JustFilms
Overview
The goal of this new initiative is to advance social justice worldwide through the talent of emerging and established filmmakers.
Visit our Film Collection »My Perestroika 
- Title:
- My Perestroika
- Credits:
- Director and Producer: Robin Hessman
- Released:
- 2010
- Description:
- Following five ordinary Russians living in extraordinary times—from their sheltered Soviet childhood, to the collapse of the Soviet Union during their teenage years, to the constantly shifting political landscape of post-Soviet Russia.
- Source:
- 18769944
The Island President 
- Title:
- The Island President
- Credits:
- Released:
- 2011
- Description:
- A unique insider perspective of Mohamed Nasheed, president of the Maldives, as he struggles to save his country—the lowest-lying one in the world—from disappearing forever.
- Source:
- 29848097
Women, War & Peace 
- Title:
- Women, War & Peace
- Credits:
- Released:
- 2011
- Description:
- A new five-part PBS television series challenges the convention that war and peace are the domain of men and spotlights the role of women in modern warfare.
- Source:
- 28935097
2011 Sundance Film Festival 
- Title:
- JustFilms at 2011 Sundance Film Festival
- Credits:
- Released:
- 2011
- Description:
- Orlando Bagwell, director of JustFilms, at the start of the festival, tells us more about the initiative and why documentary projects are so critical to the human experience.
- Source:
- 19308655
Have You Heard from Johannesburg? 
- Title:
- Have You Heard from Johannesburg?
- Credits:
- Director and Producer: Connie Field
- Released:
- 2010
- Description:
- Chronicling the history of the global movement that took on South Africa’s entrenched apartheid regime and its international supporters who considered South Africa an ally in the Cold War.
- Source:
- 18769701
If God is Willing and da Creek Don’t Rise 
- Title:
- If God is Willing and da Creek Don’t Rise
- Credits:
- Director and Producer: Spike Lee
- Released:
- 2010
- Description:
- Documenting ambitious plans to reinvent New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina as hope and heartache unfold with a new disaster, the BP oil spill.
- Source:
- 18790057
My Perestroika
- Title:
- My Perestroika
- Credits:
- Director and Producer: Robin Hessman
- Released:
- 2010
- Description:
- Following five ordinary Russians living in extraordinary times—from their sheltered Soviet childhood, to the collapse of the Soviet Union during their teenage years, to the constantly shifting political landscape of post-Soviet Russia.
- Source:
- 18769944
The Island President
- Title:
- The Island President
- Credits:
- Released:
- 2011
- Description:
- A unique insider perspective of Mohamed Nasheed, president of the Maldives, as he struggles to save his country—the lowest-lying one in the world—from disappearing forever.
- Source:
- 29848097
The Challenge
With the explosion of digital media production over the past decade, there is far more film and video content available from which audiences can choose. But it remains a challenge for most documentary filmmakers to find support—and audiences—for works that address social issues in meaningful and compelling ways. JustFilms seeks to support courageous filmmakers to complete their important works and to help them reach a growing audience of engaged and socially conscious viewers.
What We’re Doing
We believe that visual narratives play an indispensable role in the search for justice in society. They inspire imagination and new understanding, encourage civic dialogue and engagement, and showcase the rich diversity of the human experience. JustFilms supports works that educate, motivate and create positive change in people’s lives by conveying stories that have the power to transform how we think and act.
We seek to:
- Enlarge the conversation on issues of importance by investing in documentary films that capture people’s imaginations and engage them in shaping their futures.
- Expand the community of independent documentary filmmakers and lift the voices of new and innovative filmmakers from around the world.
- Help filmmakers craft important stories, and also develop strategies for finding and building audiences across a variety of platforms.
JustFilms will deepen the Ford Foundation’s support for hallmark documentary films. Building on 75 years of support for the visual arts, JustFilms will follow three distinct avenues for finding and supporting film projects that explore important social justice issues around the world.
Visit our Film Collection to see the films the Ford Foundation has supported.
Learn more about our Strategy and Partners, and how our approaches shape our Grant Making.
Visit For Grant Seekers for more information on what we fund and what we do not fund.
From the Newsroom
-
News from Ford:
Celebrate Earth Day with ‘One Day on Earth’
Unique film capturing more than 3,000 hours of footage shot simultaneously in every country of the world screens globally
-
News from Ford:
Ford Foundation Hosts Envision 2012: Stories for a Sustainable Future
The two-day conference focuses on developing a better global future, bringing complex ideas to life and building momentum for positive change.
- Archives Show Foundation's Influence on the Arts Illuminating a history of critical support for art and artists
-
News from Ford:
The Island President: More than a Documentary
A stirring portrait of the recently ousted Maldivian president shows the power of documentary film
Partners
Sundance Institute
Since 1981, Sundance Institute has evolved to become an internationally recognized nonprofit organization that actively advances the work of risk-taking storytellers.
Tribeca Film Institute
The Tribeca Film Institute is a nonprofit arts organization founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001.
ITVS
The Independent Television Service, ITVS, funds, presents and promotes award-winning documentaries and dramas on public television and cable, and innovative new media projects on the Web.
More »
Share, Find, Follow