Independent Film Festival Boston
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IFFBoston is returning for its 20th festival this month, running from April 26–May 3 with screenings at the Somerville Theatre, Brattle Theatre, and Coolidge Corner Theatre.
LEF-supported films at the festival include:
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Image description: In this still from Ramona Badescu and Jeff Silva's film The Order of Things, a man with white hair wearing a button-down shirt and slacks sits at a table next to a gas stove in a small tiled kitchen, looking out of a sunny open window. Dishes, teacups, a dishtowels, and a small clock line the room around him. |
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Directed by LEF grantees Ramona Badescu & Jeff Daniel Silva
At the ripe age of 90 years old, Alexandru gardens, jokes, and continues to repair watches in the workshop opened by his father in 1909, somewhere in southern Romania. But what is invisible to everyone, and what has changed his life forever, is his past as a political prisoner. The Order of Things is an attempt to record the fragmented memory of one of the last direct witnesses of the Romanian forced labor camps and political prisons as well as an ode to resilience.
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Image description: In this still from Silvia Del Carmen Castaños & Estefanía Contreras' film Hummingbirds, two young people sit at a table wearing sunglasses in the shape of cocktails and cacti, while one eats a lolly-pop and the other drinks from a bottle of Coca Cola and holds a thick green paint marker. On the table in front of them sits another paint marker and a water bottle printed with the words "Juntos con Planned Parenthood".
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Directed by 2021 LEF/CIFF Fellow Silvia Del Carmen Castaños & Estefanía Contreras
In Laredo, a city in southern Texas on the Mexican border, best friends Silvia and Beba know that the long summer nights of their youth cannot last forever. Their hang-out spots are so familiar but, stuck in an immigration process over which deportation hangs as a constant possibility, home still seems a fragile concept. Between bars, drive-thrus, friends’ couches and the borderlands, they confront the stresses of survival, the future, and community building. For them, this means protest action for legal abortion and against border control abuses, in a politically divided America. But the dusty half-light is also a time for poetry and dreams. Their laughter and creative expression cement a sense of solidarity and belonging in togetherness.
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The festival also features work by prior LEF grantees Jenny Alexander, Sabrina Aviles, Rebecca Richman Cohen, Penny Lane, and James Rutenbeck among many other local filmmakers. Congratulations to all of the filmmakers screening in the festival from near and far!
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Image description: Graphic for the LEF Filmmaker Reception featuring white and blue text over a green background with a row of blue circles and squares. |
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RSVP for the LEF/DPA Filmmaker Reception |
LEF and the Documentary Producers Alliance (Northeast) are co-hosting a filmmaker reception at IFFBoston, where you can meet others attending the festival from New England and beyond.
Join us from 6–9pm on Friday, April 28 at the Crystal Ballroom (Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, MA 02144).
Enjoy some free appetizers with drinks available for purchase at the bar. We hope you'll join us!
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Health & Safety: Our priority is to keep everyone in attendance safe, healthy, and comfortable. If you feel unwell, have received a positive result on a Covid-19 test and/or believe you might have been exposed to Covid-19, please help to protect your health and the health of others by staying home. While masks are not required, please be prepared with a mask should circumstances change.
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LEF Moving Image Fund Grantee News
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Image description: In this still from Pedro de Filippis' film, Rejeito, a figure in a white T-shirt, khaki shorts, and flip-flops looks through binoculars at the top of a ladder propped up against a brick wall crowned with looping barbed wire. |
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LEF supported project REJEITO, directed by Pedro de Filippas and produced by Leonardo Mecchi, and Tarsila Nakamura, and Bronte Stahl, had its world premiere at Cinéma du Réel on March 24. The film about Brazilians resisting the abuse of mining companies will have its North American premiere at Hot Docs on May 3. Hot Docs will run from April 27–May 7.
On May 15, REDCAT in Los Angeles will present an in-person screening and online streaming window of Angelo Madsen Minax's LEF-supported project NORTH BY CURRENT, a visual rumination on the understated relationships between mothers and children, truths and myths, losses and gains.
A new film from prior LEF-grantees Tim O'Donnell and Jon Mercer ( LIFE WITHOUT BASKETBALL) about a 640-mile bikepacking adventure through Vermont, THERE FROM HERE, is streaming for free on the Bikepacking website until today, April 14, and will then be available through video on demand.
Last month's Doc-a-chusetts Pitch Competition at Salem Film Fest featured works-in-progress by three Massachusetts-based teams, including LEF-funded film CHELSEA by Sabrina Avilés & Jenny Alexander, WE SING NONETHELESS by prior LEF grantee Adam Mazo ( DAWNLAND; UNTITLED MARGARET MOXA FILM), and LEF-funded film KING LUCK by Emily Graham-Handley, who won the competition. Learn more here.
