North Korea-Focused Film Fund Bearing North Launches With ‘School for Defectors’ (EXCLUSIVE)

A new private grantmaking initiative dedicated to films about North Korea has launched out of Los Angeles, with an advisory board drawn from documentary filmmaking, journalism, and human rights advocacy. Bearing North, founded by entrepreneurs and film investors Blaine Vess and Esther Paik Vess, will award grants to independent filmmakers worldwide at any stage of production.
Reported by 1 outlet — Variety. See all sources ↓
A new private grantmaking initiative dedicated to films about North Korea has launched out of Los Angeles, with an advisory board drawn from documentary filmmaking, journalism, and human rights advocacy. Bearing North, founded by entrepreneurs and film investors Blaine Vess and Esther Paik Vess, will award grants to independent filmmakers worldwide at any stage of production. The initiative covers documentary features, narrative features, and short films, with a stated preference for projects brought forward by North Korean defectors. The founders bring prior involvement in the space: Blaine Vess has served on the board of Liberty in North Korea for more than a decade, and the couple have previously supported North Korea-related documentaries including “I Am Sun Mu,” “Assassins,” and “Beyond Utopia.” “Some of the films that have most shaped how we understand history arrived decades after the events they depict,” Blaine Vess said.
Read the full report at Variety ↗
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- A new private grantmaking initiative dedicated to films about North Korea has launched out of Los Angeles, with an advisory board drawn from documentary filmmaking, journalism, and human rights advocacy. Bearing North, founded by entrepreneurs and film investors Blaine Vess and Esther Paik Vess, will award grants to independent filmmakers worldwide at any stage of production.
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North Korea-Focused Film Fund Bearing North Launches With ‘School for Defectors’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Sources1TypeCoverageVariety