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The Gotham Announces the 135 Projects Comprising Its Upcoming Gotham Week Project Market
The Gotham Film & Media Institute (formerly IFP, and Filmmaker‘s publisher) today announced the 135 fiction and non-fiction projects, series and audio podcasts, that will comprise the upcoming Gotham Week Project Market. To be held virtually September 19-24, 2001, the Project Market connects projects in development and production with financiers, producers, distributors and other partners.
“We are proud to announce the extraordinary line up of new projects at this year’s Project Market – all of which feature distinctive and original voices. Our virtual format will again provide an exciting opportunity for independent artists to engage with a broader set of industry professionals and participants who can help support these new works,” said Jeffrey Sharp, The Gotham’s Executive Director, in a press release. “The Gotham is indebted to our new and returning sponsors and partners who have continued to embrace our mission while working closely with us to expand our mandate in this new environment.”
Of the selected projects, 59 are fiction features and series projects, 50 are documentary features and series projects, and 26 are audio projects. Across the sections are 24 international projects chosen by Gotham international presenting partners.
Among the highlights of this year’s selection are Back Seat, the debut fiction feature from documentary director Lana Wilson (After Tiller, Miss Americana) and Fight, by Musa Syeed (A Stray), both produced by Shrihari Sathe; series from producers or executive producers Silas Howard (By Hook or By Crook, Pose) and Jane Schoenbrun (We’re All Going to the World’s Fair); feature documentaries from Brett Story (The Hottest August) and Kimberly Reed (Dark Money); and a non-fiction podcast about Prince created, written, and produced by Toure and executive produced by Chris Colbert & Adell Coleman.
We always take special note of Filmmaker 25 New Faces who appear in the lineup, and this year they include Wilson, Reed, Nico Opper, Jamie Gonçalves, Shawn Snyder, and Hannah Peterson. They span from 2007 (Hope Dickson Leach) to just last year (Neo Sora).
The complete list of projects is below.
Gotham Week 2021 – Project Market Slate
U.S. FEATURES
Presenting 24 fiction feature films ranging from early to late stages of development, this section features emerging and established filmmakers based here in the U.S. working on fiction feature films set to be made in the U.S. and abroad.
1791 directed by Babas Denis and Stefani Saintonge, written by Stefani Saintonge and Babas Denis, and produced by Babas Denis, Stefani Saintonge, and New Negress Film Society. It’s August 1791 in the French colony Saint-Domingue when a massive slave revolt erupts, sparking the Haitian Revolution.
Ale and the Boxer written and directed by Alexandre Moratto and produced by Ramin Bahrani and Alexandre Moratto. Ale (21), a Brazilian-American, falls on hard times when his mother is diagnosed with cancer. To help support her, he takes a job in a working-class Latinx nightclub where he meets Samuel (25), a Venezuelan-American boxer and the club’s bouncer. As they form a powerful bond over shared trauma, their intense relationship shatters personal boundaries.
Back Seat written and directed by Lana Wilson and produced by Shrihari Sathe. When a single decision turns a woman’s life upside down, she fights to prove she’s a worthy mother – to the courts, her children, and herself.
Black Girl in Paris written and directed by Natalie Baszile and Hyacinth Parker. In this coming-of-age tale, Eden follows in the footsteps of James Baldwin as she pursues her dream of becoming a writer in Paris.
Caity written and directed by Lindsay Calleran and produced by Katie White and Katy Drake Bettner. While managing her family’s local haunted house with her alcoholic father, Paul, 16-year-old Caity navigates the evaporating space between childhood and adulthood.
Chinese School written and directed by William Kwok and produced by Katherine Vondy and William Kwok. When Jacky meets his literal dream girl, his aspirations to get lucky tear him away from weekend Chinese school — and Monica: his bandmate, classmate, and friend.
Dollyamory written and directed by Kana Hatakeyama. In contemporary Japan, family drama meets middle-aged queer awakening/romance meets…a sex doll named Rina.
Earthquake written and directed by Neo Sora, produced by Albert Tholen and Aiko Masubuchi, and executive produced by Anthony Chen. Teenagers Yuta and Kou’s friendship frays as they navigate diverging paths towards adulthood amidst political unrest and the looming threat of a catastrophic earthquake.
Eight Mysterious Qualities of the Ocean written and directed by Chy Chi and produced by Jamie Gonçalves. Hae, a young Korean-American girl, confronts her father’s chronic gambling as they travel the carnival circuit in rural Washington.
Fancy Dance directed by Erica Tremblay, written by Erica Tremblay and Miciana Alisa, and produced by Erica Tremblay and Deidre Backs. Following the disappearance of her sister, a Native American hustler kidnaps her niece from her white grandparents and sets out for the state powwow.
