DFP grantee receives Macarthur “genius”grant
September 21, 2009
The Macarthur Foundation announced 24 recipients of the 2009 Macarthur ‘genius’ grant. DFP grantee James Longley was recognized for his films and contribution to the documentary field.
![james_longley_headshot1[1]](http://www.sundance.org/docsource/httpdocs/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/james_longley_headshot11.JPG "james_longley_headshot1[1]")
In 2005, James received Sundance Documentary Fund support for Iraq in Fragments, which chronicled war-torn Iraq through the eyes of a young boy on the streets of Baghdad, a follower of a radical cleric, and several Kurdish family farmers. The film went on to win the top Documentary Directing, Editing, and Cinematography prizes at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival as well as garnered an Academy Award® nomination.
Known for capturing intimate portraits and immersing himself among ordinary families, James continues to capture unflinching portrayals of the human cost of war in the Middle East. His 2006 Academy-nominated short, Sari’s Mother, illustrated a family struggling to navigate a bureaucratic health care system in Iraq. He recently served as an Advisor to the Documentary Composers Lab in 2008 and is currently working on new projects about Iran, India, and other countries in the region.
http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.5410503/k.11CB/Meet_the_2009_Fellows.htm