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STONE LANTERN FILMS INC
SUFFERN, NY · EIN 521486485 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · Micro (<$100K) · stonelanternfilms.org
revenue
$99K
expenses
$144K
net assets
$89K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

TO FILM AND PRODUCE THOUGHT PROVOKING CULTURAL DOCUMENTARIES FOR USE BY SCHOOLS AS WELL AS THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

profile · synthesized from sources

Stone Lantern Films Inc is a New York-based nonprofit documentary production company that creates culturally significant films for schools and the general public. For over 30 years, the organization has produced award-winning documentaries on topics including public education, urban development, mental health history, and literary biography. Their films are used widely in academic settings and community engagement initiatives to spark dialogue and influence public understanding.

named programs · 7 · from sources

What they call their work

ASYLUM
Emmy-nominated film exploring the history of mental institutions in America, focusing on St. Elizabeths Hospital and the debate over deinstitutionalization.
BACKPACK FULL OF CASH
Feature documentary narrated by Matt Damon examining the privatization of public schools and its impact on vulnerable children.
ENDGAME
Upcoming documentary investigating voucher programs that redirect taxpayer funds to private and religious schools, focusing on Arizona, Florida, Ohio, and Texas.
HAVERSTRAW
Documentary in post-production about a proposed large-scale riverfront development in the Hudson Valley community of Haverstraw, NY.
MEGAMALL
Feature-length documentary investigating the 20-year controversy behind one of America's largest shopping malls and its impact on Rockland County, New York.
Marcel Proust: A Writer’s Life
One-hour documentary portrait of the French literary artist, narrated by Kate Nelligan.
SCHOOL
Four-hour PBS series narrated by Meryl Streep chronicling the history of American public education.
activities · 2 groups

What they do

  • Documentary Film Production 4 activities
    • Organizing public engagement campaigns through film
      Designs and implements public engagement campaigns centered on documentary screenings to bring new voices into policy conversations and inform decision-makers, using film as a tool to raise awareness, build community, and drive social change.
    • Production of cultural and educational documentaries
      Produces feature-length and series documentaries on cultural, historical, and educational topics for distribution to schools, public broadcasters, and global audiences. Examples include "SCHOOL: The Story of American Public Education," "Marcel Proust: A Writer’s Life," and "Asylum," with content aired on national primetime PBS and distributed through HBO-Cinemax, WETA, and international broadcasters.
    • Production of documentaries on community development and land-use policy
      Produces documentary films exploring the social and cultural impacts of large-scale development projects on local communities. Includes "Megamall," which examined the 20-year controversy over a major shopping mall in Rockland County, NY, and "Haverstraw," a film-in-progress examining a riverfront development’s impact on a multi-ethnic Hudson River village; both films include verité storytelling and community-focused narratives.
    • Production of documentaries on public education and school reform
      Produces in-depth documentaries examining critical issues in American public education, including privatization, voucher programs, and corporate-driven reform. Key works include "Backpack Full of Cash" (2017), which sparked activism in 39 states and 9 countries, and an ongoing feature-length film investigating the impact of voucher programs on public education and democracy.
  • Film Distribution and Screening Programs 1 activity
    • Global screening and educational distribution of documentaries
      Distributes and screens documentaries widely in film festivals, schools, universities, libraries, and cultural institutions globally to educate the public and foster dialogue. For example, "Megamall" was screened internationally, and "Asylum" was screened hundreds of times at venues including the Kennedy Center and National Building Museum, and incorporated into educational curricula across the U.S.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$99K
Contributions & grants$52K52%
Program service revenue$45K45%
Investment income$3K3%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$144K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$71K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$90K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$89K
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -27.8%
relationships · 39