The Feeling that the Time for Doing Something Has Passed written and directed by Joanna Arnow, produced by Mila Matveeva and Pierce Varous, and executive produced by Sean Baker. An experiential look at the life of a woman as time passes in her long-term casual BDSM relationship and low-level corporate job.
Fight written and directed by Musa Syeed and produced by Shrihari Sathe. In the American Rust Belt, two boxers, an Arab teenager and a young Black father, prepare to meet for their first pro boxing match.
Half Sweet written and directed by Julian Doan. A Vietnamese-American family, afraid to lose their ailing father, coerces him into hospice, unwittingly enduring the painful absurdity of the dying process.
Moloka’i Bound written and directed by Alika Maikau and produced by Jesy Odio and Chapin Hall. Kainoa is a rootless Hawaiian soul, recently released from prison, looking forward to reconnecting with his son and with his Native Hawaiian heritage.
Mountains directed by Monica Sorelle, written by Monica Sorelle and Robert Colom, and produced by Robert Colom and Jonathan David Kane. A Haitian demolition worker is faced with the realities of redevelopment as he is tasked with dismantling his rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.
New Hampshire Boy written and directed by Patrick Clement and produced by Catherine Kosiba. With a cross country trip less than a week away, two homeless punk rockers come to a crossroads when sexual exploration and street violence test their complicated friendship.
Old Haunts written and directed by Kyoko Miyake, produced by Mollye Asher, Mynette Louie, Shin Yamaguchi, Guillaume de Seille, and executive produced by Derek Nguyen. A boy and his mother escape an abusive home and take shelter in a decrepit apartment complex, where they encounter lonely retirees and old ghosts.
Preserves written and directed by Micah Ariel Watson. When a dancer returns to her all-Black hometown, she falls in love with and becomes pregnant by an ex-offender who cannot die.
Prone to Wander written and directed by Maggie Briggs, produced by Amanda Freeman, and executive produced by Luca Borghese. Told over seven summer Sundays, Lua falls hard into adolescence as she navigates her first love with conflicting lessons from her street and her church.
Pure written and directed by Natalie Jasmine Harris and produced by Natalie Jasmine Harris and Natalie Holley. For Celeste, senior year in her affluent Black community means following family tradition and becoming a debutante… but she longs for a different coming out.
A Real One written and directed by McKenzie Chinn and produced by Lisa Masseur. A bright teenager discovers the power of friendship when her illicit relationship with a teacher is discovered amid the final weeks of her senior year.
Salt written and directed by Sushma Khadepaun and produced by Monique Walton and Andrea Kuehnel. Anita, an American sitcom enthusiast in small-town India, orchestrates her own arranged marriage and moves to America in the hope of an exciting and independent life.
Valley of the Tall Grasses written and directed by Masami Kawai. When a TV/VCR set is thrown out, it survives, circulating through the lives of various working-class characters of color in an Oregon town.
White Knuckle written and directed by Xavier Coleman. When a killer begins targeting the gentrifiers of a dwindling, historically Black neighborhood, a young newcomer must determine the murderer’s identity… before she’s next.
INTERNATIONAL FEATURES:
Presenting 15 fiction feature films ranging from early development through post-production, this section features emerging and established filmmakers from all around the world with their new works.
Because You’re Ugly written and directed by Sharon Angelhart and produced by Amos Holzman and Talia Bernstein. On the weekend before graduating IDF’s officer course, Avigail (19) – angry, overweight, female soldier, faces her alcoholic mother, pregnant young sister, and her self-image.
Brother, Man directed by Patricia Chica, written by Hedyeh Bozorgzadeh, produced by Christine Falco and Hedyeh Bozorgzadeh, and executive produced by Giuliana Bertuzzi. An African teenager on the run lands on Canadian soil, finds a new family, and rises as a promising track star while fighting deportation threats and a haunted past.
Carissa written and directed by Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar and produced by Deidré Jantjies, Käte Schalk, and Mira Mendel. A young woman discovers a strange machine in the attic that speaks in an ancestral language that threatens to reveal old family secrets.
Dios y la Cumbia del Diablo / God and the Devil’s Cumbia written and directed by Carlos Lenin and produced by Miguel Ángel Sánchez M. and Paloma Petra. A teenage musician who entertains his hitman friends assassinates his father and seeks God’s forgiveness but only finds an answer from the Devil.
Firehawks written and directed by Johannes Nyholm, produced by Maria Møller Christoffersen, and executive produced by Peter Hyldahl. A fake marketing guru and swindler breaks his neck and leaves his jetset lifestyle in search of his roots and a deeper meaning.
