Grantees Celebrated at First-Ever One House Filmmakers Fund Soiree at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on October 26, 2024
The nonprofits Sundance Institute and Gold House are thrilled to announce the second cohort of 10 filmmakers for the Sundance Institute | One House Filmmakers Fund, a first-of-its-kind fund providing unrestricted financing, educational support, and amplification for filmmakers from historically underrepresented communities. The fund is made possible by the generous support of East West Bank Foundation, the charitable arm of East West Bank, furthering their dynamic work within the entertainment industry, supporting storytellers of all backgrounds to create impactful cultural dialogues. The grantees were chosen by a selection committee of executives from the Sundance Institute, Gold House, East West Bank Foundation, and leading multicultural organizations, the Blackhouse, GLAAD, Latinx House, and the NAACP Hollywood Bureau, who all united around the common cause of supporting underrepresented storytellers.
To announce this cohort of grantees, Sundance Institute, Gold House, and East West Bank Foundation hosted a special celebration on Saturday, October 26 — the One House Filmmakers Fund Soiree — with over 200+ industry leaders and tastemakers at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. The event also featured a special pitch session, where the 10 filmmakers were given an exclusive opportunity to pitch their projects to financiers and distributors. Attendees included Dominic Ng (Chairman and CEO, East West Bank), Janet Yang (President, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences), Aitch Alberto (Director, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe), Zainab Azizi (Producer, Sam Raimi Productions), Wesley Chan (WongFu Productions), Tzi Ma (Actor), Kyle Hanagami (Choreographer), Leah Lewis (Actor, Elemental), Eric Nam (Music Artist, Actor, Producer), Leroy Sanchez (Singer, Songwriter), Jeanne Yang (Manager, Stylist), Ramona Young (Actor), and more.
The demand for diverse stories and storytelling is clear. As UCLA’s annual Hollywood Diversity Report shows, “America’s increasingly diverse audiences prefer diverse content in streaming film releases.” However, while there has been progress on-camera — BIPOC representation on-camera in streaming film leads and total actors reached or exceeded proportional representation (45% and 48%, respectively) in 2023 — behind the camera, clear gaps in representation still exist. Less than 1 in 3 streaming film directors and writers identify as BIPOC. The same trends exist for women; less than 1 in 3 streaming film directors and less than half of writers are women.
To address these gaps, Sundance Institute and Gold House, with curatorial support from a collective of multicultural organizations, launched the One House Filmmakers Fund this January, powered by the inaugural financial support of East West Bank Foundation. The inaugural cohort of 10 filmmakers included Arun Bhattarai, whose documentary Agent of Happiness premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, and Jalena Keane-Lee, whose film Standing Above The Clouds premiered at Hot Docs this year and earned her a spot on Paper Magazine’s Top 5 Asian Creators to know.
The second cohort of filmmakers and their respective projects in development are:
- Pierre Coleman for Ricky
- Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan for Hum
- Colette Ghunim for Traces of Home
- Julia Kennelly for Clare
- Sofian Khan for Karachi Sky
- Naomi Ko for Marry Korean
- April Maxey for Work
- John Sutter for Planet A
- Angela Tucker for The Inquisitor
- Jing Wang for Ride With Delivery Workers
“We are proud to partner with Gold House and Sundance Institute to support the One House Filmmakers Fund,” said Dominic Ng, Chairman and CEO of East West Bank. “By embracing diverse perspectives and narratives, we enrich our collective innovation and create a more inclusive environment where new ideas can thrive. Whether in entertainment or business, celebrating diverse cultural experiences not only broadens a market base but also builds stronger, more empathetic connections between communities, laying the foundation to allow everyone to reach further.”
“We are thrilled to announce the ten filmmakers selected for the second year of the Sundance Institute | One House Filmmakers Fund. These inspirational artists, working across fiction and nonfiction, reflect the rich diversity of storytelling that drives our industry forward. With the generous support of Gold House, we are proud to continue our shared commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and providing a platform for these filmmakers to explore bold, authentic narratives that resonate globally. Their work speaks to the transformative power of film, and we look forward to seeing the impact their stories will have on audiences everywhere,” said Hajnal Molnar Szakacs, Director, Artist Accelerator and Women at Sundance, Sundance Institute.
“The One House Filmmakers Fund powers stories that create a tomorrow for all. We are so honored to partner with Sundance Institute, the East West Bank Foundation, the Blackhouse, GLAAD, Latinx House, and the NAACP Hollywood Bureau to provide the critical funding, mentorship, and amplification needed to bring those stories to light,” said Christine Yi, General Partner of the Gold House Creative Equity Fund.
“The One House Filmmakers Fund is crucial in amplifying diverse voices and ensuring that stories are told authentically. Providing filmmakers with opportunities like this fund is essential to allow unique and bold narratives to be seen and heard,” said Olga Segura, Co-founder of The Latinx House.
“It is an honor to be a part of The One House Film Fund and evaluate content created by underrepresented voices who will ultimately be selected to receive funds to enhance various stages of their films. The Blackhouse Foundation started its journey 18 years ago as a place for Black filmgoers at the Sundance Film Festival to gather and connect to improve the overall film festival experience both on the screen and on the ground. Today we have moved beyond merely convening, but rather collaborating within the BIPOC Media Ecosystem to uplift voices for Narrative Change. In this second year of the One House Film Fund, we are excited to be part of the collective that will invest in the next generation of those telling our stories,” said Jeanean Glover, Executive Director of the Blackhouse.
