Logan Nonfiction Program Announces Virtual Class of Journalism & Documentary Fellows
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
October 2, 2020
Logan Nonfiction Program Announces Virtual Class of Journalism & Documentary Fellows
31 nonfiction storytellers from eight countries join virtual fellowship
RENSSELAERVILLE, N.Y. — On October 13 the Logan Nonfiction Program will virtually welcome its 11th class of fellows — and first online residency component — composed of 31 celebrated journalists and documentary filmmakers. The fellows will participate in a mini virtual fellowship to work on their critical long-form investigative articles, books and documentary films over the 10-week residency period.
Last March, due to rising concerns and uncertainty around the global pandemic, the Logan Nonfiction Program made the difficult decision to postpone the second cohort of the Spring 2020 Session. These postponed fellows, along with an additional new fall class, will join together for a number of virtual panels, discussions and individual workshopping sessions. The fellows will also be invited to come to the Carey Institute for Global Good’s 100-acre historic campus in Upstate New York as soon as it is safe.
“While this will be a limited experience, and a far cry from our in-person fellowship, we know that many of our fellows are in the midst of their projects and would still benefit from having guidance on their projects and connecting with other members of their class,” said Zan Strumfeld, interim program manager for the Logan Nonfiction fellowship. “We hope this small touch of our residency can provide our fellows with a sense of community during a time of isolation.”
The Logan Nonfiction Program has supported more than 150 independent journalists since its founding in 2015. The result–a growing bookshelf of outstanding and deeply reported nonfiction books and a growing list of documentaries.
Among the incoming fellows this year are several Pulitzer Prize winners; a documentarian who coproduced an Academy Award-winning film; a George Polk Award winner; and several Sundance award winners.
Participating virtually from eight different countries across the world, the fellows include Taiwanese American filmmaker Norbert Sheih, listed on Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film”; Alia Malek, director of international reporting at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism; Jim Morris, executive editor of the Center for Public Integrity; and Kate Stonehill, a visiting tutor at the National Film and Television School in the U.K. They will be reporting on a diverse range of topics including the San Quentin Prison long distance running club; the story of an African American man born into slavery who became the world’s first self-described “drag queen”; and California’s female inmate firefighters.
Due to the pandemic, applications are temporarily closed for the spring 2021 session.
Primary funding for the Logan Nonfiction Program is provided by the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation. Additional foundation support for the fellowship is provided by the Open Society Foundations.
The Logan Nonfiction Program’s mission is to empower nonfiction writers, documentary filmmakers, photojournalists and multimedia creators to complete the essential work vital to an informed democracy. Logan Nonfiction fellows are known for bravely revealing inequality, illuminating untold truths and investigating the most pressing issues of the day through long-form narrative.
The Jonathan Logan Family Foundation supports organizations that advance social justice by empowering world-changing work in investigative journalism, arts and culture, and documentary film.