Directory of Sponsored Projects

Two women, both Iranian, living at opposite ends of the globe, begin an email correspondence. Leyla is an academic in the US, Farahnaz a filmmaker in Iran, and they have never met. In their letters, they share stories, anecdotes, memories, observations on Iran, culture, the past, art, family. The letters are accompanied by personal film clips and private photos. As stories are shared, an alternative and unofficial history of Iran emerges from two personal angles: one within the country and one outside. This alternative history, that focuses on private spaces and unknown archives, is the core story. The film also traces Leyla 's difficult decision on whether to go back to Iran or not, forming a dramatic parallel narrative.

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES is a speculative documentary about four people finding a sense of belonging in the New Mexican desert. Based in documentary footage, the film takes place in a near future where people have left Earth to colonize new planets. Set in the small desert town of Truth or Consequences, NM, the film tells the story of the people who stayed. Their journeys open echoes of New Mexico’s complex history of progress and what gets left behind. Through observational footage, archival, and experimental animations, TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES is a lyrical meditation on striving, memory, and finding what we’re looking for in the unlikeliest of places.

The film will capture the stories of people in the Park, the culturally and economically diverse neighborhoods that surround it, and how its history gives the Park unique cultural significance that resonates 150 years later. We hope to show the importance of public parks, as a meeting place for communities and as a place to connect with nature.

ON THE DIVIDE follows a community in McAllen, TX which is adjacent to the U.S./Mexico border, and situated between multiple patrol checkpoints. McAllen is a majority Latinx and undocumented population and is home to the only abortion clinic serving the entire Rio Grande Valley as well as the largest immigrant detention center in the United States and the location of the construction of Trump’s Border wall. ON THE DIVIDE follows the stories of people in McAllen whose lives are directly impacted by these issues that continue to divide their own community and the larger public all around the country. From the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, who could overturn Roe v Wade, to troops being sent to the border to stop the migrant caravan-- activists and citizens on both sides of these debates are emboldened by the political climate, creating further division within the community. Our characters, however, are caught in the crossfire as they contend with their community being torn apart by conservative politics and policies.

Send Us Your Brother is a feature-length documentary about Masculinity in India. It weaves together three, interconnected storylines: Nikhil, a young 14 year old who dreams of becoming a soldier; Mahendra, an activist challenging men and boys across India to rethink masculinity; and Ranjit, a determined father combating social pressure and death threats as he seeks justice for his 13-year-old daughter, the victim of a violent gang rape. Filmed over two and a half years, the documentary is a rich, and deeply intimate look at what it means to be male in India today. It’s a confusing time to be a man in most parts of the world, especially after the avalanche of #MeToo (which has just recently gripped India). In spite of the triumph of Trump, or the grim victory of Kavanagh, the deep and sustained rage of millions around the world has ushered in a new cultural moment and it feels like we’re witnessing the last, desperate gasps of patriarchy. Whether they verbally acknowledge it or not, men simply cannot ignore that the tides have turned and there are seismic changes afoot. In India, these fault lines emerged six years ago after a young, female student was gang raped and murdered on a bus driving through Delhi. The brutality of the incident stunned the country and within hours India erupted in protests. No longer could the system deny India’s deep, entrenched culture of toxic masculinity. Something had to change—primarily, men. Send Us Your Brother is a film that captures that change, as imperfect and fraught as it is.

A white couple living in East Germany in the sixties suggests to their dark-skinned child, that her skin color is a mere coincidence and that it’s of no importance. Until one day as a teenager, the daughter accidentally finds out the truth. What sounds like fieldwork about social dislocation becomes a confrontation with identity in the autobiographical essay film BECOMING BLACK. The film aims at examining the social implications of these personal stories. In 1961 almost one hundred young men from various African countries live and study at the German Union College, a settlement near Bernau. The plan is to convince the students of the socialist victory’s infallibility. In doing so, casual familiarization with the normal population was not wanted. But GDR female citizens and African students fall in love. Like Sigrid from Leipzig and Lucien from Togo. But Sigrid is already married. Seen from the perspective of the now already grown up child, the film tracks the astonishing strategies, that Sigrid and her husband Armin, who are striving for “normality”, develop after the birth of their dark-skinned child. I am that child, director and principal witness all at once. BECOMING BLACK relates the familial and social strategies. The film shows what happens, when something that does not fit the norm suddenly becomes visible in a standardized surrounding, and thus encounters systemic behavior of the majority society. The film ends in Togo, in the middle of my natural father’s African family and could have an happy end.

