Two Projects Announced for the Peng Zhao and Cherry Chen Fund for AAPI Voices at Kartemquin
CHICAGO, IL [AUGUST 15, 2022] — Kartemquin Films is pleased to announce the first two projects supported by the Peng Zhao and Cherry Chen Fund for AAPI Voices: Untitled Scientist Project by director Jiayan “Jenny” Shi and Spirited by director Joua Lee Grande. Both filmmakers are alumni of Kartemquin’s acclaimed Diverse Voices in Documentary program.
This first round of the multi-year fund supports two filmmakers with $50,000 co-production awards towards production, and mentorship through 2022 within the award-winning Kartemquin collaborative production model.
The purpose of this initiative is to invest funds and critical support in AAPI-identifying filmmakers making documentary films that center AAPI voices and deepen their audiences’ understanding of the complexity and diversity of the AAPI communities in the US.
“These two films represent countless stories yet to be told, stories that have the power to shape the world we live in,” said Kartemquin Executive Director Betsy Leonard. “Both films bring nuance, depth, and dimensionality to the ‘truths’ we think we know, but equally important, they unleash the power of getting to see yourself in a story, on screen, and behind the camera.”
“I learned how to make independent documentaries in Kartemquin’s Diverse Voices in Docs fellowship in 2018,” said Untitled Scientist Project director Jiayan “Jenny” Shi. “Kartemquin has been a crucial part of my career since then, and I’m so thrilled to be selected for the AAPI Voices Fund and work with Kartemquin again! I also want to thank Peng and Cherry who have provided resources to elevate AAPI voices and stories. This grant will help me bring the project to the next level as I continue capturing how Chinese Americans confront systemic racism while experiencing the current anti-Asian sentiment.”
“I’m excited and grateful to receive this grant which will allow me to push forward significantly in elevating Spirited as we push through production,” said Spirited director Joua Lee Grande.
The application for cycle two of funding for the AAPI Voices Fund is open now. Seed funding is available for projects in early development to support in the development of treatments, pitch decks, proof of concept demos, pitch support and forum participation.
More on the cycle one AAPI Voices Fund projects:
Untitled Scientist Project
Director: Jiayan “Jenny” Shi
When two respected scientists of Chinese descent in the U.S. come under scrutiny for national security concerns, they suffer irreversible personal and societal consequences.
Jiayan “Jenny” Shi is an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker who is passionate about stories that find shared humanity and compassion. Her debut documentary “Finding Yingying” (MTV Documentary Films) has won numerous awards including the Special Jury Recognition for Breakthrough Voice at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival and a China Academy Award of Documentary Films, and was nominated for a News & Documentary Emmy award. Jenny’s work has appeared on Paramount +, MTV, BBC News, PBS NewsHour, Insider and Bilibili. She has also contributed to projects on Netflix, Discovery Channel, Tencent, and Google, among others. Jenny is a graduate of Kartemquin’s Diverse Voices In Docs program, a TFI Network alum, a Women at Sundance Adobe fellow, a Logan Nonfiction Program fellow, and a DOC NYC “40 Under 40” filmmaker.
Spirited
Director: Joua Lee Grande
Like many young Hmong Americans, a filmmaker searches to reconnect with her community’s shamanic traditions while working to build connections across racial and cultural lines.
Joua Lee Grande is a Minneapolis-based filmmaker and community educator whose goal to uplift under-told stories and underrepresented communities drives her work. Her short documentary On All Fronts aired on WORLD Channel and PBS digital starting May 2022 as part of the Asian Americans Stories of Resilience & Beyond series. Her work has screened in festivals such as CAAMFest, L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival, Qhia Dab Neeg Film Festival and more. She is currently a Jerome Hill Artist Fellow and was a MediaJustice Network Fellow and Diverse Voices in Docs Fellow.
Joua previously worked as an editor at WCCO TV 4 News (CBS Affiliate). She has 10 years working in and with community to empower marginalized storytellers, families and youth through organizing and nonprofit work. She designed and led various community art and media education programs at institutions across the Twin Cities metro area.
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ABOUT KARTEMQUIN FILMS
Sparking democracy through documentary since 1966, Kartemquin is a collaborative center empowering filmmakers who create documentaries that foster a more engaged and just society.
The organization’s films have received four Academy Award ® nominations and won several major prizes, including six Emmys, four Peabody Awards, multiple Independent Spirit, IDA, PGA and DGA awards, and duPont-Columbia and Robert F. Kennedy journalism awards. Kartemquin is recognized as a leading advocate for independent public media, and has helped hundreds of artists via its filmmaker development programs that help further grow the field, such as KTQ Labs, Diverse Voices in Docs, and the acclaimed KTQ Internship.
Kartemquin is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization based in Chicago. www.kartemquin.com
MORE ABOUT THE FUNDER
The Fund represents a substantial investment by Mr. Zhao and Ms. Chen, building on their long standing commitment to accelerating opportunity and prosperity for the 23 million members of the AAPI community in the United States. Mr. Zhao is a founding board member of The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), which has become a catalyzing force for improving AAPI advocacy, power, and representation across American society. Mr. Zhao and Ms. Chen have also convened and funded a variety of other initiatives focused on supporting their home community of Chicago and elevating AAPI voices, including through their support of the award-winning documentary “Finding Yingying,” a Kartemquin film directed by Jenny Shi.
