At Cinereach we are always looking for fresh ways to further our mission. We're committed to doing whatever it takes to drive change including hosting events, contests, and special programs. Read more about specific projects below and check back with us to learn about upcoming initiatives. 

The Reach Film Fellowship

The Reach Film Fellowship is a contest designed to encourage young, emerging talent to produce socially aware media. Winning filmmakers are awarded $5,000 to produce their short documentary or narrative films; support from Kodak, Avid, GOOD Magazine, Dean's Beans, and Gotham Sound; mentorship; workshops; and a premiere of their films.

Congratulations to Dena Greenbaum, Jules Monteyne, Brendon McQueen, and Danielle Russell, our four Reach Film Fellows of 2008! Each of our four 2008 fellows impressed the judges with tremendous creative potential and a unique approach to a complex issue. Their projects, to be produced between now and spring 2009, are listed below.

This year workshops and topics covered will include screenwriting, cinematography, low-budget producing, editing, distribution and more. These workshops are led by “Advisors,” experienced industry professionals. Coverage of the workshops will be made public via the RFF blog and web site so that the wider filmmaking community
can benefit.

We are thrilled that the following individuals have signed on as Advisors thus far:
Edet Belzberg (Children Underground, The Recruiter)
Ellen Kuras (Swoon, 4 Little Girls, Blow, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Heart of Gold, The Betrayal (Nerakhoon))
Susan Leber (Margarita Happy Hour, The Technical Writer, Adrift in Manhattan, Down to the Bone)
Paola Mendoza (Autumn’s Eyes, Entre Nos)
Afia Nathaniel (Nadah, Butterfly, IFP Market Screenplay Award, AMPAS Top 100 Screenplays)

The mentors meet with the Fellows over the course of production and are available to provide guidance and advice.

This year's Mentors include:
Renee Bishop (PBS’ National Series Farmer’s Almanac TV, False River)
Nicole Kassell (The Woodsman, CBS’ Cold Case)
So Yong Kim (In Between Days, Treeless Mountain)
Jeremy Kipp Walker (Half Nelson, Sugar)

Last year's Mentors included:
Albert Maysles (Grey Gardens, Gimme Shelter, LaLee’s Kin: The Legacy of Cotton )
Rachel Grady (Boys of Baraka, Jesus Camp)
Sandi DuBowski (Trembling Before G-d, A Jihad for Love)
Afia Nathaniel (Nadah, Butterfly, IFP Market Screenplay Award, AMPAS Top 100 Screenplays).

Brendon McQueen - Skip Rocks
Brendon McQueen, a student of Columbia's Film Studies program, weaves a tale of intergenerational alienation and connectedness between a 12-year-old girl and a grandmother who suffers from Alzheimer’s. The Cinereach judges saw tenderness and humor in Brendon’s script.

Jules Monteyne - I Go to War with Everything That Doesn't Make Sense in a Bathtub
A recent grad of NYU, Jules Monteyne approached Cinereach with an ambitious script and a knack for quirky, humorous dialogue. His story explores racial tension and stereotyping among teenagers, and the ways in which the adults in their lives influence that
tension.

Dena Greenbaum - Blues
The Crown Heights, Brooklyn riots of the early 1990s are the tense backdrop of Dena Greenbaum's (NYU) Blues. Two young boys, a religious Jew and an African American meet and, both closet Jazz enthusiasts, begin to form a unique friendship until their social worlds make their friendship impossible.

Danielle Russell - Bridging the Gap
A Film/TV Major at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Danielle aims to re-create a film she made for a production class. Inspired by the experience of seeing her young children enter a highly segregated public school system, her film will revive the spirit and cause of the Civil Rights movement and infuse it with a new call to action.

One of the filmmakers will be awarded an additional $5,000 for the film that most successfully achieves the goals Cinereach has outlined for his or her project. Sponsors at the highest tier of participation are also invited to name an award. The awards will be presented at “Reach Out” in the spring.

Check out media coverage of the 2007 Reach Film Fellowship in Filmmaker Magazine, The Huffington Post, NYMag.com, indieWIRE, and Hollywood Reporter

Celebration of Filmmakers for Human Rights
In conjunction with the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, Cinereach hosts an annual dinner to recognize up-and-coming filmmakers making an impact with their work. Each year a select group of filmmakers are honored at an exclusive dinner in New York City. Congratulations to our 2008 honorees: Edet Belzberg, Julie Bridgham, Carl Deal, Lisa F. Jackson, Ellen Kuras, Tia Lessin, Thavisouk Phrasavath, Afia Nathaniel, Jennifer Venditti, and Tamar Yarom. We look forward to continuing this tradition!

Reach Out
Reach Out is an annual celebration showcasing the achievements of The Reach Film Fellows and highlighting Cinereach’s work. The first annual Reach Out was held at The Gramercy Park Hotel on March 19th and hosted by Mira Nair. Guests enjoyed previews of the Reach Films and chatted with Cinereach staff about current and past projects and future collaborations. Click here to check out photos from the party.