Taking place January 19th-29th, the fest marks some key milestones for us. We’re thrilled that Beasts of the Southern Wild, the first Cinereach Production to hit Park City, will premiere in competition. We’ll also be celebrating the achievements of the Cinereach Project at Sundance Institute, a fruitful three-year partnership that has provided $1.5 million to complement Sundance Institutes’ invaluable support of fiction and nonfiction works-in-progress.

We look forward to watching these films on the big screen with you, at Sundance and beyond!

From Cinereach Productions:

Beasts of the Southern Wild U.S. Dramatic Director: Benh Zeitlin Written by: Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin Producers: Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, Josh Penn EP: Philipp Engelhorn, Paul Mezey, Michael Raisler Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin’ under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who lives with her daddy at the edge of the world. Sundance Screening Times

Films Supported by the Cinereach Project at Sundance Institute:

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry U.S. Documentary Director: Alison Klayman Producers: Alison Klayman, Adam Schlesinger The inside story of a dissident for the digital age who inspires global audiences and blurs the boundaries of art and politics. Sundance Screening Times

An Oversimplification of Her Beauty New Frontier Director: Terence Nance Producers: Andrew Corkin, James Bartlett, Terence Nance A quixotic young man humorously courses live action and various animated landscapes as he reaches for self-awareness after a mystery girl stands him up. Sundance Screening Times Compliance NEXT<=> Director: Craig Zobel Producers: Sophia Lin, Lisa Muskat, Tyler Davidson, Theo Sena, Craig Zobel When a caller posing as a police officer convinces a fast food restaurant manager to interrogate an innocent young employee, no one is left unscathed. Based on true events. Sundance Screening Times

I Am Not A Hipster NEXT<=> Director: Destin Daniel Cretton Producers: Ron Najor, Destin Daniel Cretton, Trevor Fernando A young singer-songwriter with a growing local following wanders through his apathetic life in San Diego. When his dad and three sisters show up to spread his mother’s ashes, he’s reminded of the part of himself he left back in Ohio and is forced to deal with the person he’s become. Sundance Screening Times

Keep the Lights On U.S. Dramatic Director: Ira Sachs Producers: Marie Therese Guirgis, Lucas Joaquin, Ira Sachs The story of a tumultuous, decade-long relationship between two men in New York City, chronicling the bonds that keep them together and the addictions that tear them apart. Sundance Screening Times

The Queen of Versailles U.S. Documentary Director: Lauren Greenfield Producers: Lauren Greenfield, Danielle Renfrew Behrens A character-driven documentary about a billionaire family and their financial challenges in the wake of the economic crisis. Sundance Screening Times

Media Contact:
Amy McGee
(310) 360-1981
amy_mcgee@sundance.org

SUNDANCE INSTITUTE DOCUMENTARY FILM PROGRAM ANNOUNCES FALL 2009 GRANTS

23 Nonfiction Film Projects Selected From Filmmakers Working Around the World Including in Afghanistan, El Salvador, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Vietnam

Los Angeles, CA – Sundance Institute today announced 23 film projects awarded grants across four funding categories which will receive financial and creative support from the Sundance Documentary Film Program. Three of the 23 projects are the first films to receive a grant from the Sundance Reach Fund, part of the Cinereach Project at the Sundance Institute. The Sundance Reach Fund provides emergency discretionary grants and support for risk-taking features and documentaries that evoke global cultural exchange and social impact.

Nearly 500 filmmakers working in more than 50 countries submitted projects. The awardees include six first-time feature directors and 11 female filmmakers making either their first or second feature documentary film, complemented by established filmmakers including national and international award winners. The Sundance Documentary Film Program supports U.S. and international documentary filmmakers exploring the critical issues of our time in films with cinematic potential.

“The films funded in this round highlight the inner struggles of ordinary individuals to come to terms with global issues,” said Cara Mertes, Director of the Sundance Documentary Film Program. “From local efforts at truth and reconciliation to a war criminal on a mission of forgiveness, to young soldiers returning to every day life in small town America, nonfiction storytellers are leading us down new paths as we search for common ground.” Artists in this round are working in Afghanistan, China, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Indie, Palestinian Territories, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and United States.

