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Tod Lending

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Tod Lending is a filmmaker who has decades of experience in making long-form documentaries that are character driven. He is interested in making films that are intimate, visually powerful, and socially conscious — films that will tell great stories, inspire dialogue, raise awareness and hopefully catalyze social change.

One of his current projects, All the Difference, is a four-year project and has major funding from the MacArthur Foundation,[1] a long time funder of Tod's work. He is the president and founder of Nomadic Pictures.[2]

Career

In 2000, Lending produced, directed, wrote, and filmed LEGACY,[3] a feature-length documentary that follows three-generations of black women over five years who have lost their son/grandson to violence. The film looks at how, after the tragic loss, they rebuilt their lives, got off welfare, overcame drug addiction, went to college, found work and raised their families. The film garnered critical success and was awarded numerous accolades including the Reel Screen Innovation in Documentary Award, two IDA awards, was nominated for a national Emmy and the Academy Awards in 2001, and was broadcast internationally.[4] Most importantly, LEGACY inspired the creation and passing of a federal bill entitled: The Legacy Act of 2003.[5] This bill provides low-income housing to grandparents raising grandchildren.

Tod’s Emmy nominated feature-length documentary, OMAR & PETE,[6] looked at the issue of incarceration and prisoners reentry into their communities and families. The film followed two men, over two years, who were in and out of prison for 30 years and never out for longer than 6 months at a time. It explored what types of support systems black men need in order to succeed in society after they have spent years behind bars; how they reconnect with their families; and what their emotional, educational, health and job training needs are.[7]

In 2008, Tod was awarded a $1.5 million grant by the Wallace Foundation [8] to produce a documentary film and outreach project for PBS called THE PRINCIPAL STORY.[9] The film’s primary subjects are three very passionate and committed public school principals who are tirelessly working towards improving the educational standards for their students, a large majority of whom come from families living below the poverty line.

He is currently producing and directing ALL THE DIFFERENCE,[10] a feature-length documentary film inspired by Wes Moore's book, The Other Wes Moore.[11] Throughout the film, Lending and Moore work together as Wes takes to the road and explores the emergence into manhood of young African American men from multiple perspectives. It is a multi-year effort designed to invite and engage audiences to discover the challenges, opportunities, heartbreaks, and heroism of young African American men at educational crossroads to success or failure in America. The feature documentary film follows two young black men from the south side of Chicago, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the country, graduating high school and making their way through four years of college.

Personal

Lending graduated from the University of Maryland and was a Journalism Fellow in Child and Family Policy. He lives in Chicago, with his daughter Darya.

Filmography

Director

Producer

Writer

Cinematographer

  1. Desperate Measures/The Big City (2012)
  2. Critical Care (2011)

Editor

References

  1. ^ http://www.reelchicago.com/article/300000-macarthur-grant-lending-s-4-year-doc
  2. ^ http://nomadicpix.com/pages/bio.htm
  3. ^ http://www.pbs.org/legacy/filmmaker/
  4. ^ http://nomadicpix.com/pages/bio.htm
  5. ^ http://www.gu.org/OURWORK/PublicPolicy/GrandfamiliesPolicy/LEGACY.aspx
  6. ^ http://www.pbs.org/pov/omarandpete/film_description.php
  7. ^ http://nomadicpix.com/pages/bio.htm
  8. ^ http://www.wallacefoundation.org/principal-story/Pages/about-the-film.aspx
  9. ^ http://www.wallacefoundation.org/principal-story/Pages/about-the-film.aspx
  10. ^ http://www.reelchicago.com/article/300000-macarthur-grant-lending-s-4-year-doc
  11. ^ http://theotherwesmoore.com/
  1. http://www.nomadicpix.com/
  2. http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/making-your-media-matter/showcase/tod-lending-and-legacy
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