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Are you a LEF grantee or fellow with news to share about your film? |
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Image description: In this still from Daniel Roher's Navalny, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny sits with hands folded at a table directly facing the camera. Behind him is a long cavernous room lined with large modern windows and vacant chairs. |
Free screening of NAVALNY presented by Shorenstein Center
On Monday, April 24 at 7pm at the Brattle Theatre, join the Harvard Kennedy School Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy for a screening of the Oscar-winning documentary film NAVALNY, followed by a Q&A with producer Shane Boris and Bellingcat’s Christo Grozev (featured in the film), moderated by Robb Moss, Harvard Professor of Art, Film, and Visual Studies.
This event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required.
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Upcoming Film Opportunities
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Image description: Text reading LEF/CIFF Fellowship, a community of support for New England-based filmmaker, appears over a pink-graded photo of filmmakers Jeremy Levine and Rachael DeCruz sitting at a table draped with a white tablecloth as they present their film-in-progress on a laptop to an industry professional with dark curly hair. |
LEF/CIFF Fellowship (Deadline: May 19)
The LEF/CIFF Fellowship is an opportunity for 5 New England-based filmmaker teams to attend the 2023 Camden International Film Festival and connect with other filmmakers and industry leaders through a series of mentor-led project development workshops, networking events, and curated 1:1 meetings taking place both in-person during the festival and virtually in the weeks following.
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Image Description: Union Docs Logo |
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Union Docs Summer Documentary Labs (Deadline: April 14) |
Through daily screenings, seminar discussions, professional development sessions, artist visits and weekly “field trips”, the labs expose participants to a diverse set of creative documentary practices from around the world.
For each lab, twelve to fourteen applicants are selected on the basis of their past experience and the strength of a current documentary proposal or concept. Applicants must have a documentary project in early phases of development.
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Image Description: Original Voices Shorts Pitch graphic featuring white and yellow text on a black background with the NBCU Academy Logo, If/Then Logo, and NBC News Studios Logo |
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Original Voices Shorts Pitch (Deadline: April 14) |
This call is open to US-based documentarians who identify as – or showcase stories highlighting social issues affecting – women, LGBTQ+ folx, communities of color, and people with disabilities. Projects should have a planned runtime of 10–14 minutes, aim to include archival material (in particular, creatively utilizing the NBCU Archive) follow news standards, and be completing work with journalistic rigor. Five teams will be invited to pitch their short documentary works-in-progress, and each selected team will receive a non-recoupable grant of $6,000. The winning team will receive $100,000 in financing and a commission deal with NBCU.
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Image Description: Sundance Institute Logo |
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2023 Documentary Fund (Deadline: April 17) |
The Fund celebrates excellence in craft, clarity in vision, and a deep connection to the stories being told, prioritizing productions where the creative and editorial control is held within the core creative team. Applicants may submit at any production phase from development through post-production. All proposals must convey some vision for a finished film.
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Image Description: Assets for Artists Logo |
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A4A Capacity Building Grants for Massachusetts (Deadline: April 17) |
Assets for Artists' Capacity Building Grant Program pairs an unrestricted $3,000 micro-grant with professional development tools for artists to design and build their creative future.
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Image Description: New York Foundation for the Arts Logo |
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Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants (Deadline: April 18)
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The Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants (AWAW EAG) will distribute a total of $300,000 in funding—up to $20,000 per project—to support environmental art projects led by women-identifying artists in the United States and U.S. Territories. Selected projects must benefit the public in some way, and are required to have a public engagement component by June 30, 2024.
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Image Description: Catapult Films and True/False Rough Cut Retreat Logo |
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Catapult Films & True/False Rough Cut Retreat (Deadline: April 21)
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Rough Cut Retreat unites nonfiction filmmakers and mentors in a creative, supportive, and engaged atmosphere. RCR seeks work that displays ambitious, idiosyncratic approaches to nonfiction storytelling – and prioritizes first or second time filmmakers who lack strong feedback networks. Applicants must have be working on nonfiction feature film projects that will be in the rough cut stage by Summer of 2023. Filmmaker(s) must be available to attend in person from July 23-27 at Shire in the Woods in McGrath, Minnesota.
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Image Description: Women in Film & Video Logo |
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WIFV Seed Fund for Documentary Filmmakers (Deadline: April 21)
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Women in Film & Video Seed Fund grants may be used in the research and development phase of any documentary project and must be spent within 12 months of notice of the award. The grant will be distributed in two parts: 50% upon notice of award, and 50% after receipt of progress report within 12 months of the original award. Applications are open only to WIFV members, and membership is open to anyone making screen-based media.
