The Rogovy Foundation News

Learn more here! Check this page regularly for updates to projects and issues we support.

Summer 2017 Awards

Four Documentaries Awarded Summer 2017 Grants from The Rogovy Foundation

We are pleased to announce the Miller / Packan Documentary Film Fund Summer 2017 award winners. The Fund awards grants totaling $150,000 to between six and ten film projects annually through Summer and Winter open calls.

The Fund’s four selections represent a cross section of interests that the Foundation supports. The award winners for this Summer period are:

Unzipped — A provocative feature documentary about the growing economic and political divide, and a search for the remarkable people who are re-defining a new American Dream. Director: Colin Keith Gray. www.unzippedmovie.com

Appellations — Continents apart from one another, two farming families aim to reinvent themselves on their land. One family—an elegant French matriarch and the son she raised among her vines—tends a centuries-old, biodynamic vineyard in the Southern Rhône. Across the ocean in Humboldt, California, another family carefully manage a state-recognized, organic cannabis farm. Director: Rebecca Richman Cohen.

Going Big Time — The untold story of Rutgers University’s quarter-century quest for sports glory, and the small band of resisters who challenged the establishment for control of the school’s future, transforming it from a small colonial college into a global sports brand. The film examines the world of American higher education and the struggle to balance academics and athletics. Director: Robert Andersen. www.robertandersenfilm.com/rutgers-doc/

Fiddlin’ — From their front porches in the Appalachian Mountains, talented musicians and captivating storytellers share a fierce determination to keep Old Time and Bluegrass music alive. Passing this uplifting music from one generation to the next, fiddlers and pickers, young and old, gather for frequent jam sessions without a cell phone in sight. Director: Julie Simone.

During the Summer open call, over 300 documentary film projects were submitted to the Miller / Packan Film Fund. “We’re quite excited by each of the selected film’s topics,” says Hugh Rogovy, Foundation Founder. “There’s a good deal of breadth,” added Asher Rogovy, Foundation Vice-President, “and we believe these films will have wide appeal.”

Applications are now being accepted for the Winter 2018 open call, which ends November 15th.

Summer 2017 Awards

June 19, 2017 |

2017 Frontier Fund

To bolster the commitment to one of our key programs of interest, Civics, The Rogovy Foundation’s Frontier Fund has chosen to distribute $50,000 among several non-profit organizations which strengthen public knowledge and transparency.

The Rogovy Foundation places great value on the “Fourth Estate,” and supports journalism’s essential role in a functioning democracy. Below are the organizations receiving grants.

Project Specific Funding:

The Center for Responsive Politics — Speaking Freely, whose two earlier editions in book form were highly popular and published to critical acclaim, will be updated in a “film first” format. The project documents the influence of money in politics through first-hand accounts of those directly involved. OpenSecrets.org

General Operating Funding:

The Center for Investigative Reporting — Seed funding for “The (Un)Scientific Method,” a new project whose mission is to uncover important stories about the powerful ways in which Washington and the new Administration negatively influence scientific innovation, research and decision making. RevealNews.org
Project on Government Oversight — In addition to augmenting its investigative capacity, these funds will be used to expand their work to protect the ability of Federal Employees to speak out. pogo.org
ProPublica — Pulitzer-prize winning independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. ProPublica.org
The Center for Public Integrity — Reveals abuses of power, corruption and betrayal of public trust by powerful public and private institutions. Five CPI investigations were recently honored in three prestigious journalism competitions, including first prize for The Panama Papers. Publicintegrity.org
Sunlight Foundation — Sunlight dedicates their effort and vision to use technology enabling more complete, equitable and effective democratic participation. SunlightFoundation.org
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics— CREW uses aggressive legal action, in-depth research, and bold communications to reduce the influence of money in politics and help foster a government that is ethical and accountable. CitizensForEthics.org

We’re very pleased to support these hard-working organizations during this important period.

Frontier Fund 2017 Awards

April 26, 2017 |

Armistead Maupin to premiere at SXSW !

Congratulations to one of our 2017 Winter Award Winners: The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin!
The film will be premiering at this year’s SXSW Film Festival in March!
Schedule and details can be found on the SXFW website.

This March The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin, a new documentary about the man behind Tales of the City, is making its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. The film “celebrates one of the world’s most beloved storytellers, following his evolution from a conservative son of the Old South into a gay rights pioneer whose novels inspired millions to reclaim their lives.” It’s directed by Jennifer M. Kroots who previously helmed the George Takei documentary To Be Takei.

February 7, 2017 |

Winter 2017 Awards

Four Documentaries Awarded Winter 2017 Grants from The Rogovy Foundation.

The Rogovy Foundation is pleased to announce the Miller / Packan Documentary Film Fund Winter 2017 award winners. The Fund awards grants totaling $150,000 to between six and ten film projects annually through its Summer and Winter open calls.

