Granting Program | Acquisitions Program | Distribution Program | Education Program
Philanthropic efforts in the developing world are normally concerned with providing the impoverished with food, shelter and other basic necessities. While this mission continues to be of utmost importance, it has become clear that cultural outreach needs to supplement these efforts. Authentic self-representation can be a vibrant partner to economic growth, providing a structure to understand global change while remaining true to a rich cultural heritage. Self-sufficiency and sustainability are not achieved through financial and industrial assistance alone.
Specifically supporting original filmmaking in the developing world celebrates the power of local storytelling traditions and acknowledges that a powerful fusion with modern cultural media can sustain and nourish these traditions.
The Granting Program is based on the Hubert Bals Fund, an innovation of the Rotterdam Film Festival that shares the Initiative’s goals. With continued funding of 1m Euros each year (primarily from the Dutch government), this organization celebrated its tenth anniversary as a grant-giving organization to films from the developing world. Their investments have yielded impressive results, including ten supported films selected for the legendary Cannes Film Festival, in 2002.
The Initiative will be awarding 10-20 grants of up to $10,000 per year. These funds are made available to filmmakers once the Initiative selection committee evaluates applicants’ scripts and early footage of their films. The Initiative supports films that promise artistic excellence, exhibit accomplished storytelling and offer American audiences a variety of cultural perspectives on daily life around the world. The Initiative also seeks films that substantially contribute to the development of local film industries. Filmmakers use monies received from the Initiative to complete initial production and to pay for post-production costs, such as laboratory fees, sound mixing and access to modern editing systems.
Click here for Granting Applications and Guidelines
Current grant recipients for the 2007 funding cycle:
100% ALIVE – Ahmed Rashwan, Egypt
Just before the start of the Second Gulf War, a recently divorced photographer meets a seductive young woman and contemplates a second chance at love.
BIBI – Hassan Yektapanah, Iran
An elderly Iraqi refugee living in Iran desperately seeks an ID card that neither country will issue, to avoid being buried in an unmarked grave when she dies.
BUL DÉCONNÉ! – Massaër Dieng, Sénégal
As a young man comes-of-age, his vision for the future conflicts with the gritty economic realities of his country.
CRAB TRAP – Oscar Ruiz Navia, Colombia
A man arrives at an isolated, coastal village and is caught in a struggle between a local Afro-Colombian community and a white landowner's vision for modernization.
EUROPE BY ROAD – Ubaka Joseph Ugochukwu, Nigeria/Senegal
On his way to Europe, a young Nigerian becomes stranded in Senegal, surrounded by temptation and illegal activity that threaten both his ambitions and livelihood.
EVERY DAY IS A HOLIDAY – Dima El–Horr, Lebanon
Three women, each with very different motivations, head toward Marmal Prison and intertwining fates.
GOODBYE KATHMANDU – Nabin Subba, Nepal
The parallel lives of three young individuals of different ethnic backgrounds are profiled amidst the tumultuous political and social atmosphere of contemporary Kathmandu.
HUACHO – Alejandro Fernandez Almendras , Chile
Acceptance, adaptation and denial characterize the struggle to adjust to changing economic realities of rural Chile.
LITTLE HEART – Nguyen Thanh Van, Viet Nam
The lure of high paying jobs in an embroidery factory becomes a compelling reason for young girls to leave their villages for Saigon.
PESANTREN – Nurman Hakim, Indonesia
Friendships that test the limits of faith and devotion are depicted in post 9/11 realities of central Java.
RAMCHAND: THE UNTOUCHABLE PAKISTANI – Mehreen Jabbar, Pakistan
A Hindu family is held hostage by the political tension between India and Pakistan.
VERONICA'S PASSION – Cristian Pellegrini, Argentina
A transsexual with aspirations of studying at the local university faces prejudice against her nonconforming identity, and her goal to become a psychologist.
VIRGIN GOAT – Murali Nair, India
In this intelligent satire, a farmer's simple desire to have his goat mated is thwarted by family trauma, local bureaucracy and a marauding mob.
For a list past grant recipents, click here. |