The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund is a core activity of Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program, which provides year-round creative support to nonfiction filmmakers through creative labs, work-in-progress screenings, program staff and advisor consultations, and artist-to-artist community. Proposals are accepted twice a year, and submissions are judged on their approach to storytelling, artistic treatment and innovation, subject relevance and potential for social engagement. The Sundance Institute Documentary Program considers projects in the Development, Production/Post-Production and Audience Engagement phases. The film selection is juried by creative film professionals and human rights experts. Next deadlines are February 9 and July 7, 2010. Please visit www.sundance.org/documentary or www.sundance.org/DocSource for more information.

DEVELOPMENT:
Rosa Rogers
CASABLANCA CALLING / United Kingdom, Morocco
Morocco’s first female Muslim leaders set out to change their country.

Dara Kell
DEAR MANDELA / U.S.A., South Africa
Dear Mandela chronicles the year leading up to the 2010 Soccer World Cup through the eyes of three young leaders in South Africa’s Shack Dwellers Movement as they face mass evictions, assassination attempts and a betrayal of the promises that came with the end of apartheid.

Laura Dunn
FORTY PANES / U.S.A.
This is a portrait of the world as lensed through the works of farmer, writer and activist Wendell Berry.

Bernardo Ruiz
GARDENS OF PARADISE / U.S.A. Mexico
A series of interconnected stories illuminate the challenges facing the residents of Mexicali, a Mexican border city.

Kavita Pillay
MY GOOD NAME IS STALIN / U.S.A., India
My Good Name Is Stalin is the story of two young men named Stalin and Lenin in Kerala, India–home to the world’s first democratically elected communist government–as they struggle to reconcile their shifting notions about communism and capitalism in the Age of Migration.

Mais Darwazah
MY LOVE AWAITS ME BY THE SEA / Jordan
A woman takes a journey back to her Palestine. She meets Hasan, her imaginary lover, and through his fantasy world she finds the remnants of hope in characters living a harsh reality.

PRODUCTION / POST-PRODUCTION:
Jennifer Arnold
A SMALL ACT / U.S.A.
A young Kenyan’s life is changed dramatically when his education is sponsored by a Swedish stranger.

Elinyisia Mosha
UNTITLED TANZANIA PROJECT / Tanzania, U.S.A.
Untitled Tanzania Project follows several compelling characters to explore the impact and progress of foreign investment in Tanzania during the lead up to the 2010 elections and the 50th anniversary of independence.

Carol Dysinger
CAMP VICTORY, AFGHANISTAN / U.S.A.
Using almost 300 hours of footage shot over the course of three years, Camp Victory, Afghanistan tells the story of the Afghan officers charged with building a new Afghan National Army and the U.S. National Guardsmen sent to mentor them.

Maria Teresa Rodriguez
DONDE ESTAN?/ U.S.A., El Salvador
Margarita Zamora, an investigator and a survivor of the civil war in El Salvador, tracks down disappeared children and reunites them with their families. Miguel Morales and Jenny Wolf- two disappeared children now residing in the US- represent the war’s legacy of unemployment, violence and migration, a legacy that civil society — and the new Salvadoran government – is struggling to address.

Qi Zhao
FALLEN CITY / China
Fallen City explores the depths of solitude, fear, and loss experienced by the survivors of the earthquake in Beichuan, China.

Sara Terry
FAMBUL TOK / U.S.A.
Victims and perpetrators of Sierra Leone’s brutal war come face to face in an unprecedented reconciliation program of grassroots truth-telling and forgiveness ceremonies. This film will change the way viewers think about Africa, forcing them to examine their own lives – and what the power of forgiveness can accomplish.

Elizabeth Mandel and Beth Davenport
ROSE AND NANGABIRE / U.S.A.
Rose Mapendo lost her family and home to the ethnic violence that engulfed the Democratic Republic of Congo, yet she emerged from the suffering advocating peace and reconciliation. But after helping numerous survivors to recover and rebuild their lives, there is one person Rose must still teach to forgive – her daughter Nangabire.

