Posted on February 21, 2011

Tribeca Film Institute, Ford Foundation to Support New Media Projects

The Tribeca Film Institute has announced the launch of a New Media Fund and a long-term partnership with the New York City-based Ford Foundation to support projects that explore issues of social justice.

Through the New Media Fund, TFI will provide a total of $750,000 to projects that integrate film with new media content to activate audiences around social justice issues. During the initiative's first year, nonfiction film projects that demonstrate the power of direct audience engagement and cross-platform storytelling will receive between $50,000 and $100,000 each. Through its JustFilms initiative, the Ford Foundation will increase its support of TFI starting in 2012 by contributing $1 million annually over five years to support New Media Fund projects.

"Our JustFilms initiative reflects our recognition that stories can be powerful instruments of change," said JustFilms director Orlando Bagwell. "Our partnership with the Tribeca Film Institute is an exciting step forward into a new world of storytelling that leverages cross-platform media to help capture imaginations and engage audiences around the world in addressing some of the most pressing social issues of our time."