Girls Will Be Girls written and directed by Shuchi Talati, produced by Richa Chadha and Pooja Chauhan, and co-produced by Claire Chassagne. Sixteen-year-old Mira finds her sexy, rebellious coming of age hijacked by her mother who never got to come-of-age herself.
Goliath and Me directed by Michelle and Uri Kranot and produced by Avi Amar and Katayoun Dibamehr. Asher imagines himself a big battling bloodthirsty hero. Unfortunately, he’s 11 years old, baby-faced and too small for the army. But when, by chance, he becomes shield bearer to the legendary giant Goliath – he discovers a completely different kind of hero.
Making Noise directed by Hope Dickson Leach, written by James Anthony Pearson, and produced by Nicky Bentham and James Brown. After going deaf as a child, Evelyn Glennie set about changing the rules of classical music, so she would never have to give it up.
Me, My Mom & Sharmila written and directed by Fawzia Mirza, produced by Gharrett Patrick Paon, Andria Wilson Mirza, Jason Levangie and Marc Tetreault, and executive produced by Damon D’Oliveira. Conservative Muslim Mariam and her lesbian daughter Azra come-of-age over three decades and two countries, against the backdrop of their shared love for a Bollywood heroine.
The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo written and directed by Diego Cespédes, and produced by Giancarlo Nasi, Justin Pechberty, Damien Megherbi and Pablo Zimbrón Alva. 1982. Chile. A little girl fights against the rumor of a disease said to be spread by gay men through their gaze.
One Day In June directed by Reem Morsi, written by Ayanda Halimana, and produced by Kethiwe Ngcobo, Bridget Pickering, and Ayanda Halimana. In a small town Kokstad, a rejected, inventive storyteller Zenande (11), escapes from an orphanage to find herself a rich mother who will get her to “Oprah School.”
Real Estate Sisters written, directed and executive produced by Reabetswe Moeti and produced by Zoe Ramushu. Two broke but sassy real estate agent sisters, aspire to move from selling run down apartments in shoddy parts of Pretoria to selling high end suburban homes in Waterkloof Ridge, but they stumble on a dead body and a drug syndicate before making their biggest sale.
Valley of a Thousand Hills written and directed by Bonie Sithebe and produced by Philani Sithebe. A young woman is in love with a girl, but they’re soon separated when she is forced into an arranged marriage with her lover’s brother.
VIỆT and NAM written and directed by Truong Minh Quy and produced by Bianca Balbuena and Bradley Liew. Before leaving Vietnam in a container alongside future migrants, Nam, a young miner, seeks to find the remains of his father, a soldier killed during the civil war. But Nam’s lover, Viet, wishes they could stay forever in the depths of the coal mine.
Who Killed Narciso? written and directed by Marcelo Martinessi, produced by Sebastián Peña Escobar, and co-produced by Fernando Epstein, Agustina Chiarino, Marina Perales Marhuenda, Xavier Rocher, Christoph Freidel, Anita Voorham. A wild child in a city controlled by a military regime, Narciso (28) is desired by men and women, but his only love is rock-n-roll. One night, his dead body is found tied to his bed, covered in burns.
NARRATIVE SERIES:
Presenting 20 scripted projects ranging from early development to works-in-progress, this section includes half hour, hour long, and short form series, from emerging creators and writers from the U.S. and around the world.
Between the Lines created and written by Emily Ann Hoffman and executive produced by Jane Schoenbrun. Comic illustrators and best friends Emily and Indigo explore alternative lifestyles through the lens of a mixed media animated world.
Bridesman created by John Onieal, written by John Onieal and Frank Spiro, directed by Julian Buchan, and produced by Jeremy Truong and Katie White. When Terry White is asked to be a Bridesmaid in his childhood best friend’s wedding, he sees an opportunity: to reignite an old fling with the groom.
Catholic All Girls School written by Adriana Santos and directed by Kate Sullivan. Catholic All Girls School is a half hour dramedy following four young Miami natives desperate to define themselves despite their Catholic confines and party-fueled life.
Cinnamon created and written by Joëlle Bourjolly and produced by Joëlle Bourjolly and Alexandre Franchi. Three generations of Haïtian women in racially divided Montréal take control of their destinies at the dawn of a new era in Québec.
Fever | Little Willie John* written by Melissa Adeyemo and Andrew Robert Colom and produced and executive produced by Melissa Adeyemo, Andrew Robert Colom, and Riley Jones IV. Fever tells the story of forgotten Detroit musician, Little Willie John, who achieves the American dream through his will and God-given talent.
The Fortune Teller’s Daughter created and written by Raye Levine Spielberg and Krista Donargo and produced by Zoe Potkin. A New York City based psychologist returns to her hometown of New Orleans, where she inherits a vacant psychic shop. Drawn into the abyss of magic and the occult, she finds herself at the center of an illegal, underground operation.
The Get created and written by Stephanie Ouaknine and produced by Stephanie Ouaknine and Melanie Windle. The Get is a one-hour drama set in the world of ultra-Orthodox Jewish divorces – and the women taking the law into their own hands.
Girl Night Stand created, written, and executive produced by Jenna Laurenzo. A dark-comedy in which one woman’s one-night-stand with a female therapist, leads her down a startling path of self-discovery.
Havana on the Hudson created and written by Alessandra Mesa. Taking down a shady, unethical multinational lottery scheme wasn’t exactly in 19-year-old airport worker Roberta’s life plan. But for her hometown… the community that raised her… yeah okay, she’ll break some laws and be Robin Hood.
Made in USA created and written by Desdemona Chiang. When a mild-mannered casino executive is fed up with being overlooked and underappreciated, she turns to the underground world of birth tourism to uncover her ambition and power.
Mercury Afrograde created and written by Blanche Akonchong, written and executive produced by Banna Desta, and produced by Natalie Jasmine Harris. As the stars fall out of line, so do events in Zina Agbor’s cosmic Atlanta world, amidst a series of spicy scandals that force her family to realize that they are not the model African family.
Pot Country (working title) created by Mario Furloni and Kate McLean. Summer of 1983. The Hills of Humboldt County, CA. Welcome to the mythical birthplace of American weed.
Radiant Flux created and written by Heather María Ács, produced by Vanessa Haroutunian, and executive produced by Silas Howard. When the eccentric landlord threatens to close their underground club, a group of lovable queer misfits must fight for their right to party!
Remember the Time created and written by Tyler Young. Two millennial grandmas with dementia wind up in the same nursing home fighting to remember who caused the blowout that ended their friendship 50 years ago.
Rootwerk created by Amy Jephta and Justin Calen-Chenn and written by Justin Calen-Chenn. An orphan girl in South Africa finds her calling when she discovers she’s a descendant from a line of witches and learns she must save her hometown, Johannesburg, from a series of supernatural occurrences.
Saddam Hussein Is Not My Uncle written by Sana Hussein. Sarah Hussein is a loser at Trinity Academy until she becomes the fake niece of Saddam Hussein.
Single A.F. created, written and executive produced by Tosin Morohunfola. A Black millennial and an aspiring Immigrant embark on a soul-searching dating frenzy when they learn their traditional Nigerian parents will stop at nothing to get them married.
Stripmall Troubadour created and written by Shawn Snyder and Jason Begue. The cross-country misadventures of a quixotic singer-songwriter in search of the perfect gig – and the amassing u-turns, detours and dead ends along the way.
Videoland created by Eve Van Dyke and written by Eve Van Dyke, Victoria Negri, and Hannah Peterson. Best friends Lucy and Elma struggle to navigate post-college existence and loved ones’ disillusionment in their Ohio hometown, what they call, THE VOID.
Yasmine/Jasmine created, written and executive produced by Yossera Bouchtia. After the sudden and mysterious death of her mother, a grieving daughter starts to contend with haunting visitations from her doppelganger and is forced to confront a mysterious curse to reclaim a part of herself she never knew.
Spotlight On Documentaries
Presenting 50 documentary features and nonfiction series ranging from an early financing stage (early development/production) to those nearing completion (post-production or rough-cut), this section includes emerging and established artists in nonfiction from the U.S. and around the world.
7 Beats Per Minute directed by Yuqi Kang, produced by Ina Fichman, and executive produced by Anita Lee and Dana Kalmey. 7 Beats Per Minute is an intimate journey with Chinese female freediving champion, Jessea Lu, as she faces her biggest challenge: to dive to 100 meters in one single breath.
Above and Below the Ground directed by Emily Hong and produced by Maggie Lemere and Ja Nang Tsen. In Myanmar, indigenous punk rock pastors and women activists unite to protect a sacred river from a Chinese megadam. From Aung San Suu Kyi’s broken election promises to a military coup threatening their homeland, activists and musicians fight back with what they know best: protest, prayer, and Karaoke music videos.
Alias La Mona directed and produced by Bruno Federico and Nadja Drost. The intimate story of a FARC guerrilla fighter and mother who lays down arms in Colombia’s peace deal – yet pays the ultimate price for breaking the cycle of violence.
Alphabet Rockers directed and executive produced by Nico Opper and Shannon St. Aubin. Alphabet Rockers is a docuseries and cinematic symphony introducing talented Black and brown middle schoolers using hip hop and pop to create social change.
An American Tech Story directed by Lerone D. Wilson and produced by Andrea Mustain and Lerone D. Wilson. Good intentions, unforeseen consequences, and the forces of the Internet collide, revealing the humanity—and the humans—confronting the unprecedented power of social media.
Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse written and directed by Molly Bernstein and Philip Dolin, and produced by Molly Bernstein, Philip Dolin, and Alicia Sams. Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse charts the artist’s life and career in underground comics and the creation and repercussions of his Holocaust memoir Maus.
Aruku (I walk) written and directed by Shiho Kataoka, produced by Shiho Kataoka and James Lefkowitz, and executive produced by Shiho Kataoka. A soul-searching filmmaker documents chance encounters with fellow pilgrims who set out on a renowned Japanese Pilgrimage extant since the 12th century.
Bella directed by Adam Dietrich and Bella Graves, produced by Susan Bedusa and Douglas Tirola and executive produced by Charlotte Cook and Jonathan B. Murray. A decade ago, anonymous men arrived at Bella’s childhood home with instructions to rape her. Bella confronts her trauma and the friend who betrayed her.
Beneath Her Feet written and directed by Sophie Schrago and produced by Pauline Tran Van Lieu and Lucie Rego. In the heart of Mumbai, Khatoon has founded the first Women’s Sharia Court, despite fierce opposition from within her community. On a daily basis, she welcomes couples in crisis, offers them advice, and sometimes guides their separation.
Betrayal written and directed by Lena Macdonald and produced by Noah Bingham and Lena Macdonald. Betrayal is about a whistleblower who brought down a war criminal whom he loved as a father. Was he wrong for doing the right thing?
Boycott directed by Julia Bacha and produced by Suhad Babaa and Daniel J. Chalfen. Forced to choose between their jobs and political beliefs, a group of everyday Americans launch legal battles exposing a widespread attack on freedom of speech.
Brigidy Bram: The Kendal Hanna Story directed by Laura Gamse and Kareem Mortimer, produced by Kareem Mortimer, Laura Gamse and Bernard Myburgh. In this documentary straddling fact and fiction, the true story of prolific painter Kendal Hanna reveals a case study of how we codify genius—and institutionalize difference.
Bring Them Home directed by Ivan MacDonald, Ivy MacDonald, and Daniel Glick; written by Ivan MacDonald, Sarah Clarke and Daniel Glick; produced by Sarah Clarke, Ivan MacDonald and Daniel Glick, and executive produced by Lily Gladstone and Melissa Grumhaus. A small group of Blackfeet people work to return wild bison to their historic lands in the face of the legacy of colonialism.
Coexistence, My Ass! directed by Amber Fares and produced by Amber Fares and Rachel Leah Jones. Noam Shuster, a Jewish Israeli activist-turned-comedian uses hard-hitting humor and common sense to fight for social and political justice for everyone living between the river and the sea — one joke at a time.
Cosmic Coda (WT) written, directed, and produced by Mary-Jane Doherty. A story about MIT astrophysicists – earnest but obscure nobodies – looking for gravitational waves. There’s a pay-off; it just takes 35 years to arrive.
Cycles written, directed, and produced by Mari Kussman and Mitchell Hart and executive produced by Jared P. Scott. As endless growth threatens life on our finite planet, Cycles spotlights a group of non-conformists daring to live in harmony with our natural world.
The Da Vinci Heist directed by Stephen Bennett, written by Clara Glynn, produced by John Archer, and executive produced by Clara Glynn. The astonishing story of the heist of a Leonardo Da Vinci masterpiece from a Scottish castle and the twisted double dealing that brought it home.
Draw for Change! written and directed by Laura Nix, Karen Vázquez Guadarrama, Alisar Hasan, Alaa Amer, Kim Longinotto, Anna Moiseenko, Nada Riyadh and Sama Pana; co-written by Vincent Coen and Guillaume Vandenberghe; and produced by Hanne Phlypo, Estelle Robin You, Marion Guth, Femke Wolting, Sigrid Dyekjaer and Julie Goldman. Draw for Change! is a TV series about female cartoonists, all around the world, who use their drawings to empower women and strive for gender equality.
Dusty & Stones directed by Jesse Rudoy and produced by Melissa Adeyemo. Two struggling country music singers from the African Kingdom of Swaziland journey to Texas hoping to win big at a local battle of the bands.
Fighting for the Light written and directed by Yeelen Cohen, produced by Guetty Felin, and executive produced by Kirsten Johnson. Fighting for the Light is a hybrid documentary, a cinematic homecoming, and an homage to cultural preservation through ancestral storytelling practices. The story orbits two filmmakers at opposite ends of their careers, separated by oceans, but cosmically connected through a name and a film.
Gabby Grows Up: A Life Without Pain directed by Melody Gilbert and produced by Igor Myakotin and Melody Gilbert. Do you think a pain-free life sounds great? Think again. Filmed over 17 years, we observe Gabby’s evolving relationship with her rare disorder.
the Gender Project written and directed by Kimberly Reed and produced by Louise Rosen, Robin Honan, and Kimberly Reed. the Gender Project (working title) uses bold cinematic language to confront the dichotomy of gender, exploding binary myths with scientific, historical, and cultural revelations.