American filmmaker Heather Tenzer embarks on a journey to find out why a group of devout New York and Jerusalem rabbis are engaged in an intifada (Arabic for ‘uprising’) against Israel and in support of Palestinians. Founded 80 years ago in Jerusalem, Neturei Karta is the only religious Jewish group publicly speaking out in support of Palestinian rights. As a result of their activism, they’re regularly beaten on the streets. This feature-length documentary, equal parts memoir, investigative, and historical, combines narration, home movies, interviews, and archival films to tell the story of Tenzer’s journey into Neturei Karta’s community. Tenzer first encounters Neturei Karta when she is a teen marching in New York’s Israel Parade. “Free Palestine!” they chant. “Just ignore them!” the rabbi of her school urges. For many years, she does. Tenzer reunites with Neturei Karta years later in Jerusalem. What’s motivating these socially conservative Yiddish-speaking religious men to protest Israel’s bombing of Gaza?” she wonders. Intrigued, she attempts to unravel the mystery of their activism, where it comes from – a story she never learned in religious school. She follows four activists inside their Jerusalem and New York communities and on their travels to Gaza. Through the lens of their diverse, intergenerational voices, the rabbis share compelling stories, offering a nuanced narrative about their unique history.

Inspired by Lewis Hyde’s beloved classic The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World, GIFT is a richly cinematic film, interweaving character‐driven stories. On North America's Pacific Northwest Coast, a young Indigenous artist and carver undertakes the elaborate preparations for a potlatch - to make a name for himself by giving everything away. In Rome, Italy, a factory occupied by migrant families is transformed into a living museum, protected by a barricade of art: a model of resistance, and an invaluable gift. In the pirate utopia of Burning Man, a mutant bumblebee art car distributes honey in a post-­apocalyptic desert landscape. Meanwhile, in Auckland, New Zealand, artist Lee Mingwei prepares to launch Sonic Blossom - a “transformative gift” of song. GIFT is a tribute to something that can’t be measured or counted, bought or sold. Exploring the parallels between artists’ work and a gift economy, it’s a reflection on the creative process, the reasons we “labour in service of our gifts”, and a celebration of the imagination.

How far would you go for your family? DREAMS OF DARAA poses this central question. It’s a riveting, personal portrait of the Syrian conflict, told through the eyes of a young mother named Hanadi. At 25-years-old, she finds herself in Jordan’s Zaatari Refugee Camp. Two years have passed since she’s seen her beloved husband, who was abducted by Assad’s soldiers and vanished without a trace. Working full-time to support her girls while fighting an immense internal fear, she still tries to give them a chance at a childhood. Hanadi even befriends a visiting girl clown, who brings laughter back into their home. But as war drags on, camp life becomes increasingly dire and Hanadi makes the harrowing decision to return to Syria. Back in Daraa, the threat of airstrikes is constant. When Hanadi finally learns of her husband’s fate, it leads to a rare invitation to testify before the UN. Determined to share her story and speak on behalf of Syrian women, Hanadi once again leaves everything behind. Told through a unique combination of verité footage and watercolor animation based on Hanadi’s children’s drawings, their tumultuous four-year journey brings to life what so many want most—a place to call home.

