DURHAM, NC (SEPTEMBER 10, 2018) – For 15 years, Southern Documentary Fund (SDF) has supported independent filmmakers across the American South and nuanced stories in the region. To that end, SDF is proud to announce the funding of 20 new projects that are rooted in Southern experiences via their Research & Development and Production Grants.
The two grant cycles – totaling $150,000 in funds awarded – are breaking unique ground for the organization and the documentary industry at large. Both grants are new offerings from SDF, and the criteria for selection required that filmmaking teams must demonstrate a clear connection to the story and community they’re covering.
“The motto ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’ matters here, and we took it to heart, supporting stories that complicate the prevailing narratives about our region,” said Naomi Walker, SDF’s Executive Director. “The applications to this grant showed another South: not red state/blue state, black/white, male/female, rich/poor, urban/rural, but a broad spectrum of stories, opinions, and perspectives that reject easy categorization and get at deeper truths.”
SDF received more than 200 applications from 12 Southern states and were reviewed by panels consisting of regional artists and filmmakers, regional and national documentary industry professionals, and SDF staff and board. The grants were made possible with generous support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
The next round of grants will open in mid-2019. For more information about grant winners and project descriptions, Southern Documentary Fund’s funding and programs, please visit www.southerndocumentaryfund.org.
PRODUCTION GRANT RECIPIENTS:
A Hello Story| Pat Davidson | (NC)
Alabamaland| April Dobbins | (FL)
A Love Supreme: Black, Queer and Christian in The South| Katina Parker | (NC)
Bipolar Girl Rules the World| Dawn Dreyer |(NC)
Bloodthicker| Zac Manuel | (LA)
Clarkston| Erin Bernhardt | (GA)
Mama Bears| Daresha Kyi | (GA)
Outta The Muck| Ira Mckinley & Bhawin Suchak | (FL)
Santuario| Pilar Timpane & Christine Delp | (NC)
Silent Beauty| Jasmine Mara López | (LA)
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GRANT RECIPIENTS:
A Slavery Remix – Plantation Tourism| Deborah Riley Draper | (GA)
Bulls and Saints| Rodrigo Dorfman & Peter Eversoll | (NC)
Day Job| Marcus Brown| (LA)
Devil Town| Adam Forrester | (GA)
Homeland/Wetland| Daneeta Loretta Jackson & Patrick Jackson | (LA)
Miami 1980, A Tale of Three Cities| Maria Bures | (FL)
Not Your Model Minority! Asian Activists in the South| Ligaiya Romero | (NC)
Summer Headstones| Hamilton Young Ward| (NC)
The Floyd Radio Show| Tyler Trumbo| (VA)
The Land of Fish and Grits| Justin Robinson, Mikel Barton, D.L. Anderson| (NC)
