Reveca Torres’ “Tres Fridas” and Colette Ghunim’s “Traces of Home” are the two projects that have been chosen for the inaugural Hulu/Kartemquin Accelerator. Announced at Sundance this year, the program offers mentorship and production funds to filmmakers of color who are alumni of Kartemquin’s Filmmaker Development Programs.
According to a press release from Kartemquin Films, Torres and Ghunim will each receive $20,000 for their project’s production, and mentorship “within the award-winning Kartemquin collaborative production model” through the end of the year. The filmmakers will also have a “first look” opportunity with Hulu.
Torres and Ghunim are both graduates of Kartemquin’s Diverse Voices in Docs program.
“Access to meaningful development opportunities for underrepresented filmmakers is critically important, especially as we see just how under-resourced our community of independent documentary filmmakers of color are in this pandemic moment,” said Jolene Pinder, Executive Director at Kartemquin. “This intervention — to bring a streaming service together with filmmakers at an earlier stage in the storytelling process — is where we want to be. Here at Kartemquin, we could not be more proud to support Colette and Reveca and the transformative films they are making. Both are powerful storytellers and incredible movement builders in their communities.”
“Tres Fridas” sees two paralyzed artists recreating Frida Kahlo’s famous painting, “Dos Fridas,” using themselves as models. “This sparks a five-year artistic journey as the two women join forces with a photographer to transform iconic works of art into portrayals of contemporary people with disabilities,” the source teases.
“It is an honor to have such an opportunity for mentorship and support from both Kartemquin and Hulu,” Torres, who also works in painting, illustration, and photography, commented. “This experience will provide me with the tools and confidence to tell this story and future stories authentically and creatively. I love being part of the KTQ community and look forward to learning and developing as a filmmaker.”
“Traces of Home” sees Ghunim taking her parents to find their ancestral homes in Mexico and Palestine, from which they were forced to flee decades earlier. “While filling in the missing pieces of her identity, the journeys unravel the trauma of displacement that passed down through generations,” the press release describes.
“Being selected for the Hulu/Kartemquin Accelerator Program for a film so personal to me is a true honor. Kartemquin Films has been the catalyst for both ‘Traces of Home’ and my emerging career in documentary filmmaking,” said Ghunim, who previously co-wrote and co-directed short doc “The People’s Girls.” “I applaud their intentionality to push for equity by lifting up filmmakers from communities often ignored.”
