On the heels of its successful world launch at IDFA, the critically-acclaimed anti-colonial pic “Our Land, Our Freedom,” sold by First Hand Films, has landed a deal with BBC Africa Eye.
“Our Land, Our Freedom,” a Kenyan/U.S./Portuguese co-production, and the upcoming India-set “Kalari,” to be pitched in Visions du Réel docu festival’s Swiss Films Previews showcase, epitomize what First Hand Films stands for.
“What’s important for First Hand Films is defending diversity, minorities, female voices and new talent,” said Esther van Messel, CEO of the doc sales, production and Swiss distribution shingle, ahead of Visions du Réel in Nyon, Switzerland.
“We are so very pleased about this sale, our very first on the film,” said the seasoned doc specialist van Messel.
Co-directed by L.A.-based Meena Nanji and her Kenyan counterpart Zippy Kimundu, the feature tells of Kenyan woman Wanjugu Kimathi’s search for the...
“Our Land, Our Freedom,” a Kenyan/U.S./Portuguese co-production, and the upcoming India-set “Kalari,” to be pitched in Visions du Réel docu festival’s Swiss Films Previews showcase, epitomize what First Hand Films stands for.
“What’s important for First Hand Films is defending diversity, minorities, female voices and new talent,” said Esther van Messel, CEO of the doc sales, production and Swiss distribution shingle, ahead of Visions du Réel in Nyon, Switzerland.
“We are so very pleased about this sale, our very first on the film,” said the seasoned doc specialist van Messel.
Co-directed by L.A.-based Meena Nanji and her Kenyan counterpart Zippy Kimundu, the feature tells of Kenyan woman Wanjugu Kimathi’s search for the...
- 4/7/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mira Nair (“Salaam Bombay!”) has come on board to executive produce “Our Land, Our Freedom,” from directors Meena Nanji and Zippy Kimundu, ahead of the film’s world premiere at IDFA, which takes places in Amsterdam Nov. 8 – 19. The documentary feature will screen as part of the festival’s Frontlight strand.
“Our Land, Our Freedom” follows Wanjugu Kimathi, daughter of the legendary leader of the Kenyan Land and Freedom Army, or Mau Mau Rebellion, Dedan Kimathi. When the resistance figure was hanged by the British authorities in 1957 for possession of firearms, his body was dumped at an unknown location. Now, Wanjugu follows in her mother’s footsteps to look for her father’s remains.
Over the course of the film, Wanjugu’s search becomes an investigation into British colonial atrocities including concentration camps and land theft that left hundreds of thousands of Kenyans destitute. Along the way she meets Mau Mau veterans,...
“Our Land, Our Freedom” follows Wanjugu Kimathi, daughter of the legendary leader of the Kenyan Land and Freedom Army, or Mau Mau Rebellion, Dedan Kimathi. When the resistance figure was hanged by the British authorities in 1957 for possession of firearms, his body was dumped at an unknown location. Now, Wanjugu follows in her mother’s footsteps to look for her father’s remains.
Over the course of the film, Wanjugu’s search becomes an investigation into British colonial atrocities including concentration camps and land theft that left hundreds of thousands of Kenyans destitute. Along the way she meets Mau Mau veterans,...
- 11/9/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Projects will be presented during festival’s Industry Days section.
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Kviff) has unveiled the projects that will be showcased during its Eastern Promises industry strand, which takes place on July 3-4.
27 film projects have been selected for Eastern Promises’ Works in Progress, Works in Development – Feature Launch and First Cut+ Works in Progress strands.
The most promising projects, selected by international juries, will receive awards worth a total of €115,000. The showcase of projects to industry professionals will take place during this year’s Kviff Industry Days.
Eleven fiction and documentary features have been selected for the Works in Progress strand.
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Kviff) has unveiled the projects that will be showcased during its Eastern Promises industry strand, which takes place on July 3-4.
27 film projects have been selected for Eastern Promises’ Works in Progress, Works in Development – Feature Launch and First Cut+ Works in Progress strands.
The most promising projects, selected by international juries, will receive awards worth a total of €115,000. The showcase of projects to industry professionals will take place during this year’s Kviff Industry Days.
Eleven fiction and documentary features have been selected for the Works in Progress strand.
- 6/14/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival’s Eastern Promises industry platform has unveiled 27 film projects that will be showcased during its Works in Progress, Works in Development – Feature Launch and First Cut+ Works in Progress presentations. The most promising projects, selected by international juries, will receive awards with a total value of 115,000 Eur.
The showcasing of projects to industry professionals will take place in Karlovy Vary, during this year’s Kviff Industry Days on July 3 (Works in Progress and Works in Development – Feature Launch) and July 4 (First Cut+ Works in Progress).
For Works in Progress, 11 fiction and documentary feature films in the late stage of production or post-production from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa have been selected.
The following projects will compete for prizes of a total value of 100,000 Eur:
“Distances” (Poland)
Director: Matej Bobrik
Producer: Agnieszka Skalska...
The showcasing of projects to industry professionals will take place in Karlovy Vary, during this year’s Kviff Industry Days on July 3 (Works in Progress and Works in Development – Feature Launch) and July 4 (First Cut+ Works in Progress).
For Works in Progress, 11 fiction and documentary feature films in the late stage of production or post-production from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa have been selected.
The following projects will compete for prizes of a total value of 100,000 Eur:
“Distances” (Poland)
Director: Matej Bobrik
Producer: Agnieszka Skalska...
- 6/14/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The Sundance Institute has announced this year’s grantees for the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, with a total of 1,396,500 in unrestricted grant support bestowed upon 35 projects.