Who they work with

  • Arts Council of Rockland Funder — Provided major funding for the film MEGAMALL through its Community Arts Grants program.
  • Brown University Partner — Featured Carl Kaestle, Professor Emeritus, as an interviewee in the film series.
  • California State University Partner — Featured Julian Nava, Professor Emeritus of History, as an interviewee in the film series.
  • Columbia University Partner — Featured Nick Lemann, Dean Emeritus of the Graduate School of Journalism, as an interviewee in the film series.
  • Columbia University Partner — Featured Professor David Rothman from Columbia University as an on-screen expert in the documentary 'Asylum'.
  • Dame Iris Murdoch Partner — Featured interviewee in the documentary "Marcel Proust: A Writer’s Life."
  • Dong Sung Kim Partner — Olympic gold medalist featured as a central figure in the documentary about youth speed skating.
  • French TV-3 Partner — Distributed the short film "Old Acquaintances" produced by Stone Lantern Films.
  • HBO-Cinemax Partner — Distributed the short film "Old Acquaintances" produced by Stone Lantern Films.
  • Matt Damon Partner — Narrated the documentary "Backpack Full of Cash" produced by Stone Lantern Films.
  • Matt Damon Partner — Narrated the documentary "Backpack Full of Cash."
  • Meryl Streep Partner — Narrated the documentary series "SCHOOL: The Story of American Public Education" produced by Stone Lantern Films.
  • National Endowment for the Humanities Funder — Provided development funding for a film project.
  • New York State Council on the Arts Funder — Provided major funding for MEGAMALL through its Decentralization Program.
  • Ouida Washington Partner — Served as consulting producer on the documentary "OUR SCHOOL"
  • PBS Network — Broadcast partner that aired multiple Stone Lantern Films documentaries in national primetime.
  • Preservation League of New York State Funder — Provided major funding for the film MEGAMALL.
  • Roger Shattuck Partner — Featured interviewee in the documentary "Marcel Proust: A Writer’s Life."
  • Rutgers University Partner — Featured Professor Gerald Grob from Rutgers University as an on-screen expert in the documentary 'Asylum'.
  • Santa Barbara International Film Festival Partner — Nominated "Megamall" by Stone Lantern Films for a Social Justice Award.
  • Sarah Mondale Partner — Directed and co-produced the documentary "OUR SCHOOL"
  • Sarah Patton Partner — Co-produced the documentary "OUR SCHOOL"
  • Shelby Foote Partner — Featured interviewee in the documentary "Marcel Proust: A Writer’s Life."
  • Stanford University Partner — Collaborated with faculty from Stanford University, including David Tyack and Larry Cuban, for expert commentary in the film series.
  • The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities Funder — Provided major funding for the production of the documentary 'Asylum'.
  • The D.C. Community Humanities Council Funder — Provided major funding for the production of the documentary 'Asylum'.
  • The Hillsdale Fund Funder — Provided major funding for the production of the documentary 'Asylum'.
  • The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Funder — Provided major funding for the production of the documentary 'Asylum'.
  • The New Yorker Partner — Featured Nick Lemann, staff writer at The New Yorker, as an interviewee in the film series.
  • The William H. Donner Foundation Funder — Provided major funding for the production of the documentary 'Asylum'.
+ 9 more
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Collaborative Public Engagement to Strengthen Democratic Dialogue
    methodology: collaborative public engagement
    By designing public events in partnership with community organizations, we elevate underrepresented voices and deepen public discourse, because inclusive, co-created dialogue leads to more informed and equitable decision-making.
  • Documentary Filmmaking as Advocacy for Social and Educational Equity
    methodology: advocacy-through-documentary
    By producing and distributing documentary films on systemic issues in education and community development, we drive public engagement and advocacy for policy change, because compelling narrative storytelling with expert and community voices makes complex social issues accessible and motivates collective action.
  • Investigative Documentary with Expert Commentary to Illuminate Systemic Issues
    methodology: investigative_documentary
    By combining investigative documentary techniques with expert commentary, we expose the interplay between urban development, politics, and community impact, because authoritative analysis paired with narrative depth fosters public understanding and challenges dominant policy narratives.