The Sundance Institute and Doris Duke Foundation Launch the Building Bridges Fellowship to Expand Muslim Stories – Film News in Brief

The Doris Duke Foundation granted $1 million to Sundance Institute and a three-year partnership to establish the Building Bridges Fellowship and Completion Fund that aim to uplift and diversify Muslim stories and voices in the industry and hopes to tell more authentic stories.

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The fellowship will include access to creative and financial resources, mentorship, as well as support to filmmakers, producers and other creators who are focused on telling Muslim-related stories, and the Completion Fund for features, shorts, and episodic content will offer grants to support these stories episodic content. Fellows will receive a $10,000 grant and access to Sundance Institute’s “ELEVATE” program.

“The Building Bridges Completion Fund aims to reduce the barriers for filmmakers to connect with their audiences to ensure that their stories reach and resonate with them,” said Zeyba Rahman, director of the Building Bridges Program.

The 2024 fellows include Fatimah Asghar, Colette Ghunim, Sherif Ibrahim, Samia Khan-Bambrah, Samina Saifee and Akram Shibly.

Producers Guild Awards Sets February Date

The 36th annual Producers Guild of America awards will take place on Feb. 8. The ceremony will be at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

The PGA will celebrate the work and accomplishments of producers in film and television. The most recent ceremony recognized film producers and honored Martin Scorsese with the David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures, Gail Berman with the Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television and Charles D. King with the Milestone Award. The 2025 Producers Guild Awards event chairs are Mike Farah and Joe Farrell.

The eligibility period for the 2025 award show will run from Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024.

Key dates and deadlines are as follows:

Producing Credits Deadline

• Documentary Motion Pictures: Friday, August 30, 2024
• Television Programs (Television Series/Specials; Streamed or Televised Motion Pictures; Sports, Children’s, and Short Form): Friday, September 27, 2024
• Theatrical Motion Pictures and Animated Motion Pictures: Friday, October 11, 2024

Screener Submission Deadline

• Documentary Motion Pictures: Friday, August 30, 2024

Nomination Polls Open

• Sports, Children’s, and Short Form: Tuesday, November 26, 2024
• Television Series/Specials and Streamed or Televised Motion Pictures: Thursday, December 12, 2024
• Theatrical Motion Pictures and Animated Motion Pictures: Thursday, December 19, 2024

Nomination Polls Close

• Sports, Children’s, and Short Form: Wednesday, December 11, 2024 (2:00 pm PST)
• Theatrical Motion Pictures; Animated Motion Pictures; Television Series/Specials; Streamed or Televised Motion Pictures: Thursday, January 9, 2025 (2:00 pm PST)

Nominees Announced

• Documentary Motion Pictures: Tuesday, December 10, 2024
• Sports, Children’s, and Short Form: Friday, December 13, 2024
• Theatrical Motion Pictures; Animated Motion Pictures; Television Series/Specials; Streamed or Televised Motion Pictures: Friday, January 10, 2025

Final Polls Open

• Sports, Children’s, and Short Form: Monday, January 6, 2025
• Theatrical Motion Pictures; Animated Motion Pictures; Documentary Motion Pictures; Television Series/Specials; Streamed or Televised Motion Pictures: Monday, January 13, 2025

Final Polls Close

• Sports, Children’s, and Short Form: Monday, January 20, 2025 (2:00 pm PST)
• Theatrical Motion Pictures; Animated Motion Pictures; Television Series/Specials; Streamed or Televised Motion Pictures: Thursday, January 30, 2025 (2:00 pm PST)

Tribeca Festival 2024 Reveals Short Film Lineup

Tribeca Festival has unveiled the lineup of narrative, documentary and animated short films, as well as music videos for its 2024 festival, which is set to take place June 5-16.

The 2024 short film program features 87 films from 101 filmmakers, including 65 films screening in completion and 10 music videos. There are a record-breaking 27 countries represented in the shorts lineup, and for the first time, the majority of films are directed by female filmmakers. The lineup includes 50 world premieres, seven international premieres, six North American premieres, two U.S. premieres and 22 New York premieres.

Films getting world premieres at the 2024 festival include “Motorcycle Mary,” a profile on legendary motorsports pioneer Mary McGee directed by Haley Watson and produced by two-time Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot and Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton; “Ripe!,” a not-so-straightforward queer love story produced by World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist Kelley O’Hara; “Bite,” a story of regaining one’s identity after overcoming PTSD starring Troian Bellisario; and “Out of the Dark: Cal Calamia,” an intimate look at Cal Calamia, a transgender marathon runner advocating for athletic inclusion. The New York narrative shorts lineup includes the world premieres of “Happy to Help You” starring Amy Sedaris and Jeremy Beiler, and “Veo Veo A Family,” a story of familial bonds starring Carla Gugino and KO.

“Tribeca received more than 8,000 short film submissions, and for the first time, we’re proud to present a majority-female directed program,” said Ben Thompson, Tribeca VP of shorts programming. “We hope our 12 curated shorts programs—and our first-ever online music video competition—will delight, inspire and even titillate our enthusiastic New York audiences as they discover diverse storytelling from original voices all over the world.”

Talent Program ‘Industry Standard’ Launches to Expand Diverse Post-Production Fields

“Industry Standard” is a new talent accelerator program from Emmy award-winning producer, Jennifer Sofio Hall and executive producer and impact leader, Bedonna Smith to diversify the pool of post-production fields, applications opened on Tuesday.

Working with filmmakers, artists, studios, brands, and catalysts for change, Industry Standard will seek to develop opportunities for early to mid-career professionals to gain valuable hands-on experience, mentorship, and career planning.