Rachel Libert and Tony Hardmon
SEMPER FI: ALWAYS FAITHFUL / U.S.A.
A retired Marine fights for justice on behalf of U.S. soldiers and their families exposed to toxic drinking water.

Henry Corra
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MCKINLEY NOLAN / U.S.A.
US Army Private McKinley Nolan vanished forty years ago in Vietnam on the Cambodian frontier. Some say he was captured, some say he was a traitor, others claim he was killed in the Khmer Rouge genocide, and some even say he was an American operative. In 2005 a Vietnam Vet sighted him alive by near Tay Ninh, Vietnam. The Disappearance of McKinley Nolan follows one family’s journey into the heart of darkness to find the truth.

Daniele Anastasion and Eric Strauss
THE REDEMPTION OF GENERAL BUTT NAKED / U.S.A.
Joshua Milton Blahyi, an African warlord turned Christian preacher, attempts to rebuild the shattered lives of those he commanded and brutalized during the civil war in Liberia.

Mahmoud Al Massad
THIS IS MY PICTURE WHEN I AS DEAD / Jordan
In 1983, 4 year-old Bashir is killed during the assassination of his father. The boy comes back to life to dig through his past.

Heather Courtney
WHERE SOLDIERS COME FROM / U.S.A.
Capturing the four-year journey of best friends Dominic and Cole from teenagers stuck in their town, to soldiers in Afghanistan, to young veterans starting a new life, Where Soldiers Come From is an intimate look at the young men who fight our wars, and the unspoken class system that sends them.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT:
Rebecca Cammisa
WHICH WAY HOME / U.S.A.
Thousands of children, fifteen hundred miles, and one dream: reaching the U.S.A.

DISCRETIONARY:
Gemma Atwal
MARATHON BOY / United Kingdom, India
The story of the youngest marathon runner ever. At four he’s plucked from the poverty of an Indian slum by his coach. Extraordinary drama and tragedy ensue.

SUNDANCE REACH FUND:
Michael Brown
25 TO LIFE / U.S.A.
After 25 years of secrecy, William Brawner is finally ready to tell the world that he’s HIV-Positive.

Josh Fox
GASLAND / U.S.A.
The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States, which uses a Halliburton-developed drilling technology called “fracking.” But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination.

Blair Doroshwalther
THE FIRE THIS TIME / U.S.A.
Seven young African American lesbians were attacked in the West Village of NYC in 2006. They defended themselves and were sent to prison.

Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program is made possible by generous support from The Ford Foundation, Open Society Institute, the Skoll Foundation, The Charles Engelhard Foundation, Cinereach, the MacArthur Foundation, the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation, the Woodruff Charitable Memorial Trust and the Bastian Foundation. Sundance Institute also gratefully acknowledges the generous assistance provided by the following organizations: Alesis Corporation, Apple Computer, Avid Technology, Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company, HP Marketing, JBL Professional, LaCie Limited, Mackie, Mark of the Unicorn, Sony Business and Professional Products, Sony Media, Sony SXRD and Soundcraft.

Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program
The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program is dedicated to supporting U.S. and international feature documentary films that focus on current human rights issues, social justice, civil liberties, and other contemporary issues. Since 1996, the Sundance Documentary Fund has supported more than 450 artists in 52 countries, providing a continuum of support throughout the life of a project. Films supported by the Fund have received widespread distribution to their intended audiences via broadcast and theatrical release, and many have garnered a number of awards and exceptional industry recognition. Films have included My Country, My Country; Iraq In Fragments; Why We Fight; The Inner Tour; The Betrayal (Nerakhoon); and Traces of the Trade. In addition to the Fund, The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program provides year-round support to nurture nonfiction filmmakers worldwide through three Creative Labs, at the Sundance Film Festival and the Sundance Independent Producers Conference, and through collaborative international initiatives. Please visit www.sundance.org/documentary or www.sundance.org/DocSource for more information.