HER directed by Geeta Gandbhir and produced by Sonita Gale, John Legend, Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius, Austyn Biggers & Theo London. HER is a bold feature documentary about the women that Prince loved, collaborated with, and championed, revealing how his legacy impacted them creatively and personally.
Hummingbirds directed by Silvia Castaños, Estefanía Contreras, Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Diane Ng, Ana Rodriguez-Falco, and Jillian Schlesinger; produced by Leslie Benavides, Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Ana Rodriguez-Falco, and Jillian Schlesinger. Inseparable best friends Silvia and Beba come of age against the backdrop of the Texas-Mexico border.
JFK8 [Working Title] directed by Brett Story and produced by Samantha Curley and Marianne Verrone. From the perspective of a single Amazon fulfillment center, JFK8 [Working Title] is an intimate portrait of current and former Amazon workers taking on one of the world’s largest and most powerful companies in the fight to unionize.
Judy Chicago Untitled directed by Tim Marrinan and Kate Amend and produced by Lisa Remington. When a trailblazing octogenarian feminist artist once dismissed by the establishment steps into the limelight and the #metoo revolution, her iconic 60-year fight against women’s erasure in the art world takes on new significance.
King Tubby – The Dub Inventor directed by Ariel Tagar and produced by Paul Williams. A shy, Jamaican radio repairman invents dub music and becomes a modern musical legend.
La Bonga directed by Sebastián Pinzon Silva and Canela Reyes and produced by Gabriella Garcia-Pardo. A community embarks on a symbolic journey through the jungles of northern Colombia to resurrect a home that exists only in their memory. A community embarks on a symbolic journey through the jungles of northern Colombia to resurrect a home that exists only in their memory.
Light Darkness Light directed by Landon Van Soest, and produced by Van Soest, Tom Yellin, Jo Budzilowicz, and Paul Trillo. Ian Nichols, a 76-year-old blind Anglican priest, becomes one of the first people in the world to attempt artificial sight with an implanted bionic eye.
Magic and Monsters directed by Norah Shapiro and produced by Norah Shapiro, Mark Steele, and Elizabeth Larsen. Magic & Monsters uncovers the story of long-buried, widespread sexual abuse at America’s preeminent children’s theater, and the survivors who came forward to hold their abusers and the institution that harbored them accountable.
Malcolm directed and produced by Cassie Quarless and Usayd Younis. Malcolm tells the story of Malcolm Shabazz, the grandson of Malcolm X, who was found murdered in Mexico in 2013 The film retraces young Malcolm’s struggle to fulfil the legacy of one of the 20th century’s greatest leaders.
Motherboard filmed and directed by Victoria Mapplebeck, produced by Carol Nahra, and executive produced by Debbie Manners and Adam Gee. In 2003, Victoria was single, pregnant and broke…decades later, she’s still single, still broke but loving being a mum, no matter how hard it gets.
New Wave directed and written by Elizabeth Ai, and produced by Elizabeth Ai, Anh Phan and Tracy Chitupatham. Mile-high hair. Underground parties. The Viet New Wave music scene of 1980s California healed young boat refugees stranded in cultural limbo as new Americans.
Q directed and produced by Jude Chihab. Q takes us deep into the unspoken of world of the Qubaysiat, the regime-loving Sufis turned cult, through the filmmaker, her mother and grandmother’s relationship to the group.
The Queer Beat (Working Title) directed by Eric Juhola, and produced by Eric Juhola, Jeremy Stulberg, and David Ninh. An investigation into the unsolved 1998 murder of transgender woman Rita Hester provides the backdrop for a powerful meditation on the power of queer storytelling.
Red Herring directed by Kit Vincent, produced by Ed Owles and Dea Gjinovci, and executive produced by Rachel Wexler & Jez Lewis. After a young filmmaker is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, he decides to follow his family’s spiritual and darkly humorous journey towards acceptance.
Roleplay Directed by Katie Mathews, produced by Darcy McKinnon and Jenny Mercein, and executive produced by Abby Epstein. An urgent coming of age story, Roleplay follows a diverse group of college students as they as they use theater to confront rampant sexual violence on their college campus – grappling with questions about sex, consent, identity, and power on their path to adulthood.
Sam Now directed by Reed Harkness and produced by Jason Reid and Reed Harkness. A mother’s disappearance sends pain and mystery through her family. Sam Now follows her son’s 20-year quest for answers—and healing.
