COMO FAMOUS / PAY THE ARTISTS

The 2021 Rough Cut Retreat

ROUGH CUT RETREAT

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CATAPULT FILM FUND & THE CHICAGO MEDIA PROJECT

At the height of summer, when filmmakers are up to their eyeballs in the editing process, Rough Cut Retreat offers a one-of-a-kind mentorship experience. Launched in 2016, RCR unites nonfiction filmmakers and mentors in a creative, supportive, and engaged atmosphere. True/False and Catapult prioritize work that displays an ambitious, idiosyncratic approach to nonfiction storytelling and a focus on filmmakers who, for a host of reasons, do not have established feedback networks. Chosen mentors are professionals with deep knowledge of nonfiction storytelling who embody creativity and generosity of spirit. The sixth annual Rough Cut Retreat, presented in partnership with the Chicago Media Project, which shares Catapult and True/False’s passion for supporting bold and creative new nonfiction filmmaking, took place Aug. 1-5, 2021, at Bell Valley Retreat in Boonville, California. For more information, visit roughcutretreat.org. IN 2021, INVITED PROJECTS included Commuted (Dir. Nailah Jefferson), Concrete Land (Dir. Asmahan Bkerat), La Bonga (Dirs. Sebastián Pinzón Silva & Canela Reyes), The Territory (Dir. Alex Pritz), and The Tuba Thieves (Dir. Alison O’Daniel). THE 2021 SELECTED MENTORS were editor Nels Bangerter (Cameraperson, Dick Johnson is Dead), film executive Jihan Robinson (Disney), editor David Teague (Cutie and the Boxer, Life Animated), director/ editor Malika Zouhali-Worrall (Call Me Kuchu, Through the Night), and executive producer Lisa Kleiner Chanoff (Catapult Film Fund).