The Public Works Administration (PWA) was a key player in the development of New York City during the 1930s. One of the most remarkable projects they funded was the Triborough Bridge (now known as the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge), which connected Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx. The Hoover Dam, or “Boulder Canyon project,” was planned in the 1920s and completed with PWA funding in 1935.
New York City's FVDP program
has panels that are composed of leaders in film, video and digital production from both New York City and the national level.These panels change every year, so it is not possible to predict who will be on it in the future. Documentary filmmakers often invest a significant amount of their own money to get their films to the initial development phase, with the hope that a larger funder will join the project later. Robert Moses, a powerful New York City official, was responsible for constructing the bridge which opened in 1936. Over recent rounds, the New York City program has received an average of 220 applications per round. The goal is to alter the narrative about places like the South Bronx across the country; to expose how African Americans, Puerto Ricans, and immigrants were targeted by racist policies in the 1960s and 70s and then abandoned, neglected, and blamed for their circumstances.
The WPA provided funding for New Orleans to improve its municipal park in the 1930s by building sidewalks, bridges and an art museum. The New York Community Trust and The Redford Center agreed on specific production goals for their program and The Trust provided enough space for The Redford Center team to be creative and flexible in achieving those results. The city later changed its name to honor Fiorello La Guardia who was mayor of New York City when the airport opened. At the opening ceremony, FDR placed the bridge in the context of other New Deal projects and said: “People need and demand an updated government instead of an outdated government, just as they demand that the Triborough bridges replace the old ferries”.
The tunnel's central tube opened to traffic in 1937, allowing drivers to travel between New York and New Jersey below the Hudson River. The New Deal also created new agencies to fund projects across America that would improve communities and provide jobs at a time when unemployment was high. The Redford Center's theory of change is based on awareness being the first step towards action on an issue; positive stories have an important role to play in inspiring public participation and generating change. The evolution of documentary funding in New York City has been remarkable over time.
From Robert Moses' Triborough Bridge project funded by PWA during the 1930s to New York City's FVDP program today, there have been many changes in how documentary projects are funded in The Bronx. The WPA provided funding for New Orleans to improve its municipal park during this time as well. In recent years, the New York City program has received an average of 220 applications per round with a goal of changing narratives about places like South Bronx across America. The Redford Center's theory of change is based on awareness being a key factor towards action on an issue; positive stories have an important role to play in inspiring public participation and generating change.
This is why it is essential for documentary makers to invest their own money into their projects with hopes that larger funders will join them later on. Overall, documentary funding has evolved significantly over time in The Bronx, New York City. From Robert Moses' Triborough Bridge project funded by PWA during the 1930s to New York City's FVDP program today, there have been many changes in how documentary projects are funded in this area. It is clear that awareness is a key factor towards action on an issue; positive stories have an important role to play in inspiring public participation and generating change.
