The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has announced grants totaling $1.23 million for documentary film projects that examine social and political issues in the United States and abroad.

The foundation, which has supported independently produced film and video for thirty years, received nearly four hundred proposals in response to a June call for documentary film proposals. Eight proposals were selected to receive grants. They are: The Arizona Project, a documentary that explores the immigration debate sparked by Arizona's controversial immigration law ($200,000); Easy Like Water, about an innovative approach to education and climate change in Bangladesh ($160,000); Electoral Dysfunction, which examines the system of voting and voting rights in the United States ($175,000); I Learn America, about immigrant integration from the perspective and experience of five immigrant high school students and their teachers ($125,000); Oil & Water, which explores the contamination of Ecuador's Amazon region and efforts to protect the area and its people ($80,000); Seeking Refuge, about torture survivors and the professionals who help them heal and start new lives ($140,000); The Supreme Price, about the pro-democracy movement in Nigeria and efforts to increase the participation of women in that country in leadership roles ($200,000); and an untitled project about a young Egyptian journalist and her experiences as change takes place in Egypt in early 2011 ($150,000).

So far this year, MacArthur has committed more than $2 million to independent film and radio documentary projects. "MacArthur's support for documentary film and radio projects is an integral part of our broader efforts to make information and news about important domestic and international social issues widely available to U.S. audiences," said Elspeth Revere, MacArthur's vice president for media, culture, and special initiatives. "Documentaries supported by MacArthur use compelling stories and characters to illuminate serious issues in approachable, creative, and engaging ways."