Today, women make up less than one quarter of all those employed in STEM occupations in the United States. These numbers are much worse for women of color: Asian, black women and Latinas made up slightly less than 10% of working scientists and engineers in the United States in 2015. Science is supposed to be built on objectivity, and yet, most researchers agree that these bleak numbers are evidence of deep bias. Over the course of careers, small slights add up to prevent many women from achieving leadership positions in STEM fields. And sometimes, tragically, brilliant women drop out altogether. But now, the terrain is shifting. This film chronicles the groundswell of women scientists who are changing the face of science in the United States and around the world. Using dogged research techniques and careful data collection, these women are not only contributing to our understanding of what keeps women scientists down, but advocating for a more diverse and inclusive future for all. The film will take a novel, collaborative approach to its storytelling, allowing the scientists themselves to guide the narrative of the film. Science is therefore both the subject of the film, and also — through our three main characters — its guiding sensibility, providing viewers a deeper understanding of what it takes to be a scientist. Equal parts insightful and inspiring, this film will illuminate both the hard data and the very human stories of women in science.

Hunting in Wartime profiles Tlingit veterans from Hoonah, Alaska who saw combat during the Vietnam War. The veterans talk about surviving trauma, relating to Vietnamese civilians, readjusting to civilian life, and serving a government that systematically oppresses native people. Their stories give an important human face to the combat soldier and show the lasting effects of war on individuals, families and communities. Hunting in Wartime premiered on National PBS last year and won the Big Sky Award at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism in Documentary and the Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking Award at the Inwood Film Festival in NYC. The film has so far screened in over twenty-five venues including the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival, The National Archives, the American Indian Film Festival, the Hanoi Cinematheque and the Cambodia International Film Festival.

In 2003, Oprah Winfrey sought out some of America’s greatest poets to contribute to an issue of OWN Magazine dedicated to the human body. There was a mad dash by poets to choose the heart, the brain and the skin to serve as poetic metaphor for their balladry. African American poet Nikki Giovanni’s choice best illustrates her approach to life. She chose the feet and then spun a compelling and inspirational tale using the feet of African American women to describe their struggle and ultimate triumph over oppression. This is the life work of Nikki Giovanni, using poetry, humor and satire to inspire us to think, challenge assumptions and ultimately demand equity and justice. Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project opens within the privacy of Nikki’s present-day home in Blacksburg, Virginia, as she reluctantly reckons with the meaning of her legacy, her struggles with her health, and the inevitable march of time. Through the artistry and life of a poet who has lived life and created work to the beat of her own drum, the film poses universal questions on the human condition while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of biographical storytelling through impressionistic visual language, innovative editing techniques, and stylized treatments of Giovanni’s poetry that bring her written words to life.

Three determined women in the Middle East lead the fight for gender equality and freedom in this empowering portrait of three agents of change. Politician Selay Ghaffar is one of the most wanted people in the world by the Taliban and yet she still travels through Afghanistan to educate other women about their rights. Rojda Felat is a commander of the Syrian Democratic Army, leading 60,000 troops to defeat ISIS, including freeing their hold on Raqqa and rescuing its people. And Yanar Mohammed, named by the BBC as one of 100 most influential women in the world in 2018, pushes for parliamentary reform in Iraq while running shelters for abused women.

A multi-character portrait of growing up, 13 weaves together ten personal stories of thirteen-year-olds spread across the globe. Through their eyes, we see firsthand how pressing sociopolitical issues – gender identity, religion, economic status and gun control – are shaping our youth. And despite personal and national differences, certain familiar experiences of growing up cross all borders. Presented as a series of intimate vignettes, each thirteen-year-old guides us through their world, creating a lyrical impression of a new generation. In a time of ubiquitous school shootings in the United States, Landon, of the American South owns six guns and is very proud of his ability to use them. In France, Oren is getting bar mitzvahed but cannot wear his yarmulke on the short walk to his synagogue for fear of an anti-Semitic attack. Australian Evie, née Ethan, got hormone blockers for her thirteenth birthday and proudly identifies as trans. Arti, in Kathmandu, is the first member of her family of 9 to attend school. Despite the polarizing issues characterizing the world today, each teen struggles with timeworn themes that symbolize coming of age – dating, new responsibilities, puberty. Landon has his first girlfriend, Arti worries about her popularity in school, Awa stresses about grades and her future. 13 offers poetic evidence that humanity is indeed universal and borders are truly artificial.

