External Festivals & Opportunities
In addition to departamental festivals and grant opportunities, Film and Media Arts students are encouraged to search for external opportunities to showcase their work and grants to fund their projects.
Film Festival aggregators such as Withoutabox and FilmFreeway provide extensive lists of external festival opportunities.
Below is a small list of institutions that accept submissions. The No Film School website published list of grants for screenwriting, documentary and narrative films.
Some Grant and Funding Sources
The Bertha BRITDOC Documentary Journalism Fund
Rolling Deadline. The Bertha BRITDOC Fund for Journalism is an international film fund dedicated to supporting long form feature documentaries of a journalistic nature. We are looking for films that break the important stories of our time, expose injustice, bring attention to unreported issues and cameras into regions previously unseen. This fund recognises such films are often delicate and protracted, making them difficult to fund. With a mission to enable in-depth analysis of issues through long-form investigative filmmaking, we are particularly looking to work with filmmakers with a journalistic background or those who are collaborating with journalists. It is key that the journalistic intent is embedded within the film itself rather than the film simply being about a journalist or journalistic institution.
Creative District Film Grant
Rolling Deadline. At Creative District, we are building a professional network for film and media makers to collaborate. Our mission is to help film and media makers create more work. We're giving away up to $5,000 in grants each month. Projects can be at any stage.
The Independent Filmmaker Project
Rolling Deadline. IFP’s Fiscal Sponsorship program is a legal and financial mechanism by which IFP, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, serves as a conduit for financial resources, and provides some support and oversight for independently produced film projects. Projects Fiscally Sponsored by IFP are able to give donors the incentive of a charitable deduction for income tax purposes, a service individual filmmakers could not otherwise offer. It also enables filmmakers the ability to access to foundation and government grant funding that may only be accessible to non-profit organizations or fiscally sponsored projects.
The Jerome Foundation's Film and Video Grant Program
Rolling Deadline. The Jerome Foundation operates production grant programs for individual film and video artists who reside within five boroughs of New York City and Minnesota. These programs serve artists who work in the genres of experimental, narrative, animation, and documentary production. Applicants must reside in one of the five boroughs or Minnesota and must be emerging artists whose work shows promise of excellence.
Moving Picture Institute's Rising Filmmakers Program
Rolling Deadline. MPI's Rising Filmmakers Program supports the career development of rising freedom-oriented filmmakers attached to or involved in marketable film projects. MPI fellows receive financial support for their work, and in return assist MPI in building our network of contacts within the film industry. This assistance may include mentoring MPI interns, attending industry events, and providing technical assistance to other MPI grantees. Fellows serve as mentors and connectors while using MPI support to develop their careers. MPI fellows have used MPI support to produce, market, and distribute both feature-length and short films. The program is particularly well-suited for filmmakers wishing to produce short films for use as "calling cards" with agents and producers. MPI fellows' short films have helped them secure jobs, top representation, and meetings with major producers. MPI works with each fellow to set reasonable goals for their film projects. To maximize the impact of fellows' work, we offer mentoring and guidance on scripting, production, marketing, and distribution, while also striving to create opportunities for fellows to network, share ideas, and pool resources.
Nextpix/Firstpix Crowdfunding Grant
Rolling Deadline. Nextpix/Firstpix will fund films with a budget under $250k that are the first or second film by a director and are crowdfunding part of that budget. The film should have a positive humanitarian message. Once we've received your query please give us 30 days to respond (unless we have a question, we'll only respond if you receive a grant).
Panavision New Filmmaker Program
Rolling Deadline. Panavision believes in helping students and beginning filmmakers achieve their dreams. More than 25 years ago, Panavision launched the New Filmmaker Program, an ongoing grant program that loans camera packages to film schools, training programs, and independent filmmakers at little or no charge. The New Filmmaker Program loans film or digital camera packages (based on availability) to filmmakers for student thesis films, "low-budget" independent features, showcase reels, Public Service Announcements, or any other type of short not-for-profit project. Applications accepted on rolling basis.
YADDO Residency
Rolling Deadline. Yaddo offers residencies to professional creative artists from all nations and backgrounds working in one or more of the following media: choreography, film, literature, musical composition, painting, performance art, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video. Residencies last from two weeks to two months. Artists may apply individually or as members of collaborative teams of two or three persons. Artists are eligible to apply once each calendar year - either January 1 or August 1, but not both. Late applications will not be accepted. Compensation: Room, board, and studio. Submission window between November 1 and January 1 2015. Application fee is $30.