LOS ANGELES, CA, August 1, 2024 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute today announced the 2024 grant recipients for the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, supporting the work of nonfiction filmmakers globally. This year, 28 projects have been selected to receive an unrestricted grant, with the total granting pool standing at $1,450,000 - almost half a million dollars more than last year's fund thanks to increased support for our granting. This granting cycle's recipients represent all stages of the process, with five projects in development, 15 in production, seven in post-production, and one completed project in its impact campaign. The Documentary Fund seeks to serve as a stable source of support for inventive nonfiction works that create cultural and social impact by tackling a variety of timely and pressing issues. Grants are made possible by Open Society Foundations, John Templeton Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and Sony Music Entertainment thanks to Sony Music's Global Justice Fund.
In 2024, thanks to new support from the John Templeton Foundation, the Institute is able to increase the size of the Documentary Fund's granting pool by $500,000 per year. Through this new generous support the Fund is providing grants that support innovative and daring nonfiction storytelling projects aligned with Templeton's mission of supporting interdisciplinary research and catalyzing conversations that inspire awe and wonder.
The Fund includes the first grantees selected by the Sundance Institute | Sony Music Vision Initiative, a new partnership between the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and Sony Music Entertainment, funded by Sony Music's Global Social Justice Fund. Through granting and engagement opportunities, including educational sessions on music in film, this initiative is aimed at elevating documentary film projects by BIPOC filmmakers that demonstrate a significant music component or innovative approach to audio and sound.
It has always been critical to the Sundance's mission to uplift talented and underrepresented voices seeking to create thoughtful and thought-provoking work that elevates and advances cultural dialogue, and we are thrilled to celebrate the variety of perspectives and approaches this year's grantees bring to the table with their projects, said Paola Mottura, Documentary Film Fund Director and Kristin Feeley, Director, Documentary Film & Artist Programs. During this challenging time for our industry, we are grateful to be able to deepen our support for the global documentary community. This work is urgent and it is an honor to be a part of these talented artists' journeys and help them get closer to connecting with their audiences. We're appreciative of our partners in making this support possible and we look forward to experiencing these risk-taking works.
The Documentary Fund prioritizes the support of artists from historically marginalized communities and seeks to amplify global voices telling crucial stories. More than half of the grant proposals came from outside the U.S., with the final group of grantees representing 25 countries. The majority of projects (92%) receiving grants are directed by artists from communities that have been traditionally marginalized and 60% are from first-time feature directors.
Through careful craft and fearless vision, projects in this year's slate have the power to instill resilience through family and community legacies, transcend new frontiers in ritual and belief, spotlight the impact of grassroots activism, explore tender reconnections with loved ones through the arts, and empower personal expression in the face of oppressive policies and governments.
While many of the projects supported this year are from early-career filmmakers, this cycle of granting also supports projects from mid-career storytellers, including: Hawa, produced by Christian Popp, who also produced Becoming Cary Grant (2017); House of Earth directed by Ljubomir Stefanov (Honeyland, 2019); Leap of Faith directed by Nicholas Ma, who produced Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018); Stallions directed by Rita Baghdadi (Sirens, 2022); Untitled Philippines Project, the fifth feature from filmmaker PJ Raval (Call Her Ganda, 2018); and The First Plantation, directed by Jason Fitzroy Jeffers, who produced T, the 2020 winner of the Golden Bear for Best Short Film at Berlinale.
Previously supported projects have included: All That Breathes; American Factory; The Battle for Laikipia; Collective; Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution; Hale County This Morning, This Evening; Mija; Minding the Gap; The Mole Agent; No Other Land; Nocturnes; Strong Island; Sugarcane; The Territory; Time; and Union.
2024 Documentary Fund Grantees:
DEVELOPMENT
Basketball Heaven (U.S.A.)
Director/Producer: Resita Cox
A poetic portrait of the historic Black community in Kinston, North Carolina. From surviving catastrophic floods to a poorly funded education system, Kinston remains the single greatest producer of NBA talent in the world.
Knocking on Heaven's Door (Canada, U.S.A., New Zealand, U.K., Argentina)
Directors: Jonathan Qu, Kevin Feiyang Li
Producers: Jonathan Qu, Kevin Feiyang Li, Nicholas de Pencier
Following a battle with cancer, a Christian astrophysicist races to build his last great balloon telescope to unravel the mysteries of dark matter and the artistry of God. If ignorance is truly bliss, then why do we explore the unknown?
Stallions (Morocco)
Director: Rita Baghdadi
Producers: Rita Baghdadi, Sahar Yousefi
A crew of stallion riders make dreams come true on the coast of Morocco.
Strange Sea (Azerbaijan)
Director: Lala Aliyeva
Producer: Aysel Akhundova
In the depths of the Caspian Sea, the whispers of its dark past intertwine with the tales of ordinary life. Strange Sea pa
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/03/2026
NBC Sports selected Imaginary Forces to create the main title sequence for the M...
