In its inaugural year (2017), three projects were chosen for funding – GOING TO MARS, BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY and CALL HER GANDA. The filmmakers from the awarded projects and the jury – Cathy Carapella (music licensing), Shawn King (composer), and Jonathan Palmer (music supervisor and soundtrack producer) were joined together for a discussion about making the most of music in a documentary film during the 40th Denver Film Festival.
“The Denver Film Society is proud to announce the first round of funding through the Music on Film-Film on Music (MOFFOM) Documentary Grant Program,” says Festival Director, Britta Erickson. “This grant will provide much needed help to documentary filmmakers by awarding up to $20,000 annually in finishing funds for documentary productions, specifically for assisting with music for their films.”
The following films were selected as recipients in 2017:
GOING TO MARS
Director: Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project pushes the boundaries of biographical documentary storytelling to reveal the enduring influence of one of America’s greatest living artists and social commentators. Combining parallel cinematic story editing with visually innovative treatments of her poetry, together with intimate vérité, rich archival footage, and Giovanni’s own captivating contemporary performances, Going to Mars recounts the story of the artist and activist and the tumultuous historical periods in which she lived—from the Civil Rights Movement, to the Black Arts Movement, to present-day Black Lives Matter.
BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY
Director: Dava Whisenant
Once upon a time in the USA, Broadway and Business had a baby: the corporate musical. The film tells the story of one of Capitalism’s strangest creations and the comedy writer obsessed with rescuing this hidden world from obscurity.
CALL HER GANDA
Director: PJ Raval
Grassroots activists in the Philippines are spurred into action when a local transgender woman, Jennifer Laude, is brutally murdered by a US Marine. As they demand answers, and a just trial, hidden histories of US colonization and abuse come bubbling to the surface.