Sundance Institute
Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, Sundance Institute is a not-for-profit organization that fosters the development of original storytelling in film and theatre, and presents the annual Sundance Film Festival. Internationally recognized for its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, film composers, playwrights and theatre artists, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Angels in America, Spring Awakening, Boys Don’t Cry, Sin Nombre, Born into Brothels and Trouble the Water. www.sundance.org.

# # #

The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program today announced the recipients of its Fall 2009 Grants. Among them are two Cinereach grantees, both selected to receive support for the Production/Post category:

Jennifer Arnold
A Small Act / U.S.A.
A young Kenyan’s life is changed dramatically when his education is sponsored by a Swedish stranger.

Elizabeth Mandel and Beth Davenport
Rose and Nangabire / U.S.A.
Rose Mapendo lost her family and home to the ethnic violence that engulfed the Democratic Republic of Congo, yet she emerged from the suffering advocating peace and reconciliation. But after helping numerous survivors to recover and rebuild their lives, there is one person Rose must still teach to forgive – her daughter Nangabire.

Additionally, the first three recipients of the Sundance Reach Fund were announced. This new category is part of the Cinereach Project at the Sundance Institute. The Sundance Reach Fund provides emergency discretionary grants and support for risk-taking features and documentaries that evoke global cultural exchange and social impact. The recipients are:

Michael Brown
25 to Life / U.S.A.
After 25 years of secrecy, William Brawner is finally ready to tell the world that he’s HIV-Positive.

Josh Fox
Gasland / U.S.A.
The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States, which uses a Halliburton-developed drilling technology called “fracking.” But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination.

Blair Doroshwalther
The Fire This Time / U.S.A.
Seven young African American lesbians were attacked in the West Village of NYC in 2006. They defended themselves and were sent to prison.

Read about all 23 projects selected to receive Sundance Documentary Program support here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 6, 2009

Contacts:
Brooks Addicott
brooks_addicott@sundance.org
435.658.3456

Reva Goldberg
reva@cinereach.org
212.727.3224 x11

THE CINEREACH PROJECT AT SUNDANCE

LOS ANGELES, CA – Sundance Institute and Cinereach announced today a $1.5 million three-year grant to form “The Cinereach Project at Sundance.” The program, underwritten by Cinereach, will support a unique and flexible resource pool for documentary and feature film projects with themes that evoke global cultural exchange and social impact. At the end of the three-year period, the grant will have supported a minimum of 12 films from a new generation of socially conscious artists.

The Cinereach Project at Sundance will consist of a discretionary fund that can be used towards projects that are participating in Sundance’s existing Feature Film Program and Documentary Film Program and are in need of emergency support. As a result, Sundance program directors will be more equipped to bridge gaps at critical stages of its fellows’ projects.

Additionally, the project will establish a special fellowship for emerging directors committed to global cultural exchange and social impact. The fellowship, for both documentary and fiction filmmakers, will provide the fellows access to the multitude of Sundance’s resources, as well as special funding and support from Cinereach. Fellows will be chosen from existing Sundance Lab Projects as well as projects specifically recruited by both organizations.

“For nearly thirty years, Sundance Institute has been discovering and developing emerging independent artists. This long record of nurturing diverse and authentic stories that foster empathy and understanding dovetails directly with the Cinereach mission,” said Philipp Engelhorn, Cinereach Founder and Executive Director. “We are pleased to join forces with Sundance to help sustain this important and unparalleled work.”

Cinereach supports and produces artful films that depict underrepresented perspectives, cross cultural boundaries and promote dialogue through three focus areas, Grants & Awards, The Reach Film Fellowship and Productions.

“We have long admired the work of Philipp and his team and commend them for their vision and dedication to promoting storytelling and awareness,” said Jill Miller, Managing Director, Sundance Institute. “Their long-term commitment comes at a crucial moment as the current global financial crisis threatens to constrict film artists’ possibility of connecting to audiences.”

