The Free History Project

FHP Program Summary for Schedule OIn 2022, The Free History Project, Inc. (FHP) consulted on production with independent documentary filmmakers including Chloe Schildhause, Lyuwei Chen, Asa Canty, Darcy Trunzo, Marley McDonald, Brian Becker, and others. Consultations focused on documentary filmmaking in general as well as on particular projects, the mechanics of live cinema, archival projects, film editing, and more. Additionally, FHP visited colleges and universities to speak with students about documentary filmmaking and live cinema. These presentations were at schools including NYU Abu Dhabi, Bard, and Brooklyn College. In 2022, FHP premiered the live feature documentary 32 Sounds at the Sundance Film Festival, and subsequently presented it at other festivals including SXSW, SFFILM Festival, and AFI Fest. FHP also shared live performances of 32 Sounds in Brooklyn, Palo Alto, Abu Dhabi, Dallas, Maine, Edinburgh, and the Netherlands, among other places. After two years of very limited in person screenings it was a thrill to bring audiences together to experience live documentary. FHP also continued to distribute its short film about Annea Lockwood, a pioneering experimental musician, which premiered in 2021. In 2022 FHP also continued to share performances of the live documentary A Thousand Thoughts all over the country. Among other places, there were performances in: Canada, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and New York. The organization also continued developing The Oldest Person, a feature film weaving together portraits of the people who hold the Guinness World Record for being the oldest person alive. In addition to filming additional footage we began to edit the film, and look forward to bringing it to audiences soon. This past year FHP continued its long-running outreach efforts with the feature film, The Weather Underground, including through domestic, international, home and educational distribution. FHP also continued to distribute The Universal Language, a 30-minute, educational documentary on the history of the invented language Esperanto. FHP continued to focus on distributing the film through direct downloads from a website created for the film, as well as educational collections and university libraries.Finally, FHP has supported other critical documentary & educational work through fiscal sponsorship of urgent documentary projects including 32 Sounds, The Oldest Person and The Returning, a film about a returning generation of young Black Farmers who reconnect to the land to grow food, build community, and reclaim power. Per usual, the Free History Projects 990 was circulated to the board in advance of its filing for feedback and questions, and was approved via email.