Perspective Films, a new documentary co-production venture led by independent producer Jess Devaney, has announced its first slate of films. Diversity may report privately. The subjects of Perspective’s first five documentaries include the conflict between federal immigration enforcement and Minneapolis citizens, the war in Gaza, and the invention of C-SPAN.
“Each story on this list is about who gets to shape history — a concert that ignited a movement, a network that opened the halls of power to the public, and residents who documented state violence as it unfolded,” Devaney said. “These films bring together Oscar-winning directors, experienced producers, and a journalist reporting from a war zone. They are collaborators of extraordinary talent and courage, and we are proud to partner on their forward-thinking films.”
Devaney, Perspective’s narrative strategist and founder of Multitude Films, joined the label in May. His previous credits include “Life After,” “Pray Away” and “Power” for Netflix, the Emmy-winning “Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power” and HBO’s “How We Get Free.”
Under the leadership of program officer Andrew Catauro, Perspective Films was created from the Perspective Fund’s Documentary Film Support program, which offers grant funding for nonfiction projects. Selected productions receive awards of up to $375,000 towards development, filming, post-production or distribution. Perspective Films also offers guidance at every step of the filmmaking process, from idea to release.
See Perspective Film’s initial listing below.
“They Are Here,” which premiered at the Venice and New York Film Festivals this year, is a documentary that progresses like a horror movie, telling the story of Edén Villa (a pseudonym) and the anonymous residents of Minneapolis escaping and resisting the paramilitary occupation of their city. Told in the tradition of dystopian cinema, “THY’RE HERE” is set in a winter landscape where masked agents kidnap children, residents travel in trunks, chained prisoners are loaded onto planes within sight of vacationers, and cyclists track the movements of an occupying force. It is directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras and Minneapolis filmmaker Rachel Lauren Mueller. Producers: Rachel Lauren Mueller, Laura Poitras, Yoni Golijov. Screening at film festivals.
“THE PEOPLE’S NETWORK” traces the nearly fifty-year evolution of C-SPAN from a bold experiment to a major civic institution. C-SPAN, which revolutionized access to government in the cable era, now faces a new era and a renewed question: How can the public be best served at a time when America needs it most? Directed by Alyse Shorland; Produced by Darcy McKinnon and Sara Archambault. In production.
Details of the “UNTITLED GAZA DOCUMENTARY” were under embargo until publication. It is managed by Anonymous. Produced, written and edited by Rabab Haj Yahya; It is produced by Ayah Selene and Münir Atalla. In post production.
“FARM AID” tells the story of how in 1985, Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp organized what they thought would be a one-time benefit concert for small family farmers. Forty years later, the crisis has reached another breaking point, and the movement to prevent rural America from disappearing is still struggling. Directed by Kathlyn Horan; It is produced by Academy Award nominees Julie Goldman and Christopher Clements and Emmy winner J. Daniel Torres. In production.
“UNTITLED POLICE DOCUMENTARY” explores media and cultural depictions of policing. Directed by Academy Award nominated director Geeta Gandbhir; It is produced by Academy Award-nominated producer Alisa Payne. In development.