Rensselaerville, N.Y. — The Logan Nonfiction Program is proud to announce its 12th class of fellows, comprising 24 distinguished journalists and documentary filmmakers, who will participate in one of the program’s two spring virtual fellowship sessions beginning April 5. Over the course of the 5-week fellowship, the fellows will work on their long-form investigative articles, books, and documentary films, addressing critical global issues.
“While the pandemic has necessitated a fully online fellowship for the time being, we’re thrilled to provide these exceptional fellows with a comprehensive program that includes a variety of virtual events led by experts in their fields,” said Program Manager Zan Strumfeld. “This virtual experience offers a much-needed space for focused work during this time of isolation, allowing fellows to make significant progress on their projects.”
With this latest class, the Logan Nonfiction Program will have supported nearly 200 independent journalists and creators. The incoming fellows include filmmakers Isidore Bethel and Joie Estrella Horwitz, both recognized in Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film”; Mexican director Arturo González Villaseñor, winner of the PROCINE/Secretary of Culture Day of the Dead competition; Martina Radwan, recipient of the Media Awareness Award at the Media That Matters Film Festival; Jessica Camille Aguirre, winner of the Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award; Kristoffer Brugada, a prize-winning Filipino filmmaker; and Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, an award-winning journalist who opened NPR’s first permanent bureau in Kabul, Afghanistan.
This diverse group of fellows will focus on a wide range of significant topics, including homeless youth in Mongolia, student protests in Nicaragua, the experience of life in an Egyptian prison, the historical rivalry between Margaret Sanger and Mary Ware Dennett in the fight for women’s access to contraception and sex education, and the life and legacy of African American poet and activist Gil Scott-Heron.
The fellows were selected from a large pool of applicants, including nonfiction writers, documentary filmmakers, photojournalists, podcasters, and multimedia creators, all working on in-depth, reported projects. Traditionally, the program provides up to 10 weeks of in-person support at the Carey Institute’s 100-acre estate in upstate New York, offering lodging, meals, professional guidance, and a collaborative community. However, due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, the program has shifted to a virtual format that will include one-on-one workshops and mentoring sessions with industry experts, panels and capacity-building discussions, virtual film screenings, peer-to-peer workshops, access to virtual co-working spaces, and informal social events.
The Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, a key supporter of the Logan Nonfiction Program, funds the program’s mission to empower nonfiction creators to finish the work that has the potential to change the world. Additional support is provided by the Open Society Foundations.
The Logan Nonfiction Program is committed to enabling writers, filmmakers, photojournalists, and multimedia creators to complete investigative and narrative nonfiction that tackles inequality, uncovers untold stories, and addresses the most urgent issues of our time. Fellows in the program are known for their courageous and insightful work in investigative journalism and documentary filmmaking.
The Jonathan Logan Family Foundation supports organizations dedicated to advancing social justice, investigative journalism, and documentary film, with a focus on empowering world-changing work.