Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund at the TED Conference

For the second year in a row, the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund was invited to participate in the TED Conference in Long Beach, California.  On Friday, February 12, 2010, Gucci hosted a private event dedicated to the influential genres of documentary filmmaking and journalism.  Gucci invited author and activist Mariane Pearl, philanthropic adviser Trevor Neilson and journalist Michael Massing to lead the discussion on how filmmaking and journalism can help promote tolerance, hope and progress.  Beth Janson, Artistic Director of Tribeca Film Institute, moderated the conversation, which focused on the question - “Can we spread hope as others spread fear?”  This topic is relevant to the ongoing message of the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund, a film funding program that Gucci initiated with Tribeca Film Institute in 2008, which aims to underscore how documentary film's coverage of current issues has both the power to bring awareness to important subjects and in doing so to also bring about positive change. 

“The lack of fair, well-told, investigative and even entertaining stories that give us genuine insights into the realities of others is one of the more serious challenges facing global dialogue and communication,” said Mariane Pearl.  “Journalism and documentary film have the potential to fill this gap with a renewed type of reporting, focused on human interest and motivated by authentic, personal experiences.”

In 2009, Gucci was the first luxury fashion brand to ever participate in the TED conference highlighting its unique  involvement in documentary film funding and its recognition of this artistic medium as a creative tool with the ability to draw attention to relevant issues facing our world today.

“We are so honored to be a participant at TED again this year and to highlight our continued support of documentary films and the people that create them,” said Daniella Vitale, President of Gucci America.  “The issues that these filmmakers bring into focus are important, inspiring and often underreported.  Collectively, this is why we are dedicated to enabling these films to reach the audiences they need to serve, and why we choose to support an art form that can provide such meaning to so many people.”