Subject Matter Awards $120,000 in Grants at 2026 Sundance Film Festival
A significant amount of funding is being made available for documentaries highlighting urgent social issues through the Subject Matter organization. The non-profit group will be awarding a total of $120,000 in grants to several recipients at the upcoming 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Among those receiving the funding are "Seized," an investigative thriller directed by Sharon Liese, and Dawn Porter's "When A Witness Recants." Both films focus on issues that highlight the importance of truth-telling. "Seized" delves into a police raid in Kansas that sparked a national story, while "When A Witness Recants" tells the tale of three innocent teenagers wrongly convicted of murder.
Subject Matter is providing $30,000 to both film recipients, as well as non-profit organizations Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and Gideon's Promise. These grants will support efforts by these groups in protecting journalists' rights nationwide and reforming the criminal justice system, respectively.
As part of its involvement at Sundance, Subject Matter will host a public panel discussion on January 26, which will explore how systems designed to protect society can also silence truth-telling. The panel will feature Fabio Bertoni as moderator, who is General Counsel at The New Yorker.
Audiences are encouraged to donate to either of the non-profit grantees during Sundance, with Subject Matter adding $100 to each donation made, up to a maximum of $5,000.
A significant amount of funding is being made available for documentaries highlighting urgent social issues through the Subject Matter organization. The non-profit group will be awarding a total of $120,000 in grants to several recipients at the upcoming 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Among those receiving the funding are "Seized," an investigative thriller directed by Sharon Liese, and Dawn Porter's "When A Witness Recants." Both films focus on issues that highlight the importance of truth-telling. "Seized" delves into a police raid in Kansas that sparked a national story, while "When A Witness Recants" tells the tale of three innocent teenagers wrongly convicted of murder.
Subject Matter is providing $30,000 to both film recipients, as well as non-profit organizations Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and Gideon's Promise. These grants will support efforts by these groups in protecting journalists' rights nationwide and reforming the criminal justice system, respectively.
As part of its involvement at Sundance, Subject Matter will host a public panel discussion on January 26, which will explore how systems designed to protect society can also silence truth-telling. The panel will feature Fabio Bertoni as moderator, who is General Counsel at The New Yorker.
Audiences are encouraged to donate to either of the non-profit grantees during Sundance, with Subject Matter adding $100 to each donation made, up to a maximum of $5,000.
I'm so hyped about this! subject matter's grant is like a breath of fresh air for docu filmmakers tackling tough topics 
. these docs are all about shedding light on important issues and it's awesome that they're supporting journalists & reforming the justice system 
. seized, when a witness recants... both have such powerful stories to tell 
. and that panel discussion sounds like a must-attend! 
fabio bertoni is gonna keep us all on our toes 
! $120k in grants for documentaries tackling urgent social issues? That's a total game-changer 
. I mean, think about it, these films are gonna shed some serious light on important topics like police brutality and wrongful convictions 
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. And let's not forget, grants from orgs like Subject Matter can really make or break an indie film's chances of going viral 
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I think it's kinda awesome that Subject Matter is giving out those grants to docs that shed light on important issues 
. The fact that they're supporting journalists and non-profits is a big deal too 
. Maybe we should give more props to folks who are brave enough to tell the truth, even if it's uncomfortable 
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Anyone know if these documentaries will be screening at Sundance this year?
. And what's with the whole 'supporting journalists' rights' vibe? Like, can't these organizations just do their jobs without needing some government grants to fund their 'truth-telling' efforts? 
