The Sundance Institute has announced the recipients of its 2024 Documentary Fund, showcasing a diverse array of nonfiction projects from around the globe. This year’s grant pool totals $1.45 million, marking a significant increase of nearly half a million dollars compared to the previous year.
Key Highlights:
- 28 projects selected for unrestricted grants
- Increased funding thanks to new support from the John Templeton Foundation
- Projects span all stages of production: 5 in development, 15 in production, 7 in post-production, and 1 in impact campaign
- Grantees represent 25 countries, with over half of proposals from outside the U.S.
- 92% of funded projects are directed by artists from historically marginalized communities
- 60% of grantees are first-time feature directors
The Documentary Fund, a cornerstone of Sundance’s commitment to supporting innovative storytelling, aims to foster projects that create cultural and social impact. This year’s slate includes works that explore family legacies, grassroots activism, personal expression in the face of oppression, and reconnections through art.
Paola Mottura, Documentary Film Fund Director, and Kristin Feeley, Director of Documentary Film & Artist Programs, emphasized the importance of supporting underrepresented voices and thought-provoking work that advances cultural dialogue.
Notable projects include:
- “Basketball Heaven” (U.S.A.), exploring the historic Black community of Kinston, North Carolina
- “Afromystic” (U.S.A., Nigeria, Brazil), following LGBTQ+ Yorùbá practitioners across three continents
- “The First Plantation” (Barbados, U.S.A.), examining reparations through the lens of the oldest continuously operated sugar plantation in the Americas
- “Life in the Shadows” (Afghanistan, Belgium, Germany), documenting life after a school massacre in Afghanistan
The fund also includes the first grantees selected by the Sundance Institute | Sony Music Vision Initiative, aimed at supporting BIPOC filmmakers with projects featuring significant music components.
With this round of funding, Sundance continues its mission to uplift diverse voices and stories that challenge and inspire audiences worldwide.