Details Kylie Berg August 13, 2024
Chicago-based documentary production company Kartemquin Films has partnered with streaming giant Hulu to offer $30,000 in grants to Indigenous filmmakers.
According to an announcement from Kartemquin, the Kartemquin/Hulu Accelerator grants are designed to support projects that are already in development or late-stage production.
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Kartemquin Films has been producing documentaries for over 50 years. One of the company’s best known works, the 1994 hit “Hoop Dreams,” is one of the most acclaimed films of all time.
Each year, the Accelerator grant focuses on the untold stories of marginalized communities.
The company’s funding partnership with Hulu began several years ago with the production of 2018’s “Minding the Gap,” a documentary directed by Bing Liu about three young people living in the Rust Belt who bond over their love of skateboarding. It was Hulu’s first Oscar-nominated film.
“This grant is an opportunity for Hulu to connect with emerging talent in the documentary world,” Kartemkin interim artistic director Stacey Robinson told Native News Online.
This year’s grants are focused on Native American filmmakers in the Midwest, and Robinson said the decision to center Indigenous stories in this year’s grants aims to address the issue of Native American voices being historically underrepresented in film.
“Documentary filmmaking has historically been out of reach for certain communities due to high costs and unequal funding,” Robinson said. “This grant is our way of balancing the playing field and ensuring Indigenous filmmakers have the opportunity to tell their stories.”
The $30,000 grants will provide more than just financial support: grant recipients will also gain access to Kartemquin’s vast network of industry experts, mentorship opportunities, and potential distribution channels through Hulu.
“We’re here to provide not only financial support, but also the resources and feedback filmmakers need to succeed,” Kartemkin producer Marie-Thérèse Garvey told Native News Online. “We want to help them develop their projects and connect with others in the industry.”
Kartemquin and Hulu are looking for films that offer authentic, personal perspectives on a variety of topics, including social justice, environmental issues and cultural narratives.
“We want to see films that come from a very personal place, stories that reflect the filmmakers’ connections to the communities and issues they care about,” Robinson said. “What’s important to us is that the communities featured in these films are stakeholders, not just subjects of the stories. We want to support filmmakers who are committed to ethical storytelling.”
While many of the projects supported by the Kartemquin/Hulu Accelerator Program are still in development, the success of “Minding the Gap” demonstrates the grant’s potential impact: Another grant recipient, Resita Cox, produced the award-winning short film Freedom Hill through the Accelerator Program, which won a Sundance Film Festival grant.
“This grant isn’t just about getting a deal with Hulu,” Robinson said. “It’s about giving filmmakers the tools and support they need to continue to grow, whether they stay with Hulu or move on to other projects.”
Eligible applicants must be Indigenous filmmakers with some experience, ideally those who have completed and distributed a film of any length. Kartemquin and Hulu are particularly interested in projects that are in the early to mid-stages of production and/or have plans for an impactful campaign beyond the film itself.
Applicants are encouraged to submit a proposal outlining their project, its current stage of development, and how the grant will help complete their documentary. This is an opportunity for Indigenous filmmakers to get the support they need to bring their stories to life and contribute to a more inclusive media environment.
For more information on how to apply, please visit the Kartemwuin Films website. The deadline for applications is August 31, 2024. Kartemquin encourages qualified filmmakers not to miss out on this opportunity.
“We see this as just the beginning — an opportunity to build lasting relationships and bring more Indigenous stories to the forefront,” Robinson said. “The world is waiting for these stories, and we’re here to help make it happen.”
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Author: Kaili BergEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Reporter
Kaili Berg (Aleut) is a member of the Alu’utik/Sugpiak tribe and a shareholder in Koniag Inc. She is a reporter for Native News Online and Tribal Business News. Based in Wisconsin, Berg was previously a reporter for the Hochunk newspaper, Hokkak-Wolak. She originally studied nursing but discovered her passion for communications at Western Technical College in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and changed her major.