, Nick Paley, Francisco Bello, Jay Van Hoy, Kaz Phillips Safer, and Karin Chien.

Pictured above are the 2011 Reach Film Fellows with their mentors (from left to right) Marshall Curry, Matt Bockelman, Nancy Schwartzman, Nick Paley, Francisco Bello, Jay Van Hoy, Kaz Phillips Safer, and Karin Chien.

The four 2011 Reach Film Fellows and Films are:

YHRTA

Matt Bockelman, You Have the Right to an Attorney (nonfiction)

You Have the Right to an Attorney enters the daily grind of two young public defenders in the South Bronx as they strive to resolve hundreds of client cases in a system they consider fundamentally broken. » More

OH_sm

Nick Paley, Open House (fiction)

In Open House a  young man visits his grandparents and is the first in his family to realize the  pair of them should no longer be living on their own.» More

JFFM_sm

Kaz Phillips Safer, Jolly Friends Forever More (fiction)

Jolly Friends Forever More tells the story of a homeless man who is befriended by a mysterious little girl that seems to appear and disappear at will. »  More

xoxosms

Nancy Schwartzman, xoxosms (nonfiction)

xoxosms follows the courtship of a young  couple that falls in love via Skype, chat and Facebook and relocates to be  together. » More

The four fellows were selected through an open application process and, once accepted, given a grant, production resources, access to the Cinereach staff, and help from a community of highly invested colleagues. The  mentors met one-on-one with the fellows at critical points throughout the program. Advisors led workshops on topics such as crowd funding, social media, festival strategy, post-production workflow and pitching, and consulting producers were on call to help throughout.

We look forward to seeing what the future holds for these talented filmmakers and sharing it with all of you.

Congratulations to Nick, Kaz, Nancy and Matt!

04/08/2011

»  Cinereach Productions’ The Forgiveness of Blood Goes to Sundance Selects!

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Joshua Marston's The Forgiveness of Blood

Joshua Marston's The Forgiveness of Blood

We’re thrilled to announce that Cinereach Productions’ The Forgivness of Blood has been acquired by Sundance Selects!

Joshua Marston’s (Maria Full of Grace) film, follows Nik, an energetic 17-year-old in his last year of high school in Northern Albania. Embarking on his first romance with a girl in his class, he plans to open his own internet cafe after graduation. His sister, Rudina, is a bright, mature fifteen-year-old who aspires to go to college. When a local land dispute results in their father Mark being accused of murder, the family is drawn into a deadly blood feud. The rules of the Kanun, a centuries-old Albanian code of law, force Nik, his 7 year old brother and the other male members of his family into virtual house arrest. With Mark hiding in the mountains and Nik unable to leave the house, the family must rely on Rudina, who has to leave school and take over Mark’s business in order to provide for them. While Rudina flourishes in her newfound responsibility, Nik’s frustration and anger at his isolation drive him to try to end the feud, even though it may cost him his life.

The Forgiveness of Blood, written by Marston and Andamion Murataj, was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay at the Berlin International Film Festival.

The film is a Journeyman production co-financed by Cinereach Productions, Artists Public Domain and Fandango Portobello.

04/05/2011

»  Cinereach Selects Winter 2011 Grantees

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» cinereach.org
» [email protected]
04/05/2011
Winter grantees have been selected!
Dear Friends of Cinereach,
This winter, Cinereach received over 1000 applications for funding from more than 70 countries! This has been our most competitive grant round to date. Today we’re pleased to announce our latest grantees. Thirteen projects will receive $400,000 in funds. The selected films exemplify our commitment to funding vital stories, artfully told.

As you may know, Cinereach supports first-time feature directors, as well as filmmakers building on prior achievements and moving in new directions. The selected films also range from the early research and development phase to the final stages of post-production.

These projects tackle a number of timely themes and topics from unexpected viewpoints. We’re excited for the many surprises that will be revealed as each one progresses towards completion:
The Angola Project (Nonfiction)
Dir. Jeremy Xido | Angola | In Research & Development
A post-colonial western-meets-road film about the fevered reconstruction of the Benguela Transcontinental Railway and the African and Chinese lives that are intertwined because of it. » More
Diamond, Silver & Gold (Nonfiction)
Dir. Jason Kohn | USA | In Production
A look into the origins of life, synthetic diamonds and other nagging problems.» More
The Great Invisible (Nonfiction)
Dir. Margaret Brown | USA | In Production
An observational documentary about the Gulf oil spill and the resulting moratorium on drilling in the Gulf.» More
In the Last Days of the City (Fiction)
Dir. Tamer El Said | Egypt | In Post-Production
A filmmaker comes of age in a city on the brink of revolution. » More
Just Do It: A Tale of Modern Day Outlaws (Nonfiction)
Dir. Emily James | UK | In Post-Production
An observational documentary providing unprecedented access to the environmental direct action movement in the UK.» More
Montana Medical Marijuana Film (Nonfiction)
Dir. Rebecca Richman Cohen | USA | In Production
Reflecting the controversies enveloping the marijuana industry throughout the United States, Montana braces itself to become the first state to repeal a medical marijuana law. » More
Narco Cultura(Nonfiction)
Dir. Shaul Schwarz | Mexico/USA | In Post-Production
An in-depth and vivid exploration of a new, powerful culture fueled by the cartels responsible for Mexico’s deadly drug wars. » More
The Patron Saints (Nonfiction)
Dir. Melanie Shatzky & Brian Cassidy | USA/Canada | In Post-Production
A disquieting and hyperrealistic glimpse into life at a nursing home.
» More
The Scribe of Uraba (Fiction)
Dir. Jeff & Michael Zimbalist | USA/Colombia | In Development
When her father is murdered in rural Colombia, Alcira Gil embarks on a quest for justice that is larger than her family, her village, or even her country. » More
States (Nonfiction)
Dir. David Soll | USA/Southern Sudan/Western Sahara | In Research & Development
The world’s only freelance diplomats guide non-states in their struggle for recognition, through the pageantry of international affairs. » More
Strong Island(Nonfiction)
Dir. Yance Ford | USA | In Production
A documentary about the violent death of the filmmaker’s brother nearly 20 years ago, and how the collision of silence, fear and the judiciary allowed his killer to go free. » More
Ushio + Noriko (Nonfiction)
Dir. Zachary Heinzerling | USA | In Post-Production
A meditation on companionship, sacrifice, and the creative spirit, this love story explores the chaotic forty-year marriage of two New York-based, Japanese artists. » More
The Vanquishing of the Witch Baba Yaga (Nonfiction)
Dir. Jessica Oreck | Russia/Poland/Ukraine | In Post-Production
A descent into the woodlands of Eastern Europe that uncovers the secrets of the mysterious mushroom and the mythic qualities of the forest it inhabits. » More
Thanks for keeping up with Cinereach news. We hope to be in touch with you again soon.

Happy spring!

Best regards,
Adella Ladjevardi
Grants Manager
Visit cinereach.org or become our fan on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates and more information about these and other projects Cinereach supports. To contact us please email [email protected]

Cinereach is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit film production company and foundation.

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