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Image Description: Chicken & Egg Pictures Logo |
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Chicken & Egg Pictures Research & Development Grant (Deadline: April 24)
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The Chicken & Egg Pictures Research & Development Grant supports women and non-binary filmmakers from around the world who have directed at least two feature-length documentaries and are in the research & development stage of their next feature-length (48+ minutes) documentary/nonfiction film. Each year, The Chicken & Egg Pictures Research & Development Grant will offer up to thirty filmmaking teams a $10,000 USD grant for research or a $20,000 USD grant for development.
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Image Description: Points North Institute Logo |
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Points North Fellowship (Extended Deadline: April 24)
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The Points North Fellowship invites up to 6 teams of early- and mid-career filmmakers to Maine to accelerate the development of their feature documentary, culminating in the public presentation of works-in-progress at the Points North Pitch. The Fellowship will take place in person in Maine. Anticipated dates are September 11-17, followed by virtual 1:1 industry meetings from September 28 – October 3.
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Image Description: DocsBarcelona Logo |
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DocsBarcelona Rough Cut Consultations (Deadline: April 24)
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DocsBarcelona provides the opportunity to carry out 45-minute online creative consultations for projects that are at rough-cut stage. The main objective is to allow the participants to show their documentary to renowned international experts, who will help them to improve the film’s final result.
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Image Description: Cucalorus Logo |
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Cucalorus Works-In-Progress Lab (Deadline: April 28)
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The Cucalorus Works-in-Progress (WiP) Lab supports social justice documentaries with a focus on expanding support for projects being directed by Black filmmakers. Co-designed and coordinated by Working Films, participating artists will receive feedback on their work-in-progress and explore audience engagement strategies through workshops, consultations, and community screenings during a residency at Cucalorus’ campus September 24th through Oct 1st, 2023.
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Image Description: MIT Open Documentary Lab Logo |
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MIT Open Documentary Lab Fellowship (Deadline: May 1)
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The MIT Open Documentary Lab’s Fellows Program hosts artists, creative technologists, and scholars in residence and virtually who want to engage with new documentary storytelling techniques and technologies in a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment. Visiting Fellowship positions are non-compensated appointments established to provide the opportunity for artists, technologists, and scholars to exchange with members of the Open Documentary Lab, the wider MIT community, and other visiting fellows and artists. Fellows are expected to have a Ph.D. or equivalent professional experience.
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Image Description: Impact Partners Logo |
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Impact Partners Documentary Producer Fellowship (Deadline: May 1)
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Impact Partners aims to celebrate the independent documentary producer and foster producing talent through a yearlong program featuring workshops with hands-on support of in-progress projects, and discussions with luminaries in the field. Applicants must have received the credit of Producer on at least one complete documentary film or series, and must be producing a current project that they are willing to discuss and workshop in meetings. All fellows must be willing to travel to NYC for any in-person meetings (IP will cover travel expenses).
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Image Description: The Gotham Film & Media Institute Logo |
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The Gotham Week Project Market Spotlight on Documentaries (Early Deadline: May 4; Final Deadline: May 23)
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A selection of 60 nonfiction films and series, Spotlight on Documentaries offers emerging and established filmmakers the opportunity to introduce new work in production or post-production to the Project Market’s attending industry professionals. Applicants must be a member of The Gotham to apply. If you are not currently a member, use the code GWPM23 for 15% off of your annual membership fee when you join at the Pro or Essential level.
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Image Description: Yield Giving Open Call Logo |
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Yield Giving Open Call (Deadline: May 5)
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The Yield Giving Open Call is a $250 million open call focused on elevating organizations working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States: communities, individuals, and families with access to the fewest foundational resources and opportunities. This initiative will award unrestricted gifts of $1 million each to 250 organizations. Applicant Organization must be able to verify an annual operating budget of at least $1 million and no more than $5 million.
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Image Description: The Rogovy Foundation Logo |
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Rogovy Foundation Miller / Packan Film Fund (Deadline: May 15)
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The Rogovy Foundation's Miller / Packan Film Fund supports documentaries as an instrument for change, delivering greater knowledge, compassion and awareness. Each year, grants totaling $200,000 are awarded to between eight and twelve filmmakers. The Fund supports films in advanced development (up to $15,000), production and post-production stages (up to $25,000).