As human beings, we all face the same catch-22: Prompted by a natural defense mechanism, we’re all afraid of those who are different, but ironically, we’re also all scared of being rejected for being different. No one knows this better than Larry, a man who was born with hypertrichosis, an extremely rare condition that has him completely covered by thick hair. But even though the other members of his family with the condition taught him to hide behind masks, Larry chose from a very early age to celebrate being different and used his unique physicality to join the circus so he could help his impoverished family. His quest for a better life led him to build a business and a new family in the U.S., bringing new challenges that will blend into one another to bring this man who has always been passionate about empowering those who feel different to a personal crossroad: Pressured by his wife, he’ll have to decide whether to risk having a child who could inherit his condition while he struggles with the country’s growing fear of immigrants and a sudden risk of deportation that will bring up his anxiety about going back to a country that now feels foreign to him to confront his family’s depression about their condition, which he thought he’d left behind. Through this personal journey, Larry, the epitome of being different, will discover whether it is truly possible for him and others to overcome our human fear of otherness.

Seven days after Trump’s inauguration, his Muslim ban was a stunning assault on civil liberties — but more extraordinary still was the ACLU’s counter-attack. Thirty hours after the order was signed, attorneys emerged from a Brooklyn courthouse with fists raised high, triumphant at the court’s first check on the president’s power. This was but the opening salvo in the fight to defend our constitutional rights. The Trump administration has since moved to expel transgender soldiers, roll back voting rights, separate refugees from their children, and force teens to carry unwanted pregnancies. But at each affront, an ACLU lawyer is fighting back. In this modern-day David vs Goliath story, these self-described “freedom nerds” battle an unpredictable adversary with unlimited resources. While the court battles rage, controversy threatens. In Charlottesville, the ACLU’s defense of white supremacists’ right to march — and the ensuing murder of a counter-protester — brings fierce condemnation and inflames a debate around limits on free speech. For nearly a hundred years the ACLU has defended the First Amendment, especially for those with whom they disagree. In today’s polarized political climate, this is difficult political terrain to navigate. THE FIGHT is the inside story of human struggle at a moment of national crisis.

PRAY AWAY follows the journey of a group of LGBTQ Christians who claimed to have changed from gay to straight and collectively created, controversially led, and then unexpectedly disavowed the religious right’s conversion therapy or “pray the gay away” movement. One part redemption story, one part anti-hero character study, and one part exposé of the ex-gay world of yesterday and today, PRAY AWAY enters the world of the contemporary movement - still thriving under an effective rebranding - as our protagonists work to disrupt it.

Santa Maria thrives on farming, and while for many Mexican immigrants, the community is an opportunity for a better life, the teenage experience is full of confusion and what it means to dream. Set against this backdrop, COAST is the moment right before womanhood when your friends are your life and music is your soul. For 16-year-old Abby, home is the last place she wants to be. Abby struggles to express herself in the midst of the breakdown of her family and seeks refuge in music and her diverse group of girlfriends. Just as Abby begins to act out and take bigger risks, she meets Dave, the lead singer of Piñata Jones, whose van breaks down in town. Dave recognizes the artist in Abby and opens her up to a world of possibility. Abby doesn't understand her hunger to see, feel and experience more, and to be able to express all that is inside of her, yet her wide-eyed curiosity and her love for music is untethered, raucous and physical, pushes Abby past her shyness and leads her to self-discovery. When Abby arrives at a crossroads and considers leaving everything she has known behind, her perspective on her world is expanded as she learns lessons about friendship, love, change, and what it means to appreciate home and family. With an exciting cast and live music performances, COAST is a coming-of-age story that shows that true courage means showing up for your life and living in your own truth.