Working Films launched the Docs In Action Film Fund in early 2018 to support the production of short documentaries that address critical issues of social and environmental justice. Our inaugural call for applications sought non-fiction films illuminating “Just Recovery”, defined as the long-term cultural changes, planning, partnerships, investment, and infrastructure needed to build intersectional models and alternatives for communities at risk and impacted by catastrophic climate disasters.

We are thrilled to announce that the inaugural Docs In Action Film Fund recipients are Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi for We Still Here (working title) and Julie Winokur for The Sacrifice Zone.

Working Films will award $30,000 in completion funds to both projects.

We Still Here by Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi

Hurricane Maria brought an unprecedented level of devastation to Puerto Rico that has affected the present and future of an island already in crisis. We Still Here (Tentative Title) brings the community of Palomas, a barrio in Comerío (one of the hardest hit municipalities) into the public light. In response to the government’s disregard and poor relief management, residents activated themselves by taking control of rebuilding efforts and transforming their lives. We Still Here  documents the lives of three young people from Palomas as they rebuild and reconstruct their community and showcase for the world a new model for Just Recovery.

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The Sacrifice Zone by Julie Winokur

When Hurricane Sandy hit Newark, New Jersey in 2012, it unleashed toxic sludge in the Ironbound neighborhood, already one of the most polluted communities in America. The Sacrifice Zone follows one young crusader as she fights for environmental security before another natural disaster strikes. From Environmental Justice Tours to Community Right-To-Know filings, from green infrastructure projects to air quality monitoring, Maria Lopez-Nuñez and the Ironbound Community Corporation are organizing residents to regain control of their neighborhood and hold industrial polluters accountable.

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Working Films is committed to accountable media creation, production, technical assistance, and training with communities who are building a generative future through a just and equitable transition away from exploitation of our people and the planet. We therefore gave special consideration to selecting directors whose work demonstrates this commitment to the communities featured in their projects. The short films selected for Docs in Action funding will become a part of a curated set of films to be used within community engagement efforts that are being developed by Working Films, in consultation with the filmmakers and partner organizations.

The Docs in Action Film Fund is made possible with support from the
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation