Color Congress Initiative Supports Third World Newsreel and other BIPOC-led Documentary Organizations

(New York, NY) The Color Congress, a newly-formed documentary intermediary organization led by Sahar Driver and Sonya Childress, has awarded $1.3 million dollars in unrestricted grants to 17 people of color-led documentary organizations across the United States and territories.

Sonya Childress and Sahar Driver, Color Congress Co-Directors

“Many of these organizations offer a creative home for documentary filmmakers of color that may not otherwise be served, while others ensure there are viable distribution pathways for the films that are produced,” explains Sonya Childress, Color Congress Co-Director in a press release. “Collectively these organizations expand the reach, definition, and impact of documentary film,” she adds.

JT Takagi, TWN Executive Director, said, “TWN is honored to be one of 17 documentary organizations that received unrestricted 2-year grants from the Color Congress. Thanks to all our students, fellows, filmmakers and community members for working with us, and thanks to the Color Congress for supporting us!”

Third World Newsreel is in good company with indie film theaters, film associations, and film collectives, including:

• La Asociación de Documentalistas de Puerto Rico (AdocPR)
• Arab Film and Media Institute
• Arkansas Soul Media
• Beyond Inclusion
• Bitchitra Collective
• Black Documentary Collective
• Comfrey Films (fka House of Pentacles)
• Distribution Advocates
• Entre Film Center
• Hayti Heritage Film Festival
• Klamath Trinity Resource Conservation District
• Lede New Orleans
• The Luminal Theater
• Mezcla Media Collective
• No Evil Eye Cinema
• Open Doors/Reality Poets

The 17 inaugural grantees were selected from a pool of over 120 organizations that serve historically disenfranchised communities, in regions outside of the major media hubs, most without any national funding, and operating with less than a $300k annual budget.

Color Congress is supported by the Ford Foundation’s JustFilms initiative, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Perspective Fund. For further information on Color Congress and its grants, visit its website.

Third World Newsreel (TWN) is an alternative media arts organization that fosters the creation, appreciation and dissemination of independent film and video by and about people of color and social justice issues. Visit twn.org.