DIRECTORS: Sasha Friedlander, Cynthia Wade

In partnership with SVA School of Social Documentary

PRODUCERS: Sasha Friedlander, Tracie Holder, Matthew Syrett, Cynthia Wade
EDITOR: Sasha Friedlander
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Axel Baumann, Boaz Freund, Alex Ginting, Peter Mychalcewycz

Grit is the story of a huge, toxic mudflow in Indonesia widely believed to be caused by shoddy drilling practices. The mud volcano has been erupting violently for the past eight years, burying 17 villages and permanently displacing 60,000 people. The film follows ordinary Indonesians, including one determined teenager, seeking justice for this disaster during a national election where one presidential candidate has promised restitution — and the other has not.

Cynthia Wade’s previous film, Freeheld, won 16 film awards, including an Academy Award; she is currently a producer on the fictionalized version starring Julianne Moore and Ellen Page. In 2013, Cynthia received her second Oscar nomination for her documentary Mondays at Racine.

Sasha Friedlander previously directed Where Heaven Meets Hell, a feature-length documentary set in East Java, Indonesia. The film won Best Feature Documentary Film at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and Hawaii International Film Festival, and a Special Mention for Outstanding Cinematography at the LAAPFF.