Skoll Foundation, Sundance Institute extend partnership September  7,  2011  by  Barry  Walsh  

The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and the Skoll Foundation have extended their partnership in the “Stories of Change: Social Entrepreneurship in Focus through Documentary” initiative, which will now continue through 2013 with an additional US$1 million program grant.

The program is designed to explore film’s role in advancing knowledge about social entrepreneurship, and has supported nearly 100 filmmakers and social entrepreneurs via high-level, invitation-only gatherings and documentary film project funding.

The partnership has also helped with the funding of 10 feature-length independent documentaries on the subject of social entrepreneurship.

The additional funds granted to the Sundance Institute will provide continued support to those films and will aid in the development of short-form, interactive, mobile, social media and other web-based initiatives for the projects.

The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and the Skoll Foundation will also host the first Stories of Change Story and Impact Workshop on September 19 at the Paley Center for Media in New York City.

“The Stories of Change partnership has resulted in inspiring collaborations between leading documentary filmmakers and social entrepreneurs, including feature documentary films, presentations and consultancies which forefront the power of storytelling to transform understanding and motivate people towards change,” said Cara Mertes, director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program.

“The continued collaboration will focus on storytelling, social entrepreneurship and impact, as we see the efforts of social entrepreneurs and storytellers inspire advancement around the world.”