The San Francisco Film Society has announced the 13 finalists for the 2013 SFFS Documentary Film Fund awards totaling $100,000, which support feature-length documentary films in post-production. Finalists were selected from more than 200 applicants; full list below.
The winners will be announced in late July. More info on the film funds is here.
2013 DOCUMENTARY FILM FUND FINALISTS:
Above All Else — John Fiege, director/producer
Above All Else is the remarkable story of how one man’s
struggle to protect his family from the Keystone XL pipeline transformed the
fight against climate change in America. For more information visit aboveallelsefilm.com.
Art and Craft — Jennifer Grausman and Sam Cullman,
co-director/producersExamining the curious story of a prolific art forger who
isn’t in it for the money—but chooses instead to donate his work to museums—Art
and Craft uncovers one of the most intriguing cases of deception in art
history. Filmed at the moment his ruse is exposed, this story of obsession
opens an unlikely window onto questions of mental health, art and philanthropy
in the 21st century.
The Babushkas of Chernobyl — Anne Bogart and Holly Morris,
co-director/producersAs Fukushima smolders, and the world grapples with a
dangerous energy era, an unlikely human story emerges from Chernobyl to inform
the debate. The Babushkas of Chernobyl is the story of an extraordinary group
of women who live in Chernobyl’s post-nuclear disaster “Dead Zone.” For more
than 25 years they have survived—and even, oddly, thrived—on some of the most
contaminated land on earth. For more information visit
thebabushkasofchernobyl.com.
Evolution of a Criminal — Darius Clark Monroe, director
Ten years after robbing a Bank of America, filmmaker Darius
Monroe returns home to examine how his actions affected the lives of family,
friends and victims. For more information visit
facebook.com/evolutionofacriminal.
Freedom Fighters — Jamie Meltzer, director
There’s a new detective agency in Dallas, Texas, started by
a group of exonerated men who have all spent decades in prison for crimes they
didn’t commit. They call themselves the Freedom Fighters, and they’ve recently
started working their first cases. For more information visit
freedomfightersfilm.com.
Homestretch — Anne De Mare and Kristen Kelly,
co-director/producersFour homeless teenagers brave Chicago winters, the pressures
of high school, and life alone on the streets to build a brighter future.
Against all odds, these kids defy stereotypes as they learn to reach out for
help and create new, surprising definitions of home.
How to Become an Extreme Action Hero — Catherine Gund,
directorHow to Become an Extreme Action Hero harnesses the power of
action architect and spatial philosopher Elizabeth Streb. Through Streb’s
daring performances and incisive words, the film jumpstarts our hearts and
takes us to the edge. For more information visit strebfilm.org.
One in a Billion — Geeta Patel, codirector/producer and Ravi
V. Patel, codirectorWhen Ravi Patel breaks up with his white girlfriend and
finds himself almost 30 and still single, he decides to give the traditional
Indian matchmaking system a try. His entire family starts a search for his
future wife and sends him on a whirlwind of dates around the country in hopes
that he’ll find “the one.”
Radical Love — Hillevi Loven, director
Radical Love follows the journey of Cole, a transgender
Christian teen growing up in rural North Carolina. Upon graduating from high
school, he finds love and a sense of belonging with Ashley, a Christian woman.
Together, they struggle to gain acceptance in a conservative Bible belt
community that is grappling with the changing values of today’s Christian
youth.
Redemption — Amir Soltani and Chihiro Wimbush,
co-director/producersAs with the poor living in the urban slums of India, Egypt
and Brazil, a surprising number of Americans make their living off of a vast
river of trash. These are America’s untouchables. Through the lives of four
recyclers, we are introduced to the art, science, economics and politics of
recycling: what it offers, how it touches the poor and why it matters to all of
us. For more information visit redemptiondoc.com.
Rich Hill — Tracy Tragos and Andrew Droz Palermo,
co-director/producersRich Hill chronicles the turbulent lives of children living
in a dying Midwestern town, witnessing their struggles up close as they yearn
to find self worth and imagine a future beyond poverty. For more information
visit richhillfilm.com.
Street Fighting Man — Andrew James, director/cinematographer
In a new America where the promise of education, safety and
shelter are in jeopardy, three Detroit men fight to build something lasting for
themselves and future generations in a city that is abandoning its citizens. As
we witness each man’s fight to claim his piece of the American Dream, Street
Fighting Man reveals that no one can do it alone. For more information visit
streetfightingmanthemovie.com.
Tomorrow We Disappear — Jimmy Goldblum and Adam Weber,
co-director/producersWhen their homes are illegally sold to real estate
developers, the magicians, acrobats and puppeteers of Delhi’s Kathputli Colony
must unite—or splinter apart forever.
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