Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund and Evident Media partner for fellowship focused on investigative documentary journalism

BALTIMORE, MD – The Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund, an incubator program at Johns Hopkins University that connects creators with mentors, guidance and access to funding, will partner with Evident Media, an Emmy-winning nonprofit news organization, to support a new joint fellowship for investigative documentary journalism.

Director / producer Hélène Estèves and story producer / editor Liza Slutskaya will be the first Zaentz Fund / Evident Media fellows, selected by Zaentz Fund’s evaluation committee as part of the fund’s fellowship application process. Teaming up on a deep dive into the growing trend of algorithms taking over the supervision, assessment and control of workers, their documentary project, “Managed By The Algorithm,” explores the trend’s impact on job security, dignity, human rights and the very structure of modern employment.

“We are proud of the depth and breadth of filmmaking talent that we’ve nurtured in Baltimore over the last 10 years,” said Annette Porter, director of the Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund. “Now, in the face of increasing dysfunction in our film distribution and political systems, feels like the right time to expand our impact with new collaborations and initiatives. Filmmaking is inherently collaborative, and we believe that this partnership with Evident to support investigative documentary journalism will result in films that make complex issues tangible, relatable and emotionally urgent — films where journalistic rigor and cinematic storytelling amplify one another, like we saw in Oscar award winner ‘Navalny.’ ”

The joint fellowship will be part of the Zaentz Fund’s 10th cohort of fellows, a group that will participate in a yearlong program with mentors, advisers, development support and access to funding. Over the next few months, advisers and mentors will work with fellows to shape pitches and develop ideas, leading up to an opportunity for project funding in early 2026. The project produced by Estèves and Slutskaya through the fellowship will be distributed via Evident Media’s platforms.

The University of Maryland's Howard Center for Investigative Journalism and the UMD Philip Merrill College of Journalism's documentary master's concentration will contribute original reporting, research and co-production to the project.

“In a brutally challenging attention economy, journalists can learn from filmmakers and a wider creative community to hone their storytelling skills and their ability to engage and entertain audiences while also presenting original reporting,” said Zach Toombs, executive director of Evident Media. “This partnership with the Zaentz Fund helps us build more support for projects at the intersection of documentary and journalism.”

Evident Media’s upcoming projects include a co-production with FRONTLINE (PBS), visual investigations with Bellingcat, and documentaries on mass deportation, organized crime and international conflict.

“With Evident as a partner, our supported fellows will not only be able to make films that spark social imagination and civic action but they will have a guaranteed platform to reach their audience,” Porter said. “Making important films and having them be seen? What’s not to like about that?”

To learn more about the Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund, visit https://www.zaentzfund.com/.

To learn more about Evident Media, visit evidentmedia.org.