NAHJ Member Spotlight: Carrie Lozano’s Sun Dance
Carrio Lozano consults with cinematographer Andy Schocken during filming of the documentary, the Ballad of Fred Hersch. Photo courtesy of Carrie Lozano
CARRIE LOZANO RISES TO THE TOP OF THE FILM DOCUMENTARY PYRAMID AS DIRECTOR OF DOCUMENTARY FILM FOR THE SUNDANCE INSTITUTE. IT'S AFFIRMATION OF LOZANO’S STRONG VOICE IN A FIELD HISTORICALLY DIFFICULT FOR LATINOS TO NAVIGATE.
A devastating global pandemic and unrest driven by a worldwide equal justice movement marked every aspect of society in 2020, including the stories that filmmakers are yearning to tell.
There’s no better time for filmmaker and journalist Carrie Lozano to take on a high-profile role as director of the documentary film program at the Sundance Institute. Underscoring the landmark nature of this appointment is the fact that Lozano is the first Latina to lead one of the most important programs in the documentary field.
“Following the reckoning and uprising of the summer it felt like—what an opportunity to be somewhere where you have a platform to move the needle in a better direction,” Lozano said.
Lozano, a fourth-generation Mexican American, believes she can now truly make a difference for documentarians from traditionally marginalized communities. “I’m excited by the possibilities, understanding that our field is changing in ways that we are not going to fully grasp until we get through this (COVID-19) crisis,” Lozano said.
Lozano and her new Sundance team provide funds, mentoring and substantial support to storytellers creating new nonfiction narratives.
Sundance has earned a reputation as a major funder of independent documentary films, but Lozano says an upcoming open call for funding proposals takes the support for emerging artists to another level. “Including limiting budgets to under $1 million, prioritizing BIPOC and historically marginalized filmmakers, and asking filmmakers to describe their relationship to the community and the story they are portraying,” Lozano explained.
In Sundance, she said, she’s found a great vehicle for her own goal of increasing access to the documentary system. “They are taking it incredibly seriously and making dramatic changes with regard to equity and inclusivity and really understanding who has been marginalized, who has been invisible, and making a concerted and deliberate effort to uplift those voices,” Lozano said.
Carrie Lozano
The next step
Moving to Sundance seems like a natural progression for Lozano. She has been a filmmaker for decades and has long enjoyed a productive association with Sundance. Some of Lozano’s films were supported by Sundance and premiered at the Berlin and Sundance Film Festivals. Lozano has produced or directed films like Reporter Zero, The Ballad of Fred Hersch and the Academy Award-nominated documentary, The Weather Underground, which tells the story of the radical organization from the late 1960s and early 70s. “It premiered at Sundance, and prior to 9-11 it was one story; post 9-11 it became quite another. It had what would be an enviable nationwide theatrical release and played at universities for several years. It has had an incredible life,” said Lozano proudly.
Lozano’s experience gives her a deeply personal understanding of the needs of emerging artists. Prior to Sundance, Lozano assisted filmmakers as co-founder and director of the International Documentary Association’s Enterprise Fund. ”What we were seeing in the field was filmmakers taking on more investigative work, more high-risk work, more personal risk—and doing so independently. We wanted to create a fund that not only provided extensive financial support but also provided journalistic support. I’m really proud of that work,” Lozano said.
Lozano’s varied career highlights include lauded work in broadcast journalism. As an executive and senior producer for what was Al Jazeera America, Lozano and her team won an Emmy, a Peabody, and several Headliner Awards for Fault Lines, an investigative series, “that I think was ahead of its time in telling stories about some of the biggest issues that we’re grappling with today: doing stories on the militarization of cops; being on the ground in Ferguson, Missouri; and telling stories about maternal mortality in the black community. I’m really, really proud of that work,” Lozano said.
A poster for the documentary The Weather Underground
A passion for film
Lozano’s filmmaking journey began when she was growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles. “I always wanted to work in film—that was my passion.” But as the years went by, she began to wonder if she could really make her mark. “Growing up kind of on the fringes of Hollywood and you look at all the credits and not seeing any names that looked like yours, or seeing anybody that looked like you—that didn’t seem accessible. But documentary film was like, ‘Oh, I can do this,’” Lozano said.
She earned undergraduate degrees in film studies and political science, and a graduate degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley. And Lozano stays connected to her alma mater, serving as an advisory board member and lecturer in the university’s Graduate School of Journalism.
As she was settling into her new director’s chair at Sundance, Lozano took on some questions from palabra. She talked about storytelling and a changing cinematic landscape. Here answers here were edited for clarity and brevity.
palabra.: A leadership role at the Sundance Institute is probably the epitome of a career for many people. So how does it feel to get this important position, right now, with Sundance?
Lozano: It’s a fascinating moment—unparalleled—to join any organization, let alone an organization like Sundance. I can’t say I ever thought I would be in this role. I think my whole career has not been all that intentional. I’ve been fortunate enough to have opportunities and I kind of just seize them as they come, with the goal of not only challenging myself, but also understanding that I am a woman of color and that there aren’t many of us in these positions. So throughout the years when they are open to me, I feel almost a responsibility to kind of seize that moment.
At the 2019 National Association of Latino Independent Producers conference, Carrie Lozano is flanked by filmmaker Denise Zmekhol, (left) and Wendy Llinás, dIrector of programming and development at PBS.
palabra.: What advice do you have for Latino/Latinx journalists and filmmakers who want to tell the stories of their particular communities?
Lozano: There is enormous support right now for filmmakers to tell stories about their own communities and cultures. I urge filmmakers to lean into this moment—to look for opportunities for support and partnership, and tell stories that are truly underreported and underrepresented. The data show that Latinx stories are significantly underrepresented through all media. We all need to play an active role in turning the tide.
palabra.: Why is it important that Latino/Latinx stories be told?
Lozano: We need to be in all the rooms in all the places and telling our stories. The reason why it’s so important is people don’t know we are not a monolith, because we are not represented—none of us. We are invisible. So whether you’re Puerto Rican or Dominican, or Cuban American or Mexican American, people (look at us) as a monolith because there is such limited imagery of who we are—our culture, our histories. I think it’s kind of crazy to be at this point where we are politicized and considered this important block as consumers, as voters. Everyone sees us as a huge piece of the pie because of our numbers and yet we have zero representation or understanding of who we are as a people.
palabra.: What influence has the social justice movement had on the stories that are funded and supported at Sundance and at other film festivals?
Lozano: We can already see heartening and much-needed changes. Organizations are deeply interrogating their own internal structures, as well as the ways in which they make decisions, who gets to make decisions and who gets supported. I believe that we are all striving to do better. Our next challenge is to bring in more resources to support even more voices. I don’t foresee a world where we all go back to business as usual.
Saida Pagan is an award-winning Los Angeles-based journalist, on-camera performer and television host. Born and raised in New York City, and of Puerto Rican heritage, Pagan has reported and produced for news organizations across the United States. She has appeared in nearly 100 prime-time television programs, major motion pictures and other media projects. Pagan’s journalism has tackled social issues such as human trafficking, workplace illness, child abuse and challenges faced by ethic actors. Her TV news series, “The Color of Movies,” was placed in the archives of SAG-AFTRA after a special ceremony honoring her work. She is currently producing a documentary series chronicling the history of the city of Los Angeles.