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THE REACH FILM FELLOWSHIP UNVEILED
Announced today, the new non-profit, Cinereach, has announced the first-ever recipients of The Reach Film Fellowship. Created last fall by a group of young filmmakers and philanthropists, Cinereach’s goal is to developing original features that focus on issues of cross-cultural communication, global unity and other matters of social relevance.
The four Fellows, announced in a press release today, will show their work at a reception hosted by Mira Nair in New York City on March 19th. The Fellows were chosen through a judging panel that included Jeffrey Abramson of GenArt, producer Caroline Baron, GOOD founder Benjamin Goldhirsh and associate director or programming for the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Kent Jones. Mentors included filmmakers Albert Maysles, Rachel Grady, Sandi DuBowski and Afia Nathaniel.
Here’s more from the release, including the Fellows:
The Reach Film Fellowship is the centerpiece of the nascent Cinereach, whose activities also include grant-making and in-house productions. The grant division has distributed over $1 million to date, and last summer saw the commencement of Cinereach’s first in-house feature, a documentary about the Green Long March in China that is currently in post-production.
The Reach Out gala, co-chaired by Kathy Eldon, Bruce Richman, and Jon Turteltaub, will take place at 8:00pm on Wednesday, March 19, 2008, and will feature music by renowned DJ Steve Aoki. The cocktail party will be preceded by a 7:00pm screening of the four short films produced by this year’s Fellows:
The Grey Movie, by Nicholas Bruckman
In March of 2003, weeks after the biggest anti-war demonstration in history, the United States invaded Iraq. Using this as a starting point, “The Grey Movie” follows several young activists-turned-revolutionaries who come to believe that tactics far beyond peaceful protest are necessary to change policy. Through their eyes, we examine the state of dissent in America, as they struggle with the consequences of taking their resistance to the streets, outside the police barricades.Snap-Shot, by Suel Kim
A bigoted sheriff must confront his racist and ignorant views when two photographers “capture” him threatening the safety of his community, and his own child. This narrative short addresses the effects on a community when people in positions of power are crippled by their own hatred.And So the Wind Won’t Blow it All Away, by Annie Waldman
Today, two years after Hurricane Katrina, one-fifth of New Orleans high school students live without their parents. Desiring to graduate high school with their friends, many students return to New Orleans after the hurricane despite their parents’ relocation. While some live with close family members, some live on their own. “And So the Wind Won’t Blow it All Away” focuses on a group of four students living together without parents as they enter into their senior year.The Curved Line, by Pilar Zaragoza
The line drawn by poverty is immediately evident upon entering prisons where children are held. Yet, upon closer examination, the curved line on their faces, a smile, tells stories that transcend that of their immediate surroundings. This documentary will explore how poverty cannot defeat the human spirit.
To learn more, go to www.cinereach.org & www.reachfilmfellowship.com
