CMP is a seed-funder of #AllInForVoting, the impact campaign accompanying All In: The Fight for Democracy. All In: The Fight for Democracy examines the often overlooked, yet insidious issue of voter suppression in the United States in anticipation of the 2020 Presidential Election. Distributed by Amazon Studios ahead of National Voter Registration Day in September, the film interweaves personal experiences with current activism and historical insight to expose a problem that has corrupted our democracy from the very beginning. With the perspective and expertise of Stacey Abrams, the former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, the documentary will offer an insider’s look into laws and barriers to voting that most people don’t even know is a threat to their basic rights as citizens of the United States.

#AllInForVoting, is a non-partisan campaign that will develop a groundswell of digital content to combat misinformation about the voting process, and launch targeted campaign programming to educate and register first time voters, mobilize communities to have their voices and values counted in the November election (and beyond), and train citizens to know how to recognize and report voter suppression.

CMP seed-funded the AmDoc Emergency Fund, which supports nonfiction media-makers who are facing financial emergencies due to unforeseen personal calamities such as health issues, eviction, or disasters. More recently, CMP supported a secondary initiative - the COVID-19 Artists Emergency Fund - to support the independent documentary community in this time of crisis with basic needs including food, immediate health needs and insurance premiums. Finally, CMP supported AmDoc’s Mental Health Emergency Relief Fund, a pilot fund that provides critical support for the mental health of Black artists as well as indigenous peoples and artists of color (BIPOC) who are working directors, producers and interactive creators.

CMP is a Co-Executive Producer on the film KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE, which is about four extraordinary ordinary women run for Congress, battling powerful political machines in very different American landscapes.

CMP helped the film by providing grant support which sponsored their Sundance presence and premiere in 2019. CMP’s grant helped get the film to the finish line so it could embark on its impact campaign.

CMP-supported film ICARUS follows film subject and Director Bryan Fogel as he sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports. A chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller involving dirty urine, unexplained death and olympic gold – exposing the biggest scandal in sports history. During filming, subject Grigory Rodchenkov’s safety became at risk due to his involvement in the whistleblowing of Russian doping in Olympic sport. CMP joined forces with the ICARUS team once more to create a portal to donate to Grigory’s legal defense fund.

In October 2019, CMP co-sponsored a community screening of THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED at the Bridgeport Arts Center. Following the screening, a town hall was held where discussion focused on healing and collective trauma.

In addition to the community screening, a prototype of the films mobile storytelling booths was built to provide a safe space for those targeted by these surveillance programs to share and record their experiences. Chicago marked the first stop of a national tour that aimed to reach communities across the country in a highly participatory, localized way that served and directly supported grassroots movements work in their own backyards, while also connecting them on a national level.

The CMP-supported 16 Shots examines the 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke and the cover-up that ensued. As part of the activation campaign for this film, we held a community screening and an in-depth panel discussion with over 400 Chicagoans in June 2019. CMP guests heard from director Rick Rowley; journalist, co-producer & Invisible Institute Founder Jamie Kelvin; local activists William Calloway and Trina Reynolds-Tyler; and civilian witness to the shooting Jose Torres, as they participated in a Q&A discussion to move the conversation from the screen to the seats.

Following the murder of George Floyd and the nationwide protests for racial justice in June 2020, we revisited the film as part of our “Best Seat in the House” conversation series. We heard directly from film subject and Chicago activist William Calloway and raised funds for his faith-based nonprofit Christianaire.

In March 2019, CMP began a fundraising campaign for Claudio Rojas, film subject of CMP-supported film The Infiltrators. The film featured Mr. Rojas’s activism and criticism of ICE detention policies, and shortly after the Sundance premiere, Claudio was abruptly deported. His deportation took place a few short weeks before the film was set to premiere at CMP’s Doc10 Film Festival, and as such, CMP pivoted to donate all proceeds from the Chicago screening to his legal efforts.

CMP-supported film THE HOMESTRETCH follows three homeless teens as they fight to stay in school, graduate, and build a future. Each of these smart, ambitious teenagers - Roque, Kasey and Anthony - will surprise, inspire, and challenge audiences to rethink stereotypes of homelessness as they work to complete their education while facing the trauma of being alone and abandoned at an early age.

CMP raised the films first monies at GPC 2013, held an activation for the film in Chicago which included raising visibility about teenage homelessness with Chicago public officials including Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

CMP supported the Impact Campaign for Whose Streets, a documentary about the Ferguson uprising. When unarmed teenager Michael Brown was killed by police and then left lying in the street for hours, it marked a breaking point for the residents of St. Louis. Community members stood on the front lines to demand justice, and became the face of a new wave of resistance. The Impact Campaign for Whose Streets specifically targeted youth in marginalized communities, and included over 100 community-based screenings, both domestic and international, as well as dozens of post-film discussions.

