Ukrainian-Canadian filmmaker Oksana Karpovych’s Intercepted has earned a nomination for Best Documentary Feature from the Gotham Film and Media Institute in New York.

The annual Gotham Awards were created to recognize “groundbreaking storytellers,” including actors, writers, directors and producers.

Intercepted is written and directed by Karpovych (Temporary) and is a Canadian coproduction between Rocío B. Fuentes (Heartburn) and Giacomo Nudi (El Grito) from Montreal’s Les Films Cosmos; Pauline Tran Van Lieu (Acts of Love) and Lucie Rego (Au jour d’aujourd’hui) from France’s Hutong Production; and Darya Bassel (Butterfly Vision) and Olha Beskhmelnytsina (Stop-Zemlia) from Ukraine’s MoonMan.

The doc focuses on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, featuring intercepted phone conversations between Russian soldiers and their families.

France’s Lightdox is handling international sales, while Les Films du 3 Mars is distributing in Canada.

The film had its world premiere at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, selected for the Forum program.

Canadian doc among Sundance Sandbox Fund recipients

Mila Aung-Thwin’s In Praise of Invasive Species is one of 15 projects that have been selected for the Sundance Sandbox Fund, which is increasing to $500,000 this year.

The lone Canadian recipient, Aung-Thwin’s (Chairman George) in-development doc examines the heated politics behind hunting and destroying invasive species such as Japanese knotweed. The film is produced by Bob Moore (Influence).

Created in 2017, the Fund provides grants to non-fiction projects emphasizing diversity in science in any stage from development to post-production. The average grant for projects in development is $40,000, while projects in production or post-production can receive up to $100,000, according to Sundance’s website. The Fund is open to U.S. and international projects twice a year with two separate application windows, with the next grant cycle coming in spring 2025.

Justin Simms’ Sons set for world premiere in Newfoundland

Newfoundland and Labrador-based director Justin Simms’ feature documentary Sons (National Film Board of Canada) will have its world premiere on Nov. 8 at the Rooms art centre and museum in St. John’s in partnership with the Nickel Independent Film Festival.

The 70-minute doc examines modern masculinity while depicting the first five years of the life of Simms’ (Away From Everywhere) son.

Sons is produced by Liz Cowie (Devoured) and Rohan Fernando (Snow) and executive produced by Fernando, Annette Clarke (A Quiet Girl), Nathalie Cloutier (Gulistan, Land of Roses) and John Christou (Up the Yangtze).

The film will also screen in Clarenville and Bonavista, Nfld. on Nov. 20 and 21, respectively.

Image courtesy of Les Films du 3 Mars