International Documentary Association Reveals Grant Winners – Global Bulletin (EXCLUSIVE)

GRANTS

The International Documentary Association (IDA) will award grants totalling $105,000 to five films through its Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund on the theme, “Challenging White Supremacy.”

The films are “Aanikoobijigan” (Adam Khalil, director; Zack Khalil, director; Steve Holmgren, producer; Francesca Alfano, producer; Tiffany Sia, co-producer; Grace Remington, co-producer); “Brigidy Bram: The Life and Mind of Kendal Hanna” (Laura Gamse, director/producer; Kareem Mortimer, director/producer); “Home Is Somewhere Else” (Carlos Hagerman, co-director/producer; Jorge Villalobos, co-director); “The Quiet Part” (working title) (Rachel Lauren Mueller, director; Ariel Tilson, producer); and “Yintah” (Michael Toledano, director/producer; Jennifer Wickham, producer; Franklin López, producer; Brenda Michell, producer).

In addition, filmmakers Ilse Fernandez (“Exodus Stories”) and Sundance winner Rintu Thomas (“Writing with Fire”), will receive IDA’s Logan Elevate Grants of $25,000 each.

Highlighting IDA’s support for diversity, among the Pare Lorentz grants, one project is directed and/or produced by a non-binary filmmaker and four are directed and/or produced by a woman. Four have a BIPOC (Black, indigenous, and other people of color) director and/or producer and four directors and/or producers identify as LGBTQ+.

Since 2011, IDA has provided over $5.9 million in grants through its documentary funds.

FESTIVAL

The International Film Festival Rotterdam (Jan. 26 – Feb. 6) has revealed the first confirmed titles for its 51st edition, which will be an in-person event. The best of fest Limelight strand features Apichatpong Weerasethakul‘s Cannes jury prize winner “Memoria,” Hamaguchi Ryūsuke‘s “Drive My Car,” Gaspar Noé‘s “Vortex,” Clio Barnard‘s “Ali & Ava,” Joachim Trier‘s “The Worst Person in the World,” which won Renate Reinsve best actress at Cannes, Gabriele Mainetti‘s “Freaks Out” and Audrey Diwan’s Venice Golden Lion winner “L’événement.”

The contemporary cinema Harbour strand has Fabrizio Ferraro’s “I morti rimangono con la bocca aperta,” Tan Chui Mui’s “Barbarian Invasion,” Anita Rocha da Silveira’s San Sebastián winner “Medusa,” Lado Kvataniya’s “The Execution” and Bassel Ghandour’s “The Alleys.”

The emerging talent Bright Future strand has Alberto De Michele’s “The Last Ride of the Wolves,” Julián Génisson’s “Inmotep,” David Easteal’s “The Plains” and Tea Lindeburg’s “As in Heaven.”

The IFFR Pro Days (Jan.30 – Feb.2) encapsulates CineMart, Rotterdam Lab and the Pro Hub.

APPOINTMENT

Leading VFX and animation outfit DNEG has hired Josh Jaggars as group president, VFX and stereo, reporting into chair and CEO Namit Malhotra. Based out of DNEG’s Los Angeles studio, Jaggars, who starts Nov. 8, will lead the global VFX and stereo conversion teams for the DNEG Group, comprising DNEG and its ReDefine division.

Jaggars joins DNEG from Legendary Entertainment, where he served as senior VP, visual effects and stereo production since 2017, where his credits include “Dune,” “Godzilla vs. Kong,” “Enola Holmes,” “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and “Pokémon Detective Pikachu.” Previously, Jaggars was VFX producer at Warner Bros. where he worked on “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “Justice League” and “Man of Steel.”

DNEG is in a growth spurt and is ramping up to 10,000 employees by the end of 2022.

LAUNCH

Producer Jago Lee, formerly with Tiger Aspect, and business partner John Fothergill, who’s had a decade-long stint at Goldman Sachs, have launched of their transatlantic production company Telltale, which will specialize in premium factual across audio, TV, and film.

Telltale has struck an exclusive first look agreement with Canada’s Antica Productions as part of an equity investment from them. Lee previously partnered with Antica to produce several podcast series including art crime series “Art Bust” for UCG Audio, the podcast division of Universal Studio Group, and Telltale is adopting an audio-first approach, stemming from Lee’s involvement with a number of podcast projects.

DISTRIBUTION

Philippines outfit TBA Studios has acquired for distribution Malaysian thriller “Lights Out”(original title “Siapa Tutup Lampu”), directed by emerging filmmaker Aliff Ihsan Rahman from a screenplay by Azhar Jalil and produced by Horizon Film Entertainment and Articulate Fusion Productions.

It follows the story of five friends who get involved in an accident and are locked in a morgue, which is frequently disturbed by mysterious sights and sounds and the lights suddenly go out.

TBA Studios is presenting the film at the American Film Market alongside other acquisitions such as music documentary “Fanny: The Right To Rock,” urban crime thriller “Boundary” and documentary “A is for Agustin.”