September 2023 Newsletter |
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Camden International Film Festival
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Image Description: CIFF logo
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The 19th edition of the Camden International Film Festival will take place in person from September 14–17 at venues in Camden and Rockland, Maine, and online from September 18–25 for audiences across the US.
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At this year's festival 22 projects will be supported through four Points North led fellowship programs, one of which is the sixth iteration of the LEF/CIFF Fellowship, LEF's partnership with Points North Institute to support five New England-based filmmaker teams to attend the 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.
The 2023 LEF/CIFF Fellows are:
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Directed by Iyabo Kwayana; Produced by Shaka Jamal
Black Pearl is a sonic and meditative journey into three coastal communities around the globe, the rituals of congregation and communion they practice, the verbal and nonverbal conversations they have with the source that sustains them, the film shares the tensions that arise when this livelihood is threatened.
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Directed by Sofian Khan; Produced by Faisal Azam
Memoir meets in memoriam in this personal journey through a filmmaker’s 20-year archive and the relationship that changed the course of his life.
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Directed by Anna Barsan; Produced by Shannon Fitzpatrick
Following a vibrant community of activists and the creation of Romania’s first museum of LGBTQ+ history, Softly in all directions combines multigenerational stories to reinscribe queer existence into the public record. Forgotten histories entwine with the lives of present-day archivists through a polyphonic saga of political resistance, imagination, and desire.
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Directed by Heather Cassano; Produced by Heather Cassano & Emily Hofelich
The Fate of Human Beings uncovers the stories of people with disabilities and mental illnesses who are buried in unnamed graves in mental institution cemeteries across the United States.
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Directed by Kaitlyn Schwalje & Alexander Lewis; Produced by Rebecca Stern & Justin Levy
As America’s wastewater system begins to fail, one facility battles crumbling infrastructure, “forever chemicals,” and the misconceptions of an odor-averse public to stay afloat.
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Other LEF-supported Filmmakers at CIFF |
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CIFF's program this year includes a handful of LEF-supported projects and filmmakers. |
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Image Description: In this still from Sierra Urich's film, JOONAM, two figures stand beneath an arbor, one on a ladder tending to a grapevine, while a third person sits in the sun with a walker in the background.
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JOONAM (dir. Sierra Urich; prods. Sierra Urich, Keith Wilson)
In this documentary memoir, debut director Sierra Urich feels her way through her relationships with her mother, Mitra, and grandmother, Behjat, who emigrated from Iran to Vermont, USA. By capturing idyllic images of their live together, and sifting through images of a world she’ll never see, Urich offers a meditation on political displacement, matrilineage, and the gifts and sacrifices of being where you are.
Producer Keith Wilson will also present a documentary performance, MOORE FOR SALE, at the festival.
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Image Description: In this still from Pedro de Filippis's film, REJEITO, a figure with short hair looks through binoculars at the top of a ladder propped up against a brick wall crowned with looping barbed wire.
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REJEITO (TAILINGS) (dir. Pedro de Filippis; prods. Leonardo Mecchi, Bronte Stahl, Tarsila Nakamura)
Two mining tailings dams break in Brazil. Hundreds are killed, millions are affected. Two main rivers overflow with rejeito - the toxic waste of mining. Teca is the sole citizen representative on the state environmental council who voted against the certification of the dams which collapsed, and thus is thrust into the media spotlight in the aftermath. João climbs his backyard fence to photograph the dam located 30 meters from his house. He logs the mining company’s suspicious activities with his album of observations. The dam’s rupture could bury 14,000 lives in 8 seconds. Desperate for information, João joins a “self-rescue simulation” orchestrated by the state and mining companies. The community of Socorro is the main impediment for the world’s second largest iron ore mine project. Following the collapses, this community is “evacuated” under false pretenses, claiming the nearby dam was suddenly at risk of collapse. Élida leads the reoccupation of the abandoned community.
The CIFF lineup also includes films by prior LEF grantees and fellows:
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LEF Moving Image Fund Grantee News
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Image descriptions: In this still image from Amy Jenkins's work-in-progress, ADAM'S APPLE, Jenkins, with light skin and long red-brown hair pulled back, holds a camera to a mirror, in which she is reflected while looking at her son, Adam, with light skin and wavy brown hair, also in the reflection, talking and gesturing to her.
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Among the 2023 Sundance Institute Documentary Fund Grantees is LEF- supported project ADAM'S APPLE, directed by 2022 FSC Harvard-LEF Fellow Amy Jenkins, and produced by Jenkins and Brit Flyer. The film, which depicts a family in transition, and is intimately filmed from the perspectives of both artist Amy Jenkins and her transgender son, Adam, is one of twenty-three projects that have been selected for unrestricted grant funding totaling just over $1,000,000.