The One House Filmmakers Fund continues Gold House’s mission to empower the Asian Pacific diaspora and multicultural partners to power tomorrow for all. At next year’s Sundance Film Festival, Gold House will once again co-host the official pan-AAPI “Sunrise House” with Daniel Dae Kim’s 3AD and TAAF, as well as the annual Multicultural Dinner that convenes various multicultural organizations present at Sundance. Other multicultural creative unity, investment, and promotional efforts include the One House Toasts at major entertainment awards, including the Oscars and Emmys; the One House Open that supports the opening weekend successes of multicultural films; and the One House Leadership Coalition bridging the leadership gap by filling over 60 Board seats with diverse candidates.
For more information on the One House Filmmakers Fund, visit https://goldhouse.org/onehousefilmfund.
ABOUT GOLD HOUSE
Gold House is the leading cultural ecosystem that unites, invests in, and champions Asian Pacific creators and companies to power tomorrow for all. Our innovative programs and platforms include membership systems and events to fortify belonging among the Asian Pacific community and with other marginalized communities (#StopAsianHate); first-of-its-kind investment vehicles and accelerators to propel the next generation of top Asian Pacific founders, creatives, and leaders (Gold House Ventures, Creative Equity Fund); and industry-leading research, consulting, and marketing to promote authentic and affirming mainstream portrayals (Gold Story Consultation, Gold Open, Gold List, A100 List). To learn more, visit www.goldhouse.org or follow @GoldHouseCo on Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, Threads, and LinkedIn.
ABOUT EAST WEST BANK FOUNDATION
The East West Bank Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, and the philanthropic arm of East West Bank. Through collaborative partnerships, the Foundation’s grants strengthen the community by supporting initiatives in affordable housing, small business technical assistance, diversity and anti-discrimination, advocacy, cultural & arts, economic development, and other broad-based causes. In working alongside non-profit partners, the East West Bank Foundation strives to build bridges of opportunity for everyone to reach further.
ABOUT SUNDANCE INSTITUTE
As a champion and curator of independent stories, the nonprofit Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists across storytelling media to create and thrive. Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, the Institute’s signature labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. Sundance Collab, a digital community platform, brings a global cohort of working artists together to learn from Sundance Advisors and connect with each other in a creative space, developing and sharing works in progress. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences and artists to ignite new ideas, discover original voices, and build a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Through the Sundance Institute artist programs, we have supported such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Big Sick, Bottle Rocket, Boys Don’t Cry, Boys State, Call Me By Your Name, Clemency, CODA, Drunktown’s Finest, The Farewell, Fire of Love, Flee, The Forty-Year-Old Version, Fruitvale Station, Get Out, Half Nelson, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hereditary, Honeyland, The Infiltrators, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Little Woods, Love & Basketball, Me and You and Everyone We Know, Mudbound, Nanny, Navalny, O.J.: Made in America, One Child Nation, Pariah, Raising Victor Vargas, Requiem for a Dream, Reservoir Dogs, RBG, Sin Nombre, Sorry to Bother You, Strong Island, Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Swiss Army Man, Sydney, A Thousand and One, Top of the Lake, Walking and Talking, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, and Zola. Through year-round artist programs, the Institute also nurtured the early careers of artists such Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Gregg Araki, Darren Aronofsky, Lisa Cholodenko, Ryan Coogler, Nia DaCosta, The Daniels, David Gordon Green, Miranda July, James Mangold, John Cameron Mitchell, Kimberly Peirce, Boots Riley, Ira Sachs, Quentin Tarantino, Taika Waititi, Lulu Wang, and Chloé Zhao. Support Sundance Institute in our commitment to uplifting bold artists and powerful storytelling globally by making a donation at sundance.org/donate. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.
ABOUT THE BLACKHOUSE
The Blackhouse helps Black creative voices and executives gain a better foothold in the industry. We showcase the best-of-the-best in film and television and are committed to highlighting the power of Black writers, producers, directors, and executives telling our stories. Success in the industry is bolstered by the help of relationships.
ABOUT GLAAD
GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. To learn more, visit www.glaad.org or connect with us @glaad on social media.
ABOUT THE LATINX HOUSE
The Latinx House is a gathering place for people who appreciate and support the Latinx community and who celebrate Latinx excellence in film and entertainment. It is also a space to discuss pressing societal issues and the content creation related to these stories. It provides engagement, activation and community-building opportunities. The Latinx House was founded by social entrepreneur and activist Mónica Ramírez, filmmaker and activist Alexandra Martinez Kondracke, and producer and entrepreneur Olga Segura. For more information, please visit www.thelatinxhouse.org.
ABOUT THE NAACP HOLLYWOOD BUREAU
For more than twenty years, the NAACP has steadily increased its commitment to influencing the output of Hollywood’s image-making apparatus, by activating the NAACP Hollywood Bureau as a center for advocacy and change. The Bureau’s purpose is to pursue and secure equitable opportunities and authentic representations in media that reflect our diverse communities. The alliances, coalitions, and partnerships we forge are dedicated to honoring diverse and multicultural forms of artistic expression and promoting responsible approaches toward commercial exploitation.