The Fund’s four selections represent a cross section of interests that the Foundation supports. The award winners for this Winter period are:

The Quiet Zone — In the radio-silent town of Green Bank, West Virginia — the only town in America with no cell phones or WiFi — astronomers search for life beyond our planet as local residents struggle to live, love, grow up, relocate and evolve on earth. Director: Katie Dellamaggiore.

The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin — Interviews and stories follow the renowned author’s journey from intolerant conservative to beloved writer known for his outrageous wit and open heart. Director: Jennifer Kroot. www.documentary.org/film/untold-tales-armistead-maupin

The Guardians — An investigative documentary that examines the complicated history of court- appointed guardians in Nevada. Director: Billie Mintz.

In the Closed Room — Each year several American suspects confess to a crime they did not commit. Experts say that trained interrogators can get anybody to confess to anything. Defense lawyer Jane is determined to make this insanity stop. Director: Katrine Philp. www.goodcompanypictures.com/in-the-closed-room

During the Winter open call, nearly 200 documentary film projects were submitted to the Miller / Packan Film Fund. “We’re moved by the quantity, quality and scope of the projects submitted,” says Hugh Rogovy, Foundation Founder. “There’s an army of non-fiction filmmakers out there,” added Asher Rogovy, Foundation Vice-President, “working tirelessly to make a difference.”

Applications are now being accepted for the Summer 2017 open call, which ends May 15th.

2017 Winter Awards

January 9, 2017 |

Gucci Tribeca Award Winners

Congratulations to the seven Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund award winners. We are particularly pleased to see My Country, No More directed and produced by Rita Baghdadi and Jeremiah Hammerling, and supported by the Rogovy Foundation, as one of the winners!

Gucci Tribeca Fund Names Documentary Projects to Receive $150,000 in Grants

The Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund and the AOL Charitable Foundation Awards have named seven films to receive a total of $150,000 in grants, for documentaries touching on subjects that range from a right-wing insurrection to American immigrants infiltrating detention centers to a diverse Brownie troop.

In the past the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund awarded grants to a larger number of documentaries, but this year curbed the final tally in an effort to allocate more funds to each project. Over the last nine years, the Fund has supported 73 films and handed out $1.15 million in grants.

In the second year that the AOL Charitable Foundation joins the Gucci Tribeca Fund, those awards go to three out of the seven projects whose documentaries illuminate the lives of women and youth around the globe…

VARIETY.COM|BY MARIA CAVASSUTO

July 29, 2016 |

SolarAid Grant

In March 2016, The Rogovy Foundation partnered with the international development charity SolarAid to reach over 38,000 people with life-changing solar lights in the Western and Rift Valley provinces of Kenya.

SolarAid enables access to clean and affordable energy through its social enterprise, SunnyMoney, which seeks to create trust and demand for solar lights in rural Africa through its ‘trade-not-aid’ model.

93% of the rural population in Kenya does not have access to electricity. Most families resort to using the toxic kerosene lamp to light their homes at night. Kerosene only serves to imperil health, impair education, waste household income and emit astonishingly high amounts of carbon.

A small affordable solar light changes everything. Each solar light means a child studies one hour extra each evening. Parents can use the significant savings each year on better food, education or farming inputs. Health improves and life gets better.

“[Since the solar light] my lifestyle has changed, my kids eat well, study well and we are a happy family now.” -Dickson Murumbi in Kenya

The Rogovy Foundation has provided a grant to SolarAid to distribute 7,800 solar lights to empower thousands of families to escape the grinding cycle of poverty.

Over the conservatively estimated three year lifespan of the solar lights, the impact of this partnership will be:

• $2,76 million saved collectively by families to spend on food, schooling and to invest in their futures.

• 7.96 million extra study hours for children to improve their education.

• 11,721 tons of carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide equivalent emissions averted.

• 28,388 people experiencing better health because they are using a clean and renewable energy source.

More information available on their website and Facebook Page.

Photo by Patrick Bentley

June 20, 2016 |

Summer 2016 Awards

The Rogovy Foundation Announces Summer Awards to Five Documentary Filmmakers

(New York, NY). The Rogovy Foundation is pleased to announce the Miller / Packan Documentary Film Fund Summer award winners. The Fund awards grants totaling $150,000 to between six and ten film projects annually. The Summer open call ended May 15th, 2016, and the Winter open call ends November 15th, 2016.