ISRAELISM, the LEF-supported project by Erin Axelman and Sam Eilertsen about two young American Jews joining the battle against the old guard over Israel’s centrality in American Judaism, won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival last month.
ISRAELISM, as well as another LEF-supported project, KIM'S VIDEO, directed by Ashley Sabin and David Redmon, about the legendary lost East Village video collection, will be part of the fall lineup for the Bright Lights Cinema Series. Also a part of the fall lineup, 2021 LEF Flaherty Fellow Homa Sarabi has curated "Radical Imagination: Responding to an Environmental Crisis in Motion" a program of short films including OUR ARK, directed by Kathryn Hamilton and prior LEF grantee Deniz Tortum (PHASES OF MATTER). Bright Lights is free and open to the public, with screenings on Thursdays at the Paramount Center in Boston.
The LEF-supported project directed by Margo Guernsey and Nikki Bramley, THE PHILADELPHIA ELEVEN, about a group of women organizing their own ordination to the Episcopal church in 1974, had its festival premiere last month at the Sidewalk Film Festival. The film will be screening in Philadelphia on September 30.
MISSING IN BROOKS COUNTY, a LEF-supported project directed and co-produced by Lisa Molomot and Jeff Bemiss about two families searching for lost loved ones who went missing in Texas after crossing the border from Mexico, will have a screening at Yale University on October 4. The film also has screenings at University of North Texas on September 27, and at Rice University on October 13.
The work of two prior LEF grantees is included in the lineup for the new season of America ReFramed: BY WATER, directed by Iyabo Kwayana (LOVE IN THE TIME OF CORONA), an exploration of healing and reconciliation inspired by her personal experience with her brother (and the first experimental animated film to appear on America ReFramed!); and NO TIME TO FAIL, a film about Rhode Island's election administrators and poll workers directed by Margo Guernsey (THE PHILADELPHIA ELEVEN) and former LEF Program Director Sara Archambault. Sara produced A DECENT HOME, directed by Sara Terry, which will also be part of the upcoming season of America ReFramed.
Revolutions per Minute (RPM) festival has an exhibition, Room to Breathe, on view at UMass Boston until October 28. The exhibiton, which explores the possibility of the exhibition space to act as a site or a sanctuary for energizing, renewing, and meditating, includes work from prior LEF grantees Heather Cassano and Jodie Mack.
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Are you a LEF grantee or fellow with news to share about your film? |
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Image Description: A screenshot of the Vermont Archive Movie Project webpage, with the VTIFF Vermont International Film Festival logo at the top, and below that a toolbar titled VAMP Database, a partnership with Vermont Public, and options to search the database and filter searches.
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The State of Vermont's 2023 Governor's Arts Awards included filmmaker, producer, and former executive director of the Vermont International Film Festival, Orly Yadi n. Under her leadership, VTIFF has grown to include year-round programming, monthly screenings, and three film festivals. In 2021, Yadin initiated VTIFF’s launch of the Made Here Film Festival, the only film festival dedicated exclusively to films and filmmakers from Northern New England and Quebec.
In service of Vermont’s film culture, Yadin with support from archivists, film historians, and filmmakers created Vermont Archive Movie Project (VAMP) whose m ission is to locate, digitize, catalog, and exhibit Vermont films. Launched in 2014 by a group of filmmakers, archivists and concerned members of the public who wished to ensure the survival of artists’ films in Vermont, VAMP officially became a program of VTIFF in May 2015. The VAMP committee has broadened the initial concept to include all types of films and videos made by VT filmmakers or shot in Vermont. The Vermont Archive Movie Project (VAMP) online database is a searchable website of Vermont films past & present, and locally produced programs.
This impressive record of moving image materials created in Vermont is inspiring as a reminder of the wealth of creativity existing in New England. Browse the database, and you're sure to encounter some prior LEF grantees, including Ed Pincus, Jay Craven, Jodie Mack, and more.
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Upcoming Film Opportunities
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Vermont Flood Assistance
While funds for Flood Relief Grants for artists have been exceeded for a second time, artists are being asked to complete a short questionnaire if they would like to apply for funding should more become available, and also to help the Vermont Arts Council assess unmet need.
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Image Description: SFFilm Logo |
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SFFilm FilmHouse Residency (Deadline: September 8)
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SFFILM’s FilmHouse residency program provides Bay Area-based documentary and narrative filmmakers with artistic guidance, office space, a vibrant creative community, and support from established film industry professionals.
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Image Description: MacDowell Logo |
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MacDowell Spring Summer 2024 Fellowship (Deadline: September 10)
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About 300 artists in seven disciplines are awarded Fellowships each year and the sole criterion for acceptance is artistic excellence. There are no residency fees, and need-based stipends and travel reimbursement grants are available. Fellowships extend to animators, documentary makers, experimental filmmakers, feature filmmakers, and screenwriters.
