The Women In Film Foundation (WIFF) is thrilled to announce the successful completion of its 24th Annual Film Finishing Fund. This year, entries were reviewed by the wonderful team of WIFF, WIF Board volunteers and industry professionals. Finalists were ultimately chosen from a field of applicants from all over the world. This year's award-winning films are made up of 8 unique documentaries.
Thanks to sponsorship by Netflix of our program, we were able to award eight films finishing funds this year. Of the 110 film submissions, 15 were selected for the final round of consideration and eight recipients were chosen. Winners include: Catherine Gund from New York, for the documentary feature What's on your Plate?; Weimin Zhang from Santa Clara, CA, for the documentary feature The House of Spirit; Marilyn Ness from New York, for the documentary feature Bad Blood: A Cautionary Tale; Lilly Rivlin from New York, for the documentary feature Grace Paley: Collected Shorts; Rebecca Richman Cohen from Brooklyn for the documentary feature War Don Don; Tisha Blood from Dallas, for the documentary feature Torey's Distraction; Aviva Kempner from Washington, D.C., for the documentary feature Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg; and Kiran Deol from Studio City, CA, for the documentary feature Woman Rebel.
The WIFF Film Finishing Fund supports filmmakers who make thoughtful and provocative films by or about women. The program was created to assist filmmakers seeking completion funds for works which demonstrate advanced, innovative skills and which relate to the goals of Women In Film. The only one of its kind, the WIFF Film Finishing Fund is in its 24th year of existence and has awarded more than $1.6 million in cash and in-kind services.
The Foundation sincerely thanks Netflix, Kim Roussel at Cinespace, and our amazing panel of judges for their invaluable support.
The 2009 Film Finishing Fund Recipients:
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BAD BLOOD: A CAUTIONARY TALE This documentary exposes the troubling relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and the FDA by recounting the tragic story of the 10,000 hemophiliacs infected with HIV and 15,000 infected with hepatitis from their FDA-approved medication.
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GRACE PALEY: COLLECTED SHORTS The story presents a unique poet and master of the short story through her writings, life as a political activist, teacher, and beloved friend to countless fans and followers. Grace Paley, a child of immigrants who fled oppression, demonstrates what it is to be a citizen in a country where one has the freedom to act on one’s beliefs.
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THE HOUSE OF SPIRIT Shao Fang, and her late husband, Sheng Pao, apprenticed with Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1940s. Later, this Chinese couple designed and built a house by themselves. This film is a personal documentary of this indomitable soul and her spiritual house.
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TOREY'S DISTRACTION Torey Harrah was born with Alpert Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that causes skeletal mutation and craniofacial anormalities. The film begins as Torey and her family prepare for the experimental surgery that will not only save Torey’s brain, but give her a new face.
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WAR DON DON The story of the trial of Issa Sesay, a rebel commander of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), and a key player in the peace process, who now stands accused of crimes against humanity. Through the trial of a rebel leader in Sierra Leone, a nation faces its wartime past.
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WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE? A documentary about kids and food politics: over the course of one year, the film follows two eleven-year-old multi-racial city kids as they explore their place in the food chain.
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WOMAN REBEL Over the course of a controversial ten year revolution in Nepal, 40% of the guerilla army fighting against the government were women. WOMAN REBEL follows the story of one such woman (codename “Silu”) on her incredible journey, from the jungles, all the way to Parliament.
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YOO-HOO, MRS.GOLDBERG A documentary about the life of Gertrude Berg, an American Jewish heroine who emerged during some of the most difficult years for Americans. She was the creator, principal writer, and star of the popular 1930s radio show and 1950s TV sitcom "The Goldbergs."
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