Fund grants, which are announced twice a year, support U.S. and international docs that focus on human rights issues, freedom of expression, social justice and civil liberties. Fund considers projects in three categories -- work in progress, development and supplemental.

A committee of human rights and film professionals selected recipients.

Project topics include the effect of the Israeli Military Court system on both Israeli and Palestinian societies; the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; and a public school system in inner-city Baltimore that has begun to recruit teachers from the Philippines.

Created in 2002 as part of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, fund is made possible by a $4.6 million grant from the Gotham-based Open Society Institute and is supported by the Ford Foundation.

Since its inception, the fund has disbursed nearly $4 million to 113 projects.

Development grants will fund Margarita Martinez Escallon and Miguel Salazar's "The Baton Resistance" (Colombia); Ra'anan Alexandrowicz's "Justice Must Be Seen" (Israel); and Marion Lipschutz and Rose Rosenblatt's "Checkpapi" (U.S.).

Supplemental grants go to Adam Zucker's "Greensboro: Closer to the Truth" (U.S.); Daniel Junge's "Rebirth of a Nation" (U.S./Liberia); and Jon Else's "Wonders Are Many" (U.S.).

Date in print: Tue., Aug. 1, 2006, Los Angeles