“As we celebrate the Dfp’s 20th anniversary, it’s an exceptional achievement that Sundance has been able to provide documentary filmmakers robust and sustained financial support, from development through post-production, for two decades,” said Carrie Lozano, director of the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program. “Thanks to our incredible funders, supporters, staff, and external reviewers, the Documentary Fund has been able to realize its top priorities during a tumultuous time: supporting underrepresented stories, directors and producers; providing much needed resources to urgent international projects; and elevating human rights and social, civic and environmental justice, all while foregrounding bold and artistic approaches. I am constantly amazed by the breadth and depth of our grantees.”
This year’s grant recipients have roots in 31 countries, with...
“As we celebrate the Dfp’s 20th anniversary, it’s an exceptional achievement that Sundance has been able to provide documentary filmmakers robust and sustained financial support, from development through post-production, for two decades,” said Carrie Lozano, director of the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program. “Thanks to our incredible funders, supporters, staff, and external reviewers, the Documentary Fund has been able to realize its top priorities during a tumultuous time: supporting underrepresented stories, directors and producers; providing much needed resources to urgent international projects; and elevating human rights and social, civic and environmental justice, all while foregrounding bold and artistic approaches. I am constantly amazed by the breadth and depth of our grantees.”
This year’s grant recipients have roots in 31 countries, with...
- 10/6/2022
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Previously supported projects have included American Factory, Collective, Fire Of Love, The Mole Agent.
Projects from Armenia, Chile, Uganda and Palestine are among grantees of the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, which in the 20th anniversary year of the Documentary Film Program (Dfp) has made 1.4m available in unrestricted grant support to 35 projects.
Of the recipients, five are in development, 15 in production, 10 in post, and the filmmakers behind five are actively pursuing support for audience engagement and social impact campaigns.
Some 57 of the current cycle’s submissions hail from outside the US. Among the 14 US films receiving support, all are directed...
Projects from Armenia, Chile, Uganda and Palestine are among grantees of the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, which in the 20th anniversary year of the Documentary Film Program (Dfp) has made 1.4m available in unrestricted grant support to 35 projects.
Of the recipients, five are in development, 15 in production, 10 in post, and the filmmakers behind five are actively pursuing support for audience engagement and social impact campaigns.
Some 57 of the current cycle’s submissions hail from outside the US. Among the 14 US films receiving support, all are directed...
- 10/4/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Up to three low-budget features will be greenlit from the 12 selections.
La Biennale di Venezia has unveiled the 12 projects selected for the third round of the Biennale College - Cinema programme.
They attended the first workshop in Venice from Oct 4-13. Further workshops will be held in December and January, and up to three of the features will be greenlit to screen at the Venice International Film Festival in 2015.
The College has backed previous low-budget features including Memphis, Short Skin and Blood Cells.
The group of participants hail from Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, France,, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Sri Lanka, the Us and the UK.
The selections, with information provided by the Biennale, are:
Baby Bump – Kuba Czekaj (director, Poland), Madgadalena Kaminska (producer, Poland): a story centred on the fear of puberty and the sexual transformation of an eleven-year-old. As his body changes, a dark and fantastic world begins to take hold of his life...
La Biennale di Venezia has unveiled the 12 projects selected for the third round of the Biennale College - Cinema programme.
They attended the first workshop in Venice from Oct 4-13. Further workshops will be held in December and January, and up to three of the features will be greenlit to screen at the Venice International Film Festival in 2015.
The College has backed previous low-budget features including Memphis, Short Skin and Blood Cells.
The group of participants hail from Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, France,, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Sri Lanka, the Us and the UK.
The selections, with information provided by the Biennale, are:
Baby Bump – Kuba Czekaj (director, Poland), Madgadalena Kaminska (producer, Poland): a story centred on the fear of puberty and the sexual transformation of an eleven-year-old. As his body changes, a dark and fantastic world begins to take hold of his life...
- 10/14/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Film-maker Kleber Mendoça, who won the Fipresci Prize at Rotterdam and Wroclaw’s New Horizons for his fiction feature debut Neighbouring Sounds in 2012, will be in Locarno next month as part of an almost 60-strong Brazilian delegation.
Mendoça, who is also the director of Recife’s Janela International Film Festival, will be joined by, among others, festival director colleagues Renata de Almeida and Ivan Melo of the Sao Paulo Iff as well as Manoel Rangel and Eduardo Valente of film funder Ancine, André Sturm of Cinema do Brasil, producers Sara Silveira (Dezenove Som et Imagem), Eliane Ferreira (Muiraquita Filmes) and Elias Ribeiro (Urucu Media), distributors Jean-Thomas Bernardini (Imovision) and Marcos De Oliveira (Europa Filmes), and sales agent Sandro Fiorin (Figa Films).
Carte Blanche focus on Brazil
The fourth edition of Locarno’s Carte Blanche showcase will be the focus of the Brazilian presence at the Swiss festival with the presentation of new Brazilian features and documentaries by their...
Mendoça, who is also the director of Recife’s Janela International Film Festival, will be joined by, among others, festival director colleagues Renata de Almeida and Ivan Melo of the Sao Paulo Iff as well as Manoel Rangel and Eduardo Valente of film funder Ancine, André Sturm of Cinema do Brasil, producers Sara Silveira (Dezenove Som et Imagem), Eliane Ferreira (Muiraquita Filmes) and Elias Ribeiro (Urucu Media), distributors Jean-Thomas Bernardini (Imovision) and Marcos De Oliveira (Europa Filmes), and sales agent Sandro Fiorin (Figa Films).
Carte Blanche focus on Brazil
The fourth edition of Locarno’s Carte Blanche showcase will be the focus of the Brazilian presence at the Swiss festival with the presentation of new Brazilian features and documentaries by their...
- 7/29/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
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