The Documentary Development Initiative is a new partnership between The Gotham and HBO Documentary Films. The program is created for storytellers who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and/or storytellers with disabilities. The program’s intent is to provide resources to develop thought-provoking, character-driven contemporary ideas for documentary films and limited series.

Through this initiative, up to 10 selected filmmakers will be given grants of $50,000 for research and creative development at an early stage. HBO and The Gotham will provide resources and mentorship to support the development of documentary projects. Initial funding may be used for creative development and ideation, research, treatment development, securing access, initial shooting and the production of work samples, trailers, etc.

A grant from the fund would usually be the “first money in” from an outside source, though in some cases it could be a supplement to another initial small grant. The opportunity will exist for select grantees to receive follow-up grants for additional development. Grantees will also be paired with an established documentary filmmaker who will serve as their mentor for the duration of the program.

Ideas generated through the initiative will be offered to HBO on a “first-look” basis, giving HBO the first opportunity to make an offer to develop them further. Funding for this grant is sponsored by HBO Documentary Films, OneFifty, and WBD Access.

Click here for more info and to apply! The deadline is Jul. 26.

The Black List & Women In Film, Los Angeles Set Participants For 2022 Feature Residency

Courtesy of Deadline

The Black List and Women in Film, Los Angeles have set Ana Brown (Trash Pandas), Audrey Rosenberg (Wild Animals), Christina YR Lim (Gyopo), Rebecca Christian (Sankofa Selah), Sabeen Amanat Farooq (Burn Your Idols) and Zoey Towner (Great American Highway) as the participants for their fifth consecutive Feature Residency, which provides six promising screenwriters of underrepresented genders with a year’s worth of mentorship and career opportunities.

Read more here.

CAA Promotes Six To Agent

Courtesy of Deadline

CAA has promoted Chris Burrus, Inder Gill, Sophie Kavanagh, Zakaria Laaboudi, Arlen Papazian and Kara Petit to Agent following the participation of each in CAA Elevate, the agency’s program for agents and executives in training.

Read more here.

Supreme Court Rulings Rocked — and Rallied — the 2022 CAA Amplify Summit

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter

Del Shaw founding partner Storm Reid, director Ava DuVernay and actor Nina Shaw discuss empathy and the grief regarding the loss of reproductive rights at the CAA Amplify summit in a session moderated by CAA motion pictures co-head Maha Dakhil. Amplify had been an intimate, invite-only retreat for the 200 executives, creatives and thought leaders to learn about social and business-relevant issues both urgent and timeless and to find communion among allies.

Click here to read the highlights from the entertainment industry-related sessions.