Since 1981, the Sundance Institute Feature Film and Documentary Film Programs have supported independent filmmakers whose distinctive, singular work has engaged audiences worldwide. Program staff fully embrace the unique vision of each filmmaker, encouraging a rigorous creative process with a focus on original and deeply personal storytelling. Each year, emerging filmmakers from the U.S. and around the world participate in a year-round continuum of support which can include the Screenwriters and Directors Labs, Documentary Story and Edit Lab, Composers Lab, funding through the Sundance Documentary Fund, Creative Producing Summit, ongoing creative and strategic advice, significant production and postproduction resources, a rough-cut screening initiative, a Screenplay Reading Series, and direct financial support through project-specific grants and artist fellowships. In many cases, the Institute has helped the Program’s fellows attach producers and talent, secure financing, and assemble other significant resources to move their projects toward production and presentation. In 2008 the FFP launched the Creative Producing Fellowship, a year-long program for emerging independent producers, which includes the Feature Film Creative Producing Lab, Documentary Creative Producing Lab, industry mentorship and financial support.

About Sundance Institute
Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, Sundance Institute is a not-for-profit organization that fosters the development of original storytelling in film and theatre, and presents the annual Sundance Film Festival. Internationally recognized for its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, film composers, playwrights and theatre artists, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Angels in America, Spring Awakening, Boys Don’t Cry and Born into Brothels.

About Cinereach
Cinereach was created in 2006 by young filmmakers, philanthropists and entrepreneurs to champion vital stories artfully told. Its three key initiatives include Grants & Awards, The Reach Film Fellowship and Productions. Cinereach has awarded over $2 million in grants and achievement awards since its inception. Past recipients include: A Jihad for Love, an acclaimed documentary exploring the complex intersection of Islam and homosexuality and Entre Nos a narrative feature film by Paola Mendoza that premiered to great acclaim at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. Cinereach’s first in-house documentary, The Road Ahead: The First Green Long March, was a selection of the Hamptons and Cleveland International film festivals and has screened in connection with leading environmental organizations. www.cinereach.org.

# # #

A panel at Envision 2009

The panel was asked to discuss sources of, and motivation for, funding for issue-oriented docs and included: Nina Chaudry, from Wide Angle; Judith Helfand of Chicken & Egg and Working Films; Patricia Finneran of the Sundance Institute; and Emily Verellen from The Fledgling Fund. Filmmaker Annie Sundberg, Producer of THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK, moderated.  The panelists (all speaking as funders of socially relevant films) represented a variety of mandates, challenges, agendas, and levels of involvement with funded projects.

In a letter to participants, Eric Falt of DPI and Michelle Byrd of IFP wrote that participants in Envision included the international filmmaking community, civil society organizations, entrepreneurs, activists, journalists, philanthropists, public policy makers, NGOs, the general public, and representatives from the UN. “The primary focus of this year’s program,” they said, was “the UN Millennium Development Goals and their impact on women.” Films screened included: ROUGH AUNTIES, PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL and THE GLASS HOUSE.

On a parallel note, Cinereach Grants Manager, Adella Ladjevardi, recently returned from Hot Docs, where she was invited to participate in “The Good Pitch.”  The Good Pitch is a touring pitch forum created by Channel 4 Britdoc Foundation and the Sundance Institue Documentary Program, supported by the The Fledgling Fund, Working Films and others. Hot Docs marked the North American debut of The Good Pitch (which kicked off last year in the UK). Its focus is to give select filmmakers an opportunity to pitch their films and outreach campaigns to foundations, NGOs, campaigners, advertising agencies, brands and media to form alliances that can enhance each film’s impact.

Cinereach is pleased to see this trend – in the tradition of Working Films and the hundreds of socially conscious filmmakers who have long sought to connect inspiring stories with change-makers – toward creating a structured, public space for these pairings.

As an organization that supports both documentaries and narrative films of vitality and craft, Cinereach hopes to eventually see independent fiction filmmakers with a similarly grassroots approach included in efforts like this in the future.