Posted on January 23, 2009

Sundance Institute Awards First Grants for Documentaries About Social Entrepreneurs

The Sundance Institute has announced the first grants awarded through its Stories of Change: Social Entrepreneurship in Focus Through Documentary initiative, a three-year, $3 million partnership with the Skoll Foundation designed to explore the role of film in advancing knowledge about social entrepreneurship.

The initiative works to create new opportunities for social entrepreneurs and documentary filmmakers to collaborate; supports the development and production of feature-length, independent documentary films that examine social entrepreneurship as an innovative approach to the central challenges of our time; and convenes leading documentary filmmakers and social entrepreneurs at global gatherings, including the Skoll World Forum and the Sundance Film Festival.

"Social entrepreneurs are working on some of the biggest challenges the planet faces, from climate change to water scarcity to conflict. They have created workable solutions to tough problems, and it's important to tell their stories both to inform and inspire people," said Skoll Foundation president and CEO Sally Osberg. "We're extremely pleased with the caliber of submissions to the Stories of Change initiative and look forward to seeing the outcome of these collaborations between filmmakers and social entrepreneurs."

For information on the Stories of Change projects, visit the Sundance Institute blog.