Documentary about shirley clarke: founder of american independent film [how do you break into the boys club of film directing? Shirley clarke (1919-1927) was a groundbreaking artist and a leader of…

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) awarded a $600,000 Project Grant under the Promotion of the Humanities Public Programs (CFDA 45.164) to The Center For Independent Documentary, Inc. to produce a documentary film about Shirley Clarke, the pioneering American independent filmmaker. The documentary will explore Clarke's groundbreaking contributions to independent cinema in the United States from the 1950s to the 1980s, focusing on her efforts to tell stories about underrepresented communities that were often excluded from mainstream Hollywood films. The project aims to bring Clarke's life and work back into the spotlight and provide a timely examination of identity, struggle, and the role of independent filmmaking in challenging dominant cultural narratives. The award period for this project runs from February 1, 2025, to January 31, 2028.

Documentary about shirley clarke: founder of american independent film [how do you break into the boys club of film directing? Shirley clarke (1919-1927) was a groundbreaking artist and a leader of the movement that created independent film in the united states. She declared war on hollywood by telling stories about people who had always been excluded from the big screen. Black stories. GAY stories. True stories. She was the only american woman to win recognition for her independent films in the 1960S. But then she was almost excluded herself, written out of film history. In our film, her contributions and extraordinary life come back to life. A timely tale of cool, identity, and struggle in new york city, cannes, and LOS angeles, from the 1950S to the 1980S. With jazz.]