02/03/2026
The NFL announces the launch of the NFL Draft Innovation Challenge, a new crowds...
02/03/2026
The World Teleport Association (WTA) has named Skyline Communications' DataMiner SatOps solution as a finalist for the 2026 Teleport Technology of the Year ...
02/03/2026
Ventum Tech announces a strategic partnership with Pixotope, a real-time graphic...
02/03/2026
Victory , a free, ad-supported sports streaming service, announces the launch of...
02/03/2026
Global powerhouse Delta Goodrem to represent Australia at this year's Eurovi...
02/03/2026
SBS brings together prominent voices to discuss rising social division and seek ...
02/03/2026
NITV Unveils Wednesday Night Sport Night
Media releases
A Midweek Hub for Blak Sport
Flagship NRL program Over The Black Dot moves to Wednesdays at 9:30pm
...
02/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates FR1-FR3 carrier aggregation, advancing 6G readiness Rohde & Schwarz and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have reached another pivotal ...
02/03/2026
MELBOURNE, Fla., March 2, 2026 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) today announc...
02/03/2026
Harvey Norman tops New Zealand's biggest ad spenders as retail leads and telcos and beverages sure Auckland March 3, 2026 - Nielsen's New Zealand'...
02/03/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, and Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ, A...
02/03/2026
Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, has appointed Jody Boatwright as Chief Strategy Of...
02/03/2026
Lightware, an industry leader in signal management, is reinforcing its commitment to simplifying complex AV environments with the continued evolution of its TPN...
02/03/2026
ZEISS Cinema opens its doors to an exclusive screening, filmmakers Q&A and hands-on showcase of the new ZEISS Aatma lens family on Tuesday, March 10, 6:00-9:00 ...
02/03/2026
To expand the creative potential of the compact Astera QuikBeam, DoPchoice introduces the SNAPBAG Round. The new light-shaping accessory transforms the powerfu...
02/03/2026
Douglas Dubler
On a rooftop in New York City, veteran photographer Douglas Dubler watched the sun's angle shift across the urban landscape, his internal cl...
02/03/2026
ZEISS is expanding its Otus ML lens family with the introduction of the new ZEISS Otus ML 1.4/35. This manual-focus lens is designed for photographers who live ...
02/03/2026
Matthews Studio Equipment now offers the new Dinkum Systems White FlexiMount and Phone Mount Kit, a compact, highly adaptable setup for mobile content creation...
02/03/2026
Luxembourg, February 26, 2026 - SES and Africa Mobile Network (AMN) have expande...
02/03/2026
02 03 2026 - Media release Ausfilm and Screen Australia launch joint UK market initiative
Ausfilm and Screen Australia have announced Partner with Australia (...
02/03/2026
Monday 2 March 2026
Saturday Night Live UK announces writing team
L-R: Jonno Johnson; Charlie Skelton; Celya AB; Omar Badawy; Gr inne Maguire; Laura Claxton; ...
02/03/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils the Trailer for 53 Sundays, the New Film by Cesc Gay
Entertainment
02 March 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Dis...
28/02/2026
With two features seen in Formula 1 coverage, the broadcaster aims to bring view...
28/02/2026
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addresses a crowd of approximately 1,500 L3Harris employees in Camden, Arkansas, as part of his Arsenal of Freedom tour....
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Berklee Presents Mambo Mania: Eguie Castrillo and the Berklee All-Stars Big Band...
28/02/2026
Berklee Announces Two New Summer Programs in Los Angeles The Berklee Music Business Program and Electronic Music Production and Sound Design Workshop bring imme...
28/02/2026
AI-RAN is moving from lab to field, showing that a software-defined approach is ...
28/02/2026
Autonomous networks - intelligent, self-managing telecommunications operations -...
28/02/2026
Back to All News
Final Trailer for BEASTARS Final Season Part 2' Roars Tow...
28/02/2026
New way to intentionally discover molecular glues could expand drug discovery Scripps Research scientists and colleagues show how drugs that eliminate certain d...
27/02/2026
The E.W. Scripps Company names Oliver Gray as Vice President, Network Sports and...
27/02/2026
The Gotham Sports App, the exclusive direct-to-consumer streaming home of MSG Networks and the YES Network, is now available for purchase through Prime Video fo...
LOS ANGELES, CA, August 1, 2024 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute today announced the 2024 grant recipients for the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, supporting the work of nonfiction filmmakers globally. This year, 28 projects have been selected to receive an unrestricted grant, with the total granting pool standing at $1,450,000 - almost half a million dollars more than last year's fund thanks to increased support for our granting. This granting cycle's recipients represent all stages of the process, with five projects in development, 15 in production, seven in post-production, and one completed project in its impact campaign. The Documentary Fund seeks to serve as a stable source of support for inventive nonfiction works that create cultural and social impact by tackling a variety of timely and pressing issues. Grants are made possible by Open Society Foundations, John Templeton Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and Sony Music Entertainment thanks to Sony Music's Global Justice Fund.