CMP has been a sponsor of Catapult’s Rough Cut Retreat for the last 3 years. At the height of summer, when filmmakers are neck-deep 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. The retreat acts as a focus group for filmmakers to diagnose what is and isn’t working in their film. After months in an edit suite, filmmakers often lose perspective; this is a key moment for fresh eyes in a safe space. When selecting projects, True/False and Catapult prioritize work that displays an ambitious, idiosyncratic approach to nonfiction storytelling. Chosen mentors are professionals who embody creativity and generosity of spirit.

CMP supported the Impact Campaign for The Pushouts, a film that digs into the story of millions of young people referred to as “dropouts”. The Pushouts questions issues of race, class, and power through the lens of teen gang member turned professor Victor Rios, as well as forty youth. The Impact Campaign brings the film and ensuing discussion to key audiences across the U.S. - including middle and high school students, teachers and administrators; youth development workers; policymakers, and others to explore the transformation of a status quo that stigmatizes and criminalizes underserved youth, rather than educating as the systems built to support them are meant to do.

The Crip Camp Impact Campaign has established an emergency relief fund for disabled activists and cultural workers (artists, filmmakers, writers, etc.). Many have lost all or most of their income, and - as freelancers or independent contractors - don’t qualify for unemployment benefits. The fund will ensure that activists, storytellers and cultural influencers of the future can continue the vital work that Crip Camp champions.

The fund is hosted by Color of Change, the largest online racial justice organization in the U.S. with 1.7 million members. They process contributions and disburse funds to individuals chosen by an advisory committee that will include Crip Camp’s Impact Campaign Producers, Andraea LaVant and Stacey Milbern.

For CMP’s “Best Seat in the House” conversation series, we choose to support organizations whose missions are aligned with the themes of our featured films. And our Q&A with Bathtubs Over Broadway was a perfect opportunity to highlight the performers who bring us so much joy. The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and the Chicago Theatre Workers Relief Fund have both been (ahem…) instrumental in supporting artists whose livelihoods have been compromised by COVID.

The Apollo covers the rich history of the storied performance space over its 85 years and follows a new production of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me as it comes to the theater’s grand stage. The creation of this vibrant multi-media stage show frames the way in which The Apollo explores the current struggle of black lives in America, the role that art plays in that struggle and the broad range of African American achievement that the Apollo Theater represents.

In response to the pandemic and cancellation of Apollo-produced live events, we proudly support the Theater’s efforts to safeguard their future and provide resources to artists & performers who are struggling to make ends meet.

With boundless creativity and an irrepressible bouncing energy, 306 Hollywood memorializes and honors the life of the filmmakers’ grandmother Annette Ontell. Housewife, fashion designer, and beloved family member, Ontell lived seven decades in the same house—306 Hollywood Avenue in Hillside, New Jersey.

At the suggestion of filmmakers Elan & Jonathan Bogarin—and in honor of their late grandmother—we raised funds for Make The Road New York, an organization working to build the power of immigrant and working-class families to achieve dignity and justice.

On The Record presents the haunting story of music executive Drew Dixon, whose career and personal life have been deeply affected by the abuse she faced from the men she admired in the industry she loves. As she grapples with her decision to become one of the first women of color to come forward as part of the #MeToo movement, we dive into the complexities of race, gender, and the terror that stems from abuse.

For this “Best Seat in the House” conversation, we proudly sponsored Equality Now, a nonprofit that believes in creating a just world where women & girls have the same rights as men & boys. They believe in tackling the most difficult issues, challenging ingrained cultural assumptions, and calling out inequality wherever we see it.

A story as powerful as Athlete A deserves audience activation. So ahead of our “Best Seat in the House” conversation with the film team, we worked with directors Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk to find a mission-aligned organization to support. Without hesitation, we landed on Futures Without Violence, a nonprofit organization working to end sexual violence, bullying, child abuse, and more. We believe in their mission to change the culture from all angles and are proud to support their work.

CMP Co-Founder Paula Froehle moderated a panel discussion following a CMP-sponsored screening of Grace, a short documentary capturing the journey of a 36-year-old suburban soccer mom and breast cancer survivor who decides to reclaim her body by covering her mastectomy scars with an elaborate tattoo. Directed by a breast cancer survivor and created by an all-female crew, Grace is a frank, honest, and often funny exploration of a seldom-discussed side of the survivor’s experience—the battle that begins when everyone else thinks the war is already won.

CMP supported the Impact Campaign surrounding Facing Whiteness, an interactive investigation into how Americans who identify as white understand and experience their race. The Impact Campaign’s primary goal is to foster community and social engagement to catalyze conversations about white privilege in America. By engaging in these conversations, Facing Whiteness inspired reflection and discussion that led to improved communication around issues of race and identity in American society.

CMP supported the Impact Campaign for Virtually Free, a documentary about unlikely allies who partner to transform the juvenile justice system and stop mass incarceration. The film follows three teens being held in a detention center who are offered the chance to become activists speaking truth to power. Participating in a local arts organizations program, Performing Statistics, they are taught to deliver their powerful, authentic messages to the public, law enforcement, and government officials using their art, including a virtual reality jail cell they’ve helped create.