IDA Awards Enterprise Grants to 11 Papers in Production Worldwide (EXCLUSIVE)

Eleven documentary projects from six countries have been selected for the Intl. Annual grant for the production of corporate documentaries from Documentary Assn.

Selected from 248 applicants, the 15 directors behind the 11 documentaries will receive a total of $600,000 in grants of production.

Established in 2017, the IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund supports in-depth explorations of original and contemporary stories that integrate journalistic practice into the filmmaking process. The fund is financially supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, with additional support from the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation. In its six-year history, the fund has awarded more than $4.5 million in grants to non-fiction filmmakers.

The 11 selected projects are currently in production in six countries: Armenia, Ethiopia, India, Japan, Russia and the United States. Of the 15 directors behind the documentaries, 70% are filmmakers of color, 70% are women or gender-nonconforming filmmakers, and 40% identify as members of the LGBTQ community.

The docus explores various topics, including the climate crisis, Japan's antiquated laws and institutions on the rape and the Hoolock Gibbons, India's rapidly endangered species of monkey.

"These films show that journalism is not a 'look' but a methodology, a practice rigorous, ethical and intentional search for truth," says Keisha Knight, IDA Funds Director. "These films have a strong journalistic approach that underpins their storytelling while manifesting a distinct and diverse visual aesthetic." /p>

This year's judging panel included Robert Chang (POV Coordinating Producer), Andre Gary (Director of documentary films at National Geographic), Martine Granby (assistant professor of journalism at the University of Connecticut), Christine Kecher (senior writer, Op-Docs at the New York Times), Rodrigo Reyes (documentary maker) and Rintu Thomas (director of documentaries).

"As we face a restructured world, jurors were impressed by the deep commitment of these documentarians to tell stories of resistance and resilience while preserving relationships with participants and communities centered on their work,” the panel noted in a panel statement. “The projects collectively push the boundaries of journalistic engagement with the art of non-fiction by creating compelling and decidedly unique narratives. We hope they will inspire the field as a whole.

2022 IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund Production Grant Recipients

"Baseline: Part 1"Director/Producer: John D. Sutter | Producer: Su Kim | Country: USA "Baseline: Part 1" tells the story of a year on Earth through four communities on the front lines of the climate crisis.

"Black Box" Director: Shiori Ito | Producer: Eric Nyari | Co-producer: Hanna Aqvilin | Country: JapanFrom a confessional-style iPhone and secret recordings mixed with truth-telling, "Black Box" is Shiori Ito's stunning tale of her own unlikely struggle as a victim and a journalist against laws and institutions. Japan's antiquated rules on rape.

"Life + Life" Director/Producer: Contessa Gayles | Producers: Richie Reseda, David Felix Sutcliffe | Country: USA An incarcerated musician struggles for healing and peace as he comes of age in this documentary-musical odyssey composed behind bars.

"Made in Ethiopia" Director: Xinyan Yu | Co-director/producer: Max Duncan | Co-producer: Tamara Dawit | Country: EthiopiaThree women navigate the bumpy expansion of China's largest industrial zone in Ethiopia. Ethiopia hopes Chinese investment will help make it the world's next factory, but will a widening civil war and other challenges derail its plans?

"My Midwife" Director/Producer: Elaine Epstein | Country: United StatesArrest of three home birth attendants...