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Contact: Reva Goldberg ([email protected])
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CINEREACH SELECTS 2010 REACH FILM FELLOWS

2008 Fellowʼs Film Premiered on POV

Marilyn Agrelo (Mad Hot Ballroom), Laurie Collyer (Sherrybaby), Annie Sundberg (The Devil Came on Horseback), Jeremy Kipp Walker (Cold Souls) sign on as mentors.

www.cinereach.org

New York, NY (September, 2009) – Cinereach has announced the names of the 2010 Reach Film Fellows and their mentors, launching the third year of a program that nurtures socially conscious filmmakers at early stages in their careers.

The Reach Film Fellowship (RFF) is a unique and intensive six-month program in which four filmmakers work with individual mentors, a team of advisors, and Cinereach staff to take their short fiction and nonfiction films from concept to completion. RFF fellows each receive a $5,000 grant and production resources. At the conclusion of the fellowship cycle, an additional $5,000 award will be presented to one of the four Fellows for the completion and distribution of his or her RFF film.

“Weʼve seen how access to mentorship and advising from successful independent filmmakers really makes the difference for those just starting out,” said Cinereach Founder and Executive Director Philipp Engelhorn. “Itʼs critical to encourage young filmmakers who are inclined towards making films of social relevance, and to help them do that effectively through cinematic storytelling.”

Past RFF mentors have included Albert Maysles, Nicole Kassell, Rachel Grady, So Yong Kim, and Sandi DuBowski and this yearʼs participants represents another dynamic cross-section of important indie filmmakers: Marilyn Agrelo (Mad Hot Ballroom), Laurie Collyer (Sherrybaby), Annie Sundberg (The Devil Came on Horseback) and Jeremy Kipp Walker (Cold Souls).

This yearʼs program also gives the fellows the opportunity to work with consulting producers Susan Leber (Down to the Bone) and Yoni Brook (Bronx Princess) throughout the months-long experience. Master classes are offered throughout the program, lead by advisors like Director and Cinematographer Ellen Kuras (The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Summer of Sam), Dan Cogan, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Impact Partners, Director Edet Belzberg (Children Underground, The Recruiter) and more.

The 2010 Reach Film Fellows, Mentors and films are:

• Nadia Hallgren (mentored by Annie Sundberg) Love Lockdown (nonfiction): A popular late-night hip-hop radio host is the on-air go-between for three incarcerated men and the women they love on the outside.

• Courtney Hope (mentored by Jeremy Kipp Walker) Wild Birds (fiction): Two little girls enter the woods to play at being “wild” and we learn what they are actually running from as the story unfolds.

• Gabriel Long (mentored by Laurie Collyer) Brothers (fiction): Two young boys live in the shadow of an abusive father. One boy grapples with sexual identity and the other becomes his unlikely protector.

• Anthony Morrison (mentored by Marilyn Agrelo) Our Principal Intent (nonfiction): A determined school principal embarks on a search for undocumented autistic children among minority and low-income populations.

“This year there will be a lot of emphasis on helping our fellows think strategically about audience building and distribution strategy,” said Reva Goldberg who runs the Fellowship at Cinereach. “Many new challenges and opportunities face filmmakers in todayʼs industry and we want to help our Fellows launch sustainable careers.”

The first RFF workshop of the year took place earlier this month; first a pre-production preparedness talk from Yoni Brook and Susan Leber, then a brainstorming session on audience building and distribution strategy from Dan Cogan (Impact Partners), Leah Sapin (Arts Engine) and Nekisa Cooper (2008 Sundance Institute Creative Producing Fellow).

In an effort to share lessons learned behind closed doors during the fellowship more widely, the Cinereach staff will also build a network of film educators who can elect to receive learning tools and resources that grow from fellowship workshops.

2008 Fellow Annie Waldman premiered her RFF short So The Wind Wonʼt Blow it All Away at Sundance 2009. It aired September 22nd on PBSʼ acclaimed P.O.V. series alongside Yoni Brookʼs Bronx Princess (a Cinereach grant recipient). Updates regarding all former and current fellows and grantees are tracked on the Cinereach blog at cinereach.org.

About Cinereach
Cinereach was created in 2006 by young filmmakers, philanthropists and entrepreneurs to champion vital stories, artfully told. The young not-for-profit facilitates the creation of films that challenge, excite, innovate, offer new perspectives and inspire action through three initiatives: Grants & Awards, The Reach Film Fellowship and Productions. Cinereach has awarded well over $2.5 million in grants and achievement awards to more than 40 feature films. Recent highlights include October Country, a new documentary by Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher, which won Best American Documentary at Silverdocs and Entre Nos a fiction film by Paola Mendoza and Gloria La Morte, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival this year and took home an Audience Award at the Newport International Film Festival. Both films continue to garner accolades on the national and international festival circuit.

The Reach Film Fellowship is a granting and mentorship program (entering its third year) in which Cinereach helps four young filmmakers produce socially conscious shorts. Cinereach Productions is currently in development on two feature film projects. Cinereach also forms collaborative funding partnerships with other nonprofit organizations including Arts Engine, Rooftop Films and the Sundance Institute.