The Fund’s five selections represent a cross section of interests that the Foundation supports. The Summer 2016 Winners are:

Night School — Three adult students, over the course of a school year, challenge themselves to improve their lives through education. Director: Andrew Cohn. www.nightschoolfilm.com

Silent Forests — In Cameroon and Congo’s lush jungles, one of Africa’s most iconic species – the forest elephant – is being slaughtered to extinction. These are the men and women who are fighting to stop the flow of illegal ivory. Director: Mariah Wilson. www.facebook.com/silentforests/

My Country No More — Generations of family farming tradition go up in flames as the North Dakota oil boom leaves human memory, culture and identity scorched in its wake. Director: Rita Baghdadi. www.mycountrynomore.com

Pigeon Kings — Black and Latino men from South Central Los Angeles, who have a passion for breeding and training this acrobatic breed, prepare to compete in the Roller Pigeon World Cup. Director: Milena Pastreich. www.milenapastreich.com/birdmen.html

Losing Sight of Shore — The extraordinary journey of four women that row the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Australia unsupported. They are the first team, and the fastest team, to ever accomplish this phenomenal feat. Director: Sarah Moshman. www.losingsightofshore.com

During this Summer open call, 279 documentary film projects were submitted to the Miller / Packan Film Fund. “We’re overwhelmed by the strong response and number of worthy projects submitted,” says Hugh Rogovy, Foundation Founder. “We chose projects based upon the ideals and values of the Foundation,” added Asher Rogovy, Foundation Vice-President, “along with the quality of the film we hope to see.”

Summer 2016 Awards

June 1, 2016 |

IDA Interview – Funder Friday

MARCH 14, 2016

#FunderFriday: Miller/Packan Film Fund from the Rogovy Foundation

BY LISA HASKO

IDA documentary.org

We’ve spoken to quite a few of you who are excited to apply to the freshly launched Miller / Packan Film Fund, so we went straight to the source and asked Hugh Rogovy, Founder and President of the Rogovy Foundation, to answer a few questions about their latest philanthropic endeavor. In this #FunderFriday installment, you will hear directly from Hugh what inspired the grant’s creation and how your project can get noticed amidst the many fantastic films applying for this highly competitive doc fund.

What inspired the Foundation to create the Miller / Packan Film Fund?

Documentary films can have an out-sized impact on specific issues. We’re a small foundation and the world has some very large problems. Our question was how can we best chip in, tackling these problems, given our size. We’ve already spent time in and around the film industry, and quickly realized that by supporting documentary film, our foundation can have a larger impact.

IDA: What’s the story behind ‘Miller / Packan’?

Mae Packan and Sally Miller were History and English teachers in a small Ohio public school system, spanning many decades, a long time ago. These two teachers had incredibly high standards for what makes a quality education, particularly when it comes to critical thinking and communication. They selflessly changed the lives of thousands of students. We value the awareness and skills that come from liberal arts.

Where did your passion for documentary film come from?

It stems from many sources, beginning with an interest in social change and how best to effect that change. In one sense, documentary films are a 21st Century form of essays. I’m not saying written essays are no longer valued, but film has a way of reaching people in a more engaging and visceral way.

Impact has become a major buzzword in the doc funding world over the past few years. What is the best way to determine if a film is a good fit for your grant?

Ideally, we are looking for projects that can open our eyes to societal change. They should be educational, entertaining and inspirational. Naturally this can be achieved in many ways, and many filmmakers position their projects this way. We try to step back and understand the message of the film and how it will influence its audience.

We appreciate that there are many compelling stories out there about individuals. However, we prefer stories with a collective significance, that may be told through individuals, rather than stories primarily about individuals.

Can an applicant speak with a grant officer at your organization directly?

Unfortunately we’re not set up for that. We all work remotely, and simply don’t have the bandwidth to handle direct conversations about projects. So we prefer emailed questions, and pride ourselves on our responsiveness. We do keep our Web site FAQs updated.

What are some recent films you feel exemplify the mission and goals outlined in The Miller / Packan Film fund?

There are many, big and small, and they are wide-ranging. Waiting for Superman, An Inconvenient Truth, Super Size Me, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Citizenfour, Brooklyn Castle. There are really many more. Let’s just say we’re excited about this period in time, which seems to be a golden age for documentary film. The access to technology, funding and distribution opens a world of possibilities.

Your main focus is to support films on education, the environment and civics. Are there any specific issues under those topics that you are looking to fund in 2016?

There are a couple topics we have discussed internally that we’d love to see made into films. The first is based upon the book Generations, by William Strauss and Neil Howe. It’s a fascinating look at a recurring generational cycle throughout our US history. Al Gore bought a copy for each member of congress when it came out. The other topic is about the change in society’s role models. Historically, role models tended to be national or community leaders who selflessly worked to improve the lives of others. Today, it seems like role models have an individual agenda and the media seems to relish their fall more than their rise.

www.documentary.org/blog/funderfriday-millerpackan-film-fund-rogovy-foundation

March 15, 2016 |

Load More Posts