Jessica Harrop Promoted to Executive Director of Sandbox Films (EXCLUSIVE)
Sandbox Films has promoted Jessica Harrop to executive director of the company. In her new role, she will lead in strategic planning, editorial decision-making and the building of new partnerships and initiatives at the nonfiction studio.
Harrop is an Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning producer. She played a pivotal role in launching and growing Sandbox Films, joining the team before the company’s official formation. Serving for the past five years as the head of production and development, she was instrumental in growing the slate of films and played a major role in all productions including Sara Dosa’s Oscar-nominated “Fire of Love.” Before Sandbox Films, she worked as a freelance showrunner, producer and writer for science television.
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“I couldn’t be more excited to take on this new role at Sandbox Films, a company that I helped build from the ground up, with a mission I care deeply about,” Harrop said in a statement. “We are working to reinvent the science documentary genre and make science stories more accessible to people who don’t seek out science content. I am proud to collaborate with an incredible team and with such talented independent artists.”
In addition, Sam Lazar Riviello has been named head of operations and events at the company.
“It is an exhilarating moment for Sandbox Films!” Riviello said in a statement. “Under Jessica’s astute stewardship, we’re cultivating more dynamic partnerships, empowering the independent documentary community with resources driven by their needs, and delivering awe-inspiring science documentaries to audiences worldwide — all while upholding the exceptional standards that define our studio.”
Under Harrop’s leadership, Sandbox will be expanding its Sundance Institute Sandbox Fund to increase its granting pool to $500,000 per year. Since its inception, the fund has seen a 500% increase in the number of project submissions from all around the globe. This program expansion will allow the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program (DFP) and Sandbox Films teams to award more sizable grants and support a larger number of artists.
“We are thrilled to strengthen our collaboration with our partners at Sandbox Films,” Paola Mottura, director of the Sundance Documentary Fund, said in a statement. “By broadening the reach and deepening the impact of the Sundance Institute Sandbox Fund, we look forward to elevating the vision of artists from all around the world redefining ‘science film’ through innovative, bold and risk-taking documentaries”.
Sandbox will also be growing its initiatives to bring scientists and filmmakers together in a new Sandbox Salon series. The series will consist of intimate gatherings thrown at the new Sandbox offices and will center around discussions of challenging and thought-provoking scientific questions. These Salons will expand upon the annual Camp Sandbox retreat which takes place every fall, bringing 15 scientists and 15 filmmakers together for a long weekend of idea sharing.
Sandbox Films is an editorially independent subsidiary of the Simons Foundation in New York City. Simons Foundation President David Spergel says: “Sandbox Films is an important part of our science, society and culture portfolio. We aim to transform people’s relationship with science and a great film can change our connection to the world around us. We are excited for Jessica to take on this new role. She has been an integral part of the growth of the company, and we look forward to its many continued successes.”
In addition to expanded initiatives, Sandbox Films will continue to elevate its existing and upcoming film slate. The studio currently has approximately 20 films in development and production, collaborating with artists from all over the world, including co-productions with A24 and Darren Aronofsky’s Protozoa. Upcoming productions also include a new shorts series in partnership with NYTimes Op-Docs, to be announced soon.
Additional upcoming releases include the Sundance film “Nocturnes,” which will be released theatrically later this year after winning the Special Jury prize for World Documentary Craft at Sundance and the WWF Hellas Award at Thessaloniki. Also to be released this year is “Confessions of a Good Samaritan,” directed by award-winning filmmaker Penny Lane, which had its world premiere at the 2023 SXSW Film & TV Festival.
Sandbox will continue to run its operations from the New York headquarters.
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