Deadline: August 10, 2016
The Redford Center Grants program, which is being funded by the New York Community Trust is beginning this year. This inaugural grant cycle will support five early-stage, feature-length film projects focused on increasing environmental awareness and action. They are looking for character-driven stories that present meaningful and insightful perspective on frontline environmental issues—stories that leave audiences with a sense of hope.
Redford Center Grants will provide grant funds, mentorship opportunities, and networking support to impact filmmakers who understand the power of a well-told, well-timed story to inspire positive change in the world.
Benefits
Each filmmaking team chosen to participate in the program will receive the following support:
- A $15,000 development grant to produce a written film treatment and a short proof-of-concept film in a three-month timeframe;
- A GoPro Hero 4 Black camera to support their filmmaking;
- A travel and lodging grant to attend a story development summit at the Sundance Mountain Resort;
- Access to issue experts and industry leaders who will help filmmaking teams refine their project narratives and impact goals;
- Distribution of the proof-of-concept films as part of The Redford Center Grants’ Collection of Shorts;
- Consideration for Redford Center coproduction of the feature film;
- Consideration for a production grant to support the feature film.
Eligibility
- All members of the applicant team must be 18 years of age or older.
- Projects must be feature-length, impact-focused documentary films (animation, VR, and other emerging techniques are welcome).
- Projects must be focused on an environmental topic. The Redford Center broadly defines an “environmental topic” as an issue that concerns or endangers the health of humans, animals, communities, and/or earth ecosystems.
- International filmmakers are eligible to apply.
- All grantees must attend the Story Development Summit November 16-19, 2016. This date is not negotiable, and cash awards will not be made to filmmaking teams who do not attend. Therefore, if you cannot make this date, please do not apply during this grant cycle.
- All applicants agree to allow The Redford Center to use stills, images, and quotes from their application in promotional material (as appropriate).
- Applicants cannot be staff or board members of The Redford Center.
- Applicants cannot be full-time students.
- Only one application per project will be accepted.
- Before receiving a grant, international applicants must verify that they are filming entirely outside of the United States. This is because any filming expenses incurred in the US would require international filmmakers to open an LLC in the US and hire a US based accountant in order to file withholding taxes with the IRS, which would not be recommended for a grant of this size.
Application Process
Create an account and start your application
- Please make sure to read through the eligibility requirements before starting the online application process. You may return to your application by logging in with the username and password used when you created your account, and submit the final application when you are ready.
- You will receive email verification that your application was submitted. Selected projects will be announced in October 2016. Inquiries can be sent to [email protected]
For more information, visit Redford Grants 2016.