The first program to launch from “Industry Standard” is “Experience,” a nine-month paid residency where emerging post-production professionals are placed within top entertainment environments. Candidates will have the opportunity to work with production companies like RadicalMedia, Story Syndicate, Union Editorial, Library Films and Campfire Studios. They will also receive support through a mentorship model.

Now through May 17, candidates over the age of 18 and who are eligible to work in the U.S., can go to Industry Standard’s website to apply. The awarded candidates will be notified of an “Experience” offer in July and the nine-month program will run from August 2024 to April 2025.

Mamoudou Athie, Thora Birch, Jon Huertas and Q’orianka Kilcher to Appear in Academy Nicholl Fellowship’s Live Read

Mamoudou Athie, Thora Birch, Jon Huertas and Q’orianka Kilcher will read selected scenes from 2023’s five winning scripts at the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Awards and Live Read on April 25 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles. 2008 Nicholl fellow Eric Nazarian will host and direct the program.

Five screenwriters were selected from 5,599 entries as recipients of the 2023 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting. The fellows are listed below alphabetically by author:

Brent Delaney (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), “Brownie Mary”
At the height of the AIDS crisis, Mary Jane Rathbun illegally distributes cannabis-infused brownies to heal thousands of gay men in San Francisco and inadvertently becomes the face of the first medical marijuana movement in U.S. history.

Harris McCabe (Los Angeles, Calif.), “Nat Cady’s Boys”
Two young boys seek bloody vengeance on the posse that hung their outlaw father in 1882 Wyoming.

J. Miller (Burbank, Calif.), “Slugger”
Abandoned by her mother and coached by her unloving father, a high school baseball prodigy with a hot temper and thunderous bat must confront old-school coaches, jealous teammates, injuries and her own sexual identity on an inspirational quest to be the first woman to play in the Majors.

c. Craig Patterson (Los Angeles, Calif.), “Tah”
The black sheep of the family comes back home to live with the most difficult matriarch in New Orleans.

Kayla Sun (Los Angeles, Calif. ), “Boy, Girl, Fig”
Aden was born with a rare condition where he becomes invisible to people who love him. He struggles when he falls in love with his childhood best friend.

Street Food Cinema Unveils July Schedule

The outdoor cinema series Street Food Cinema has unveiled its schedule for July. The program includes “National Treasure,” “Jurassic Park,” “The Princess Diaries,” “Back to the Future III” to celebrate “Day of the Cowboy” and a partnership event with DTLA Alliance presenting “The Devil Wears Prada.”

Street Food Cinema events include live music, food trucks, interactive audience games, a curated marketplace and a full bar with themed beverages. Opening night kicks off April 27 with “Barbie” at the Autry Museum of the American West.

Latino Film Institue’s LatinX in Animation and Netflix Reveal LFI Spark Animation Grant Fellowship

Latino Film Institute has unveiled the LFI Spark Animation Grant Fellowship through its LatinX in Animation program. Created with the help of the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, the fellowship provides emerging Latinx animation filmmakers with financial support, mentorship and other resources to support them in the completion of an animated short film.

“We are proud to partner with Netflix to continue championing Latino filmmakers within the animation industry. Each selected project represents a unique perspective from within the Latino community,” said Diana Cadavid, director of industry programs at LFI. “We’re thrilled to continue nurturing the talent of our fellows and amplifying their voices.”

The fellowship recipients and synopses of their films are listed below:

Alex Avila
“The Apricot”
Set against the sun-kissed backdrop of Hollister, Calif., in the sweltering summer of 2005, “The Apricot” unfolds as a poignant tale of tradition, family and self-discovery. Amidst the sprawling apricot farm that has been part of his family’s legacy since 1975, a young boy named Alex embarks on his inaugural day of farm work. Struggling to keep pace with his seasoned relatives, Alex grapples with conflicting desires, yearning for the pleasure of playing his favorite video game.

Ana Ramírez González
“Droplet”
Set amidst the vibrant and lush landscape of a lotus pond, Droplet, a tiny water droplet nestles snugly among her kin. Her tranquil existence is abruptly shattered when she’s swept away from the sanctuary she calls home. Plunging into a murky, uncharted abyss, Droplet faces daunting challenges. Guided by Sparkle, the luminescent firefly, and supported by the companionship of Gilly, the steadfast fish, Droplet navigates treacherous and unfamiliar waters. Her journey transcends mere external perils; it becomes an internal odyssey, a battle against fear and self-doubt, ultimately culminating in the revelation of her latent inner strength.

Juan M. Abdo
“Remember the Rats”
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, a diplomat can’t stand the local rats bugging him during his workday. Abroad, he finds a solution that changes the game for the rodents, but it comes at a price. A fun and quirky short film that examines a particular irony in Argentinian culture: Pigeons were brought from Paris to make the city’s scene more European, but they became a plague and displaced the native rats competing for food.

The Critics Choice Association Reveals Inaugural Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema and Television Hosted by Sherry Cola

The Critics Choice Association has unveiled the date and honorees for its inaugural Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television. The gala event will be hosted by actress, stand-up comedian and writer Sherry Cola.

Honorees for the inaugural event include Nathan Lane, Abe Sylvia, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Chris Perfetti, Matt Bomer, Daniel Minahan, Ron Nyswaner, Robbie Rogers, Fernando Carsa, George Takei, Henry R. Muñoz III, Kristen Kish, Luke Gilford, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Oliver Hermanus, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Shakina and We’re Here (accepted by Johnnie Ingram, Stephen Warren, Peter LoGreco, Sasha Velour, Priyanka, Jaida Essence Hall, and Latrice Royale).

The Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television will take place June 7 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles and will stream on HereTV following the event.