Sansón and Me directed by Rodrigo Reyes, produced by Su Kim and Rodrigo Reyes, and executive produced by Inti Cordera. Set in rural California and Mexico, director Rodrigo Reyes’ documentary is a vibrant coming-of-age journey, framed by the unlikely friendship of two Mexican migrants, and set within the dramatic clash between systemic forces and personal choices that envelop young, incarcerated men of color in America.
School District written and directed by Leigh and Jason Morfoot and produced by Leigh Morfoot. School District plunges into the thick of operating a diverse, public school system struggling to safely keep its doors open within a pandemic red zone.
Seeking Mavis Beacon written and directed by Jazmin Jones, produced by Guetty Felin, and executive produced by Charlotte Cook. One of the most influential Black women in technology is a figment of our collective imagination. A hybrid documentary that questions artificial intelligence, consumption of marginalized bodies in the tech industry, while reimagining the legacy of a missing woman.
Storming Caesars Palace written and directed by Hazel Gurland-Pooler and produced by Hazel Gurland-Pooler and Nazenet Habtezghi. Las Vegas activist Ruby Duncan launches one of the most extraordinary, yet forgotten, feminist, anti-poverty movements in U.S. history providing a blueprint today for an equitable future.
There Was, There Was Not written and directed by Emily Mkrtichian and produced by Mara Adina. An intimate journey with four extraordinary women as they fight for justice and freedom before, during and after war.
Third Act directed by Tadashi Nakamura and produced by Tadashi Nakamura and Ursula Liang. Generations of artists call Robert A. Nakamura “the Godfather of Asian American film,” but I call him dad.
Three Promises directed by Yusef Srouji and produced by Marielle Olentine. In Three Promises, a mother and son cast intimate light onto the previously unspoken impacts of an impossible choice to leave home under the threat of war.
The Untitled 19th* News Film directed by Heather Courtney, Chelsea Hernandez, and Princess A. Hairston; produced by Diane Quon, Heather Courtney, and Chelsea Hernandez; executive produced by Keith Maitland, Sarah Wilson, and Jackie Olive; and co-executive produced by Shizuka Asakawa and Ken Pelletier. A fearless group of journalists upend the status quo by launching an all-women, non-binary newsroom. A model for the future, IF they survive their first years.
Untitled Death Row Memory Film directed by Alex Morelli, produced by Daniel Garber, and executive produced by Sierra Pettengill. After pleading with the state to carry out his sentence, death row prisoner Scott Dozier takes his own life—and sets a filmmaker on a journey across landscapes of memory to reckon with their friendship.
Untitled Digital Privacy Project directed by Kate Stonehill and produced by Steven Lake. How has a rapidly evolving technological landscape redefined the delicate relationship between the citizen and the state?
Untitled Michael Premo Film directed by Michael Premo and produced by Rachel Falcone.
We Want to Negotiate directed by Sofian Khan, produced by Sofian Khan and Jessie Motts, and executive produced by Joel Simon. ISIS has your children, and the US government ties your hands. What do you do next?
Audio Series and Originals
Presenting 26 innovative projects from emerging and established creators pushing boundaries in the audio storytelling space.
2050 created and written by Megan Bagala and produced by Danna Hyams and Megan Bagala. Two best friends, fourteen years apart, help each other solve the mystery of who was responsible for the eco-terror attack on New York City in 2050. (Fiction)
Blood and Sweat created and executive produced by Anne Carkeet and Ann Husaini and produced by Anagram Productions. Three serial swindlers almost pulled off their biggest con. But incompetence prevailed in this bizarre 1980s saga of life insurance fraud, identity theft, and murder. (Non-Fiction)
Breaking Down the Systems of Genocide created by Jen Begeal, produced by LeAndra Nephin and Ashley Robinson, and executive produced by Renzo Spirit Buffalo and Chase Iron Eyes. Breaking Down the Systems of Genocide explores the history of Indigenous resistance, while chronicling the destructive government policies that have lead to today’s crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. (Non-Fiction)
Brooklyn Santa created, written, and produced by Jordan Crafton. Determined to find love, a charming 14-year-old convinces his friends to risk it all to ask Santa of the Brooklyn projects for a Christmas miracle. (Fiction)
Burning Gotham created, written, and produced by Olga Lysenko and James Scully. 1835 New York’s greatest opportunists come to a head during the deadliest accidental fire in the city’s history — but was it an accident? (Fiction)
Christmas Carolyn written by Danielle Evenson & Heather Huntington and executive produced by The Orchard Project. A narrative podcast about a jilted empty nester who follows her dreams of moving to Los Angeles to become a singer — only to find the best (read: only) gig she can get is as a paid Christmas caroller in a dive bar. (Fiction)