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Image Description: Interlace Logo |
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Interlace Project Grants (Deadline: September 12)
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Interlace Project Grants range from $4,000 to $6,000 and support artist-driven projects in the Providence area. Interlace prioritizes the making of new visual artworks that expand the public’s understanding of the visual arts, especially through unexpected collaborations.
Application drafts may be submitted by August 14 for early review.
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Image Description: Monson Arts Logo |
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Monson Arts' Residency (Deadline: September 15)
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Monson Arts’ residency program supports emerging and established artists and writers by providing them time and space to devote to their creative practices. During 2-week and 4-week programs throughout the year, a cohort of 5 artists and 5 writers are invited to immerse themselves in small town life at the edge of Maine’s North Woods and focus intensely on their work within a creative and inspiring environment. They receive a private studio, private bedroom in shared housing, all meals, and $1,000 stipend ($500 for 2-week programs).
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Image Description: Firelight Media Logo |
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HOMEGROWN Season 2 (Deadline: September 18)
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Firelight Media, Black Public Media (BPM), Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) and Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) will select eight emerging filmmakers living in the U.S. territories and Hawai'i—and their diasporic communities—who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color (BIPOC) to receive $45,000 each to produce an 8–15 minute non-fiction short film for the second season of regionally-focused digital shorts series, HOMEGROWN: A Part Of/Apart From, to be distributed through PBS Digital Studios.
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Image Description: Black Public Media Logo |
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Black Public Media Open Call (Deadline: September 25)
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Each year, BPM issues an open call for feature-length documentaries, limited series, or shorts (nonfiction or scripted) that are currently in pre-production, production, or post-production and intended for public media distribution. One broadcast-length project will receive up to $100,000, and one short project will receive up to $50,000. BPM may also extend the opportunity to participate in the PitchBLACK forum. The focus for this open call is: Climate Stories.
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Image Description: National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures Logo |
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NFA Adán Medrano Legacy Award in Film (Deadline: September 25)
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The Adán Medrano Legacy Award in Film is a $10,000 award open to emerging Latinx video/filmmakers based in the U.S. or Puerto Rico. The award will support dynamic, Latinx cinema production by emerging filmmakers that contribute towards a deeper understanding of Latinx expression and identity.
An application support webinar will be held on September 12.
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Image Description: Vermont Arts Council Logo |
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Artist Development Grants (Deadline: September 26)
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Artist Development Grants support artists at all stages of their careers. Grants up to $2,000 can fund activities that enhance mastery of an artist’s craft or skills or that increase the viability of an artist's business. Funding may also support aspects of the creation of new work when the activity allows the grantee to accept a rare and important opportunity.
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Image Description: Rhode Island State Council On the Arts Logo |
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RISCA Make Art Grant (Deadline: October 2)
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Make Art Grant (MAG) provides up to $3,000 for artists or groups of artists to create or continue specific artwork in any discipline. Open to projects of all arts disciplines, from artists of all levels, funds can be used to support experimentation, materials, space rental, paying collaborators, documentation and artist stipends.
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Image Description: Jewish Film Institute Logo |
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JFI Filmmakers in Residence (Deadline: October 6)
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The JFI Filmmakers in Residence Program is a year-long artist residency that provides creative, marketing, and production support for emerging and established filmmakers whose documentary projects explore and expand thoughtful consideration of Jewish history, life, culture, and identity.
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Image Description: Mass Cultural Council Logo |
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MCC Local Cultural Council Program (Deadline: October 17)
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Mass Cultural Council distributes funds to local and regional cultural councils, who then regrant funds to arts, humanities, and interpretive science projects in their own communities. Average grants tend to be modest ($500-$750) and are either reimbursement-based or directly-granted. Individual applicants, which includes sole proprietors, must show that a public benefit results from the project for which they are applying.
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Image Description: Connecticut Office of the Arts Logo |
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Artists Respond Grants (Deadline: October 25)
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The Artists Respond grant program awards funds of $3,000 to Connecticut artists for community-based projects that occur in Connecticut as anything from large audience events to small group activities, and should engage and consider the community where the project takes place, as well as serve as a Call to Action and be responsive to the social issue identified by the artist/applicant.
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Image Description: From the Heart Productions Logo |
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Roy W. Dean Film Grant (Deadline: October 31)
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The Roy W. Dean Grant winner for Fall will receive $3,000 and thousands more in donated services including a film score as well as animation to help them complete their project. Eligible projects include documentary films, narrative features, short films, and web series.
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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 450 grants to New England-based independent filmmakers with nearly $5 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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