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Image Description: The Better Angels Society Logo |
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Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film (Deadline: May 15)
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This annual national prize, now in its fifth year, is designed to provide finishing funds, including outreach and marketing, for feature-length U.S. historical documentaries in the tradition of Ken Burns. The project must be a late-stage documentary film with a running time of 50 minutes or more, and the subject matter of the film must be American history. The applicant must have previously produced or directed at least one long-form documentary for broadcast or online distribution.
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Image Description: The Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship Logo |
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Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship (Deadline: May 21)
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The 2023-2024 fellowship is a year-long group mentorship program for assistant, associate and emerging documentary film editors from historically underrepresented backgrounds and experience. The fellowship will run from September 2023 to September 2024 and will consist of monthly small group meetings with seasoned documentary editor mentors. The program will be hybrid, both online and in-person, allowing for applicants from across the United States.
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Image Description: Mass Humanities Logo |
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Mass Humanities Expand Massachusetts Stories - Open Track Grant (Deadline: May 22)
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Mass Humanities’ Expand Massachusetts Stories-Open Track grant program offers up to $20,000 for projects that collect, interpret and/or share narratives about the Commonwealth, with an emphasis on the voices and experiences that have gone unrecognized, or have been excluded from public conversation.
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Image Description: Hot Docs Logo |
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CrossCurrents Doc Fund (Deadline: June 2)
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The CrossCurrents Fund is an international fund for filmmakers who are members of—or have a deep connection to—the underrepresented and marginalized community. Project funding support will include $15,000 CAD for up to two short or interactive films; and up to $35,000 CAD for up to two feature films. Applicants must be a (co)director and an emerging filmmaker with three or fewer professional directing credits.
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Image Description: Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Logo |
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General Operating Support for Artists (Deadline: July 1)
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The RISCA General Operating Support for Artists (GoSA) program provides grants of $6,000 for each of three consecutive years (total of $18,000) for Rhode Island-based artists to work towards large, specific, self-identified goals in their art practice. This funding is unrestricted, meaning artists can use the funds to support their goals however they need.
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IDA Image Description: From Victoria Linares Villegas It Runs in the Family. Courtesy of True/False. Hand holding a black and white photo in focus of three people in front of a large statue and building.
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In "The Missing Link in Documentary Ethics: The Viewer," a recent article for IDA's Documentary Magazine, film critic, programmer and professor Victor Guimarães writes that last fall's Getting Real conference included opportunities to consider the ethical dimensions of almost every role within the filmmaking process, including the filmmaker-participant relationship. In Guimarães' experience, this particular relationship is often one of the first areas of audience scrutiny at festival Q&As he's attended over the years .
However, these audience questions reveal another set of ethical relationships at play, among filmmakers and their viewers (and the venues and platforms that shape where and how they connect). Guimarães asks, “Without deep discussions around actual films that everybody in the room had seen, how could we evaluate documentary ethics from the standpoint of the viewer?”
Responding to two recent works (Victoria Linares Villegas' IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY and Amiel Courtin-Wilson's MAN ON EARTH), Guimarães traces the ways in which the viewer-filmmaker relationship is very much a two-way street. What are the expectations and worldviews that shape a viewer's entrypoint into a film? And how do filmmakers imagine and seek to work within (or push the boundaries of) their viewers' perceived expectations? Likewise, what are the responsibilities of filmmakers to offer their viewers trust and complexity? And what are the responsibilities of viewers to an engaged, critical viewing process?
Both viewers and filmmakers carry a certain amount of power to reduce harm. However, Guimarães writes, “the resulting film can still be harmless in an artistic sense. […] What great art does is make us uneasy, trouble our sensibility, shake our internal rhythms, and tear up our inherited senses. And only a strong, fruitful, critical relationship between a viewer and a film can reveal the ethical and aesthetical power of that encounter.”
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Thanks for reading and 'til next time,
The LEF New England team
Lyda, Gen, & Matthew
LEF Foundation
PO Box 382066
Cambridge, MA 02238
617.492.5333
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A private family foundation dedicated to the support of contemporary arts, LEF was established in 1985 with offices in Massachusetts and California. The Moving Image Fund was launched in 2001 through the LEF office in Cambridge, MA to support independent film and video artists. Since its inception, the Moving Image Fund has awarded over 400 grants to New England-based independent filmmakers with approximately $4.2 million in funding. The goal of LEF New England is to fund the work of independent documentary film and video artists in the region and to broaden recognition and support for their work locally and nationally. It also supports programs that highlight the rich history and ongoing legacy of innovation within New England's independent film community. The overarching goal of LEF New England's philanthropic investment is to help build a sustainable and strong community of support for artists and their work.
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