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Cinereach Celebrates the 2010 Reach Film Fellows

Filmmaker Anthony Morrison receives Reach Out Award for his short film “Bye”

http://cinereach.org/the-reach-film-fellowship

(New York, NY) – April 20, 2009 – Cinereach, an NYC not-for-profit film foundation and production company, gave its latest group of film fellows a festive sendoff last night at a screening and party celebrating the culmination of its 2010 Reach Film Fellowship program for emerging filmmakers.

Reach Out marks the conclusion of an intensive seven-month program during which four fellows – Nadia Hallgren, Courtney Hope, Gabriel Long and Anthony Morrison – were paired with mentors as they made short films with socially relevant themes. This year’s mentors were: Marilyn Agrelo (Mad Hot Ballroom), Laurie Collyer (SherryBaby), Annie Sundberg (The Devil Came on Horseback), and Jeremy Kipp Walker (Half Nelson).

The fellows also participated in a series of workshops led by 16 advisors, who included Susan Leber (Down to the Bone), Yoni Brook (Bronx Princess), Dan Cogan, (Impact Partners), Esther Robinson (A Walk Into The Sea), Tze Chun (Children of Invention), Todd Griffin (musician and composer), Cara Cusumano (Associate Programmer, Tribeca Film Festival) and several others.

In addition to guidance from mentors, advisors and Cinereach staff, all four fellows received a grant of $5,000 and other production support over the course of the program.

“Our program is designed to focus on the process – to create a space in which our fellows can take risks and learn, said Reva Goldberg, who heads up the Reach Film Fellowship for Cinereach. “We’re so pleased to be sharing the impactful shorts that were produced in the program with the film community and look forward to seeing where the fellows go from here.”

The four 2010 Reach Film Fellows and their films are:

• Reach Out 2010 Award Recipient Anthony Morrison (Nonfiction) worked with director Marilyn Agrelo (Mad Hot Ballroom) for his film, Bye. The film follows a two-year-old diagnosed with autism, through his first months of school in the Bronx. As the Reach Out Award recipient, Morrison receives a $5,000 grant towards his future work.

• Nadia Hallgren (Nonfiction) worked with director Annie Sundberg (Devil Came on Horseback) for her documentary film Love Lockdown which tells the story of a young mother from the Bronx as she waits to learn the fate of her incarcerated fiancée, communicating with him via shout-outs on a popular late-night radio show called “Lockdown Love.”

• Courtney Hope (Fiction) worked with acclaimed indie producer Jeremy Kipp Walker (Half Nelson, Sugar, Cold Souls) for her film, Wild Birds. The film tells the story of two sisters who have run away from an abusive home.

• Gabriel Long (Fiction) worked with director Laurie Collyer (Sherrybaby) for his film The Drawing in which a young boy navigates his complex relationship with his older brother as they anxiously await their father’s return from a fishing trip.

Cinereach also announced that it is now seeking applicants for its 2011 Reach Film Fellowship. Young filmmakers who seek to follow in the footsteps of this year’s fellows can now apply at http://cinereach.org/the-reach-film-fellowship/how-to-apply.

The fellowship is open to emerging filmmakers who have completed at least one short film. It is ideal for recent film school graduates, or self-taught filmmakers with the equivalent level of production experience. Applicants must reside in the New York Tri-State area from August through April of 2010/2011. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, July 12, 2010.

About Cinereach
Cinereach is a not-for-profit film foundation and production company that champions vital stories, artfully told. Created by young philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and filmmakers, Cinereach empowers fiction and nonfiction filmmakers from all over the world through three key initiatives: Grants & Awards, The Reach Film Fellowship and Productions. Cinereach is drawn to films at the intersection of engaging storytelling, visual artistry, and vital subject matter. It has awarded over $3 million to more than 50 feature films. Recent grantee highlights include A Small Act, a documentary by Jennifer Arnold and Patti Lee, which premiered in competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival; October Country, a documentary by Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher, which was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, a Gotham Award and took home awards from the 2009 SilverDocs Festival and the Cinema Eye Awards. The Reach Film Fellowship is a granting and mentorship program (entering its fourth year) in which Cinereach helps four emerging filmmakers transition from novice to professional as they produce artful, socially relevant shorts. Cinereach Productions is currently in development on a feature film project. For more on any of Cinereach’s programs, visit Cinereach.org.