Darkansas created, written, and produced by Kelly Duda. The true story of one man’s attempt to expose a lucrative Arkansas prison blood program that killed thousands of people around the world. (Non-Fiction)
The Distortionist created and written by Nick Messitte. After an audio engineer unwittingly helps a sonic terrorist, she must make a choice: turn him in, or join his fight to change the world. (Fiction)
The Football Battalion created, written, and produced by Jonathan Williamson. During WWI, four soccer-obsessed childhood-friends-turned-soldiers charge into battle by kicking the one thing that tethers them to their innocence: a football. (Fiction)
Forties AF written and produced by Tanisha Quilter-Williams, edited by Steve Sneed, and starring Johari Mackey, Valaira Sa-Ra, Jania Foxworth. A sexy, sassy dramedy about three forty-something single friends who laugh, love and cry together as they pick up the pieces their thirties left behind. (Fiction)
Freakish created/written by James Kim. A coming of age story about finding your community, staying true to yourself, and accepting being different. Think Mean Girls but Emo. (Fiction)
Fugues created and written by Gabriel Berezin and produced and executive produced by Gabriel Berezin. R-rated, comedic neuroscience-education podcast dressed as storytelling, driving one big idea: that the commonality of experience we share as humans far outweighs the differences. (Non-Fiction)
Julie’s Story: The Chatbot Therapist created and executive produced by Diego Senior and produced by Anna Oakes. The story of how one woman created her own AI companion to stave off depression, and what this could mean for the future of healthcare. (Non-Fiction)
Jupiter Saloon (and other assorted pitches) created by Chris O’Keeffe and Patrick Yurick, written by Chris O’Keeffe, and executive produced by Chris O’Keeffe and Thierry Denis. A collection of misfits find their purposes at a dive bar in space. (Fiction)
Love, Death, and Bees created, written, and produced by Amy Grumbling. A beekeeper at a Brooklyn cemetery solves hive mysteries, finding parallels in both the lives of the cemetery’s “permanent residents” and the city around her. (Non-Fiction)
The Magician’s Magician created and written by Crystal Skillman and produced by BOOM Integrated (executive producer Sarah Storm, producers Tim Rodriguez, Adrien Glover, and Robin Lai). The Magician’s Magician centers queer women on a heroine’s journey to save the day… and maybe herself in the process. This podcast was supported by the Orchard Project Audio Lab. (Fiction)
Nice To Meet You Forever: A Memoir Love Story created, written and produced by Shaka Mali. This friendship transcends race, age, and social norms. In a climate full of uncertainty, racism, and fear, this story explores trauma, hope, perseverance and redemption. Through connections we can find the empathy we need to heal and grow together. (Non-Fiction)
On the Virge created and produced by Rebecca Duckert and Liz Beeson. A weekly human interest podcast that explores the good, the bad, and the ugly of sexual first times in all their vast and varied forms. (Non-Fiction)
Operation Emancipation – The Spy Chronicles of Harriet Tubman created by Maxwell Addae & Zach Mack, written by Maxwell Addae, and produced by Zach Mack. Harriet Tubman is sent behind enemy lines, deep into confederate-occupied Virginia in an undercover operation to identify an elusive Union double-agent. (Fiction)
Oral Hygiene written and produced by Kels Peake & Tess Joseph of Squirm. Brush up on your sexual communication while you brush your teeth. (Non-Fiction)
Pearls & Pie with Greta created, written, and produced by Jake Hart & Rebecca Ann Johnson. Join your host Greta as she brings the warmth of June Cleaver and the omniscience of HAL 9000 to her daily radio show advising housewives on proper etiquette, motherhood, and undying fealty to the corporation that makes it all possible, National Industries. (Fiction)
Persistence of Memory created, written, and produced by Courtney Hope Thérond and Rhiannon Vaughn; directed by Courtney Hope Thérond; and executive produced by Ellipsation. Parents must unite to find their missing oldest child, but their grief threatens to tear the family apart and leave their surviving daughter behind. (Fiction)
Say Their Name created, written and produced by Chris Colbert & Adell Coleman. Docuseries focusing on the assault and killing of Black people by police and in ‘stand your ground’ states, highlighting incidents throughout the United States. (Non-Fiction)
Telephone created by Chloe Wilson. An ensemble comedy about the all-important, barely recognized tasks that actually keep an office running, told in the style of a “scrapbook novel.” (Fiction)
Visionaries Audio Drama created, written, and produced by Richard Seneque. Nearing extinction in 2185, the remaining human race opens rebellion against their slave masters, the superior Visionary race. (Fiction)
Who Was Prince? created, written, and produced by Toure and executive produced by Chris Colbert & Adell Coleman. Prince’s life is shaped by feeling rejected by his parents—he works to become a star as revenge. His obsession leads to his untimely death. (Non-Fiction)
