Havana Marking has been named the recipient of the Sundance Institute | TED Prize Filmmaker Award, an honor that includes a $125,000 grant. Making won for “Bloody Mary,” a documentary short zeroing in on corruption within the Ukrainian government.
The winner of the Sundance Institute | TED Prize Filmmaker Award was decided by both the Institute and TED staff, as well as advisory committee members.
Marking is perhaps best known for “Afghan Star,” winner of the Audience Award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. She was also named Best Director by the audience at the fest. The doc followed contestants participating in an Afghan music competition.
“Bloody Money,” which is currently in production, highlights the work of anti-corruption activist Charmian Gooch, a TED Prize winner and co-founder of Global Witness, a watchdog NGO.
A press release from the Sundance Institute describes the doc as a “financial thriller that follows an extraordinary story from Kiev to London to Washington, D.C. It reveals uncomfortable truths about the global financial systems currently in place that actively enable and encourage corruption.” “Bloody Money” incorporates Gooch’s work “to expose how anonymous shell companies and Western banks are used to enable corrupt governments to rob their nation’s wealth.”
VICE News will executive produce.
“Financial corruption is one of the greatest problems of our age, with real effects and human victims,” said Marking. “How to communicate this complicated problem has always been a huge challenge. I hope with this story we have found a compelling and exciting way through, and I am hugely excited to be part of this team.”
Tabitha Jackson, Director of Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program, noted, “Our collaboration with TED uses the power of documentary filmmaking to shed light on some of the most effective change-makers working today. We’re particularly thrilled that VICE News has signed on to support this powerful and provocative story and provide Havana’s film a platform to reach new audiences.”
