Project: Hatched

 

Project: Hatched 2021 guides directors as they develop strategic impact campaigns and release their social-issue projects into the world. This year, the program supported twelve films and filmmaking teams with grant funds totaling $240,000, impact planning and implementation mentorship, goal-setting for professional development with our Senior Creative Team, and peer support from their cohort.

 

Project: Hatched 2021 supported short and feature films: Dope Is Death; Down a Dark Stairwell; Since I Been Down; Unapologetic; Fruits of Labor; And So I Stayed; Daughter of a Lost Bird; Manzanar, Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust; I’m Free Now, You Are Free; On The Divide; Change The Name; and Storm Lake. The Project: Hatched 2022 Open Call will launch on December 1, 2021!

 
 
 

On The Divide 

Dirs. Maya Cueva, Leah Galant
Prods.
Melanie Miller, Diane Becker, Amanda Spain, Elizabeth Woodward

On The Divide follows the story of three Latinx people living in McAllen, Texas with differing views on reproductive health, who are all connected by the last abortion clinic on the US-Mexico border.

Highlights: Premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and participated in rePRO Film Fest, a film festival that advocates for reproductive justice

Impact: Connect Texans to reproductive rights resources, after recent anti-abortion laws were passed in the state

Unapologetic

Dir. Ashley O'Shay
Prod.
Morgan Elise Johnson

Unapologetic follows Janaé and Bella, two young, Black queer women coming of age within the Movement for Black Lives in Chicago. 

Highlights: Nationwide theatrical release in August 2021, with runs in Chicago, South Carolina, Massachusetts, and more

Impact: Put the film directly in the hands of organizers and activists continuing Black liberation work; use Unapologetic as a tool to bring conversations around the Movement for Black Lives to the forefront of cultural conversations

Fruits of Labor 

Dir. Emily Cohen Ibañez
Prod. Emily Cohen Ibañez

A teenage farmworker dreams of graduating high school, while ICE raids in her community threaten to separate her family and force her to become her family's breadwinner.

Highlights: Fruits of Labor premiered on POV on PBS in October and is available to stream

Impact: Execute a multi-year campaign for mixed-status (documented and undocumented) families and farm workers, with a focus on centering young Latinas

 

Dope is Death

Dir. Mia Donovan
Prod.
Bob Moore 

Dope is Death tells the story of how radical politics and direct community action birthed the first acupuncture drug detoxification program in America.

Highlights: Dope is Death filmmakers hosted an accompanying podcast; the film was featured in The Washington Post and Hyperallergic, among other outlets 

Impact: Work with partners at NADA (National Acupuncture Detox Association), NYHRE (New York Harm Reduction Educators), and Acupuncture Nation to spread the word about drug detoxification and community care

And So I Stayed

Dirs. Natalie Pattillo, Daniel A. Nelson
Prods. Natalie Pattillo, Daniel A. Nelson

And So I Stayed is a documentary about survivors of domestic violence who are unjustly incarcerated for killing their abusers in self-defense.

Highlights: Launched the #FreeSurvivorsTour, which included screening partners across the country that aim to motivate their communities to advocate for survivors who are unjustly criminalized, living with their abuser, or are healing after leaving a violent relationship 

Impact: Survivor-led campaign that aims to free more survivors who are incarcerated

Project: Hatched is generously supported by our donors who provide us with General Operating Support. Additional support comes from The New York Community Trust / Elizabeth Meyer Lorentz Fund.