On July 24, 5 Point Film announced that it had awarded its Wading for Change BIPOC Filmmakers Grant, totaling $20,000, between two select filmmaking teams, out of a pool of 70 applications nationwide. Raheim Robinson received $10,000 for his project, “Home,” which is in its pre-production stages. Shara Zaia and Max Haimowitz received the second half for “Sharp Edges.”
The filmmakers will utilize their respective grant funds for their projects, depending on the needs of each story. In discussions with Charlie Turnbull, 5 Point’s director of programming, both films offer a refreshing and diverse look into outdoor adventuring. “Home” and “Sharp Edges,” according to Turnbull, offer new and refreshing takes into the sense of belonging, which folks can find when they venture outside their comfort zones.
“‘Home’ is definitely a lot more experimental for us than what we are used to. It’s got a somewhat narrative fictional side to it, so it’s a bit of a blended film in terms of genre,” explained Turnbull. “That’s not something we’ve traditionally done a lot of in the past, but that’s also a purpose of the grant: to encourage some different sort of takes on adventure storytelling.”
“Home” is described in a press release as a “quiet, moving portrait of fatherhood, imagination and resilience.” It tells the story of a transformative father-daughter camping trip and how his love for jazz music and the great outdoors helps build her a sense of wonder, redirecting her attention from the realities of life.
“Sharp Edges” follows Zaia’s journey to self-discovery as she wrestles with her identity as a first-generation Assyrian-American born in Ohio. The documentary traces her struggle to reclaim her identity, having avoided her heritage due to experiencing post-9/11 racist violence, through the medium of rock climbing.
“A lot of the films we play are about how the outdoors is a source people go to for a sense of belonging and community, and also healing,” said Turnbull. “I think ‘Sharp Edges’ is definitely a story with those themes, but perhaps from a storyteller and perspective we haven’t really seen much of at 5 Point and in the adventure film industry at large. The themes are universal while the perspective of the storyteller is more unique.”
In a promotional video on the film’s Indiegogo campaign, Zaia described the project as a poetic expression about identity, mental health and belonging.
“‘Sharp Edges’ is for anyone who has ever existed in between. Hiding parts of themselves to belong,” she shared. “This is the most personal film I have ever worked on.”
This being the third year of the Wading for Change BIPOC Filmmakers Grant, which has been sponsored by New Belgium and Stio since its inception, Turnbull said the initiative to celebrate diversity in the world of film is crucial not only to 5 Point, but to the whole of adventure filmmaking.
“The grant is a reflection of a big part of 5 Point, which is about supporting emerging filmmakers. We really look at where the filmmakers are in their careers and if our support is going to be really meaningful for them,” he explained. “Both films align with the 5 Point programming mission and showcase a more diverse experience of the outdoors.”
“I think things can be stale and boring when it’s the same old storytellers telling the same old story. So I think it benefits everyone. It makes our festival far richer and more interesting,” he concluded. “And unique experience helps us understand the world a little bit better.”
For more information on 5 Point, visit www.5pointfilm.org To follow “Sharp Edges,” visit www.indiegogo.com/projects/sharp-edges-film#/ and for “Home,” visit rahrobinson.com/portfolio/home