Application Details Below:

1 – BACKGROUND

The Cannes Festival has created the Festival Residence Programme with the objective to help young filmmakers develop their first or second narrative feature film project.

Each year, the Résidence du Festival welcomes 12 young filmmakers from around the world in two distinct sessions lasting four and a half months: six candidates participate in the October-February session and six others participate in the February-July session.

The Residence’s next session will run from October 3rd 2011 to February 15th 2012.

Since its creation in 2000, the Résidence has welcomed more than seventy filmmakers from more than forty different countries. Nearly fifty previous participants have seen their films selected by international festivals and distributed in theatres.

The programme provides accommodation for the selected candidates at the Résidence located in Paris, a personalised programme accompanying the writing of their scripts, and a collective programme of forums with film industry professionals.

The residents equally benefit from:

• A €800 grant per month;
• Free access to a large number of Paris cinemas;
• French lessons (optional);
• The possibility of attending festivals during their stay.

The preliminary jury, that establishes the shortlist of potential candidates, comprises

at least 3 personalities from the world of film. The selection is based on the quality of

their already made shorts – or first feature film, as well as on the interest of the

feature film project in the course of being written, and on the candidates’ motivation.

2 – ELIGIBILITY

Candidates, who want to submit their application for the Résidence should:

• have directed one or several short films, or even a first feature film;
•  have a fiction feature film project in progress at the moment of application(screenplay or 10 pages minimum treatment) ;
•  have to commit themselves to living at the Residence for the complete duration of the session.

3 – REGISTRATION PROCEDURE

Applications must include:

•  copy of your registration slip you will get after validation of your online application;
•  DVD of the films already made – both short and features films – (do not send video clips or trailer) ;
•  feature film project in progress at the moment of application (screenplay or a 10 page minimum treatment) ;
•  synopsis;
• intention note (vision statement for the project) ;
• copy of your passport.

Applications need to be received at the following address no later than April 1st, 2011 (arrival date). Send applications to:

Résidence du Festival

3 rue Amélie

75007 Paris

France

Films made in a language other than French or English must be subtitled in French or English, or, at the very least, be accompanied by a list of dialogues in French or English.

Incomplete applications will not be examined by the jury.

You can complete your application here:

http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/cinefoundation/theResidence.html

Good luck!

• Study scholarships are granted for one academic year (10 months) with the possibility of a one-year extension for students in degree-granting programs to complete a full degree course in Germany.
• Scholarships must take place during the German academic year (October 1, 2012 to July 31, 2013).
• A very limited number of scholarship holders who receive seven- to 24-month grants may be awarded a two-month language course grant.
• The monthly stipend for artists and musicians is €750. In addition, DAAD will cover health insurance and and provide a flat rate subsidy for travel costs (US East: €1075 / West: €1425; Canada East: €925 / West: €1,300).

The eligibility requirements are somewhat strict and labor-intensive:

• Graduating seniors or graduate students applying for this program must be enrolled full-time at an accredited university at the time of application.(Those who have already completed an undergraduate degree do not need to be currently enrolled.)
• Recent graduates who have completed their Bachelor’s degrees no longer than six years before the application deadline are welcome to apply.
• PhD candidates must have achieved ABD status no longer than four years before applying. Postdocs may apply until two years after completion of their PhD.
• Applicants should be US or Canadian citizens. Foreign nationals must have studied at an accredited US or Canadian university for at least two years by the time of application.
• At the time of application, Applicants must not have been resident in Germany for more than one year.
• Applicants are requested to have a well-defined study project that makes a stay in Germany essential. Preference will be given to applicants who have been invited by a faculty member at a German university to study at a particular university department.
• Applicants in the arts, humanities and social sciences should have a good command of German.
• Applicants may not hold a DAAD grant and a grant from another German or German-American organization/German-Canadian organization concurrently for the same project. Prior recipients of a DAAD grant should contact DAAD New York before applying to determine their eligibility status.

So if you took German in college, have a script that takes place in Germany, or an interest in German themes, this is an excellent and very prestigious opportunity to live and work in Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Hamburg at any of the excellent film schools they have there. You could try making a short film, applying for funding for a feature, or write a script.

The application process is complicated and includes the

1. Application Form
2. Supplemental Materials
3. CV/Résumé
4. Study Proposal
5. 2 Letters of Recommendation
6. Evidence of Contact with German Institution
7. DAAD Language Evaluation Form (Sprachzeugnis)
8. Transcripts

Get an early start, because it’s a lot of work. I’ll be starting soon. The deadline is November 11th.

Here’s the link to the full information and the dense application:

http://www.daad.org/?p=gradstudy_arts

TRIBECA ALL ACCESS – EARLY DEADLINE NOVEMBER 8TH – FINAL DEADLINE DECEMBER 8TH

Tribeca All Access is a program designed to help experienced and emerging filmmakers with grants ($10,000), meetings with industry professionals, and a host of other support. Aleem Hossain (an Alum) mentioned it in our interview two weeks ago so I thought I’d share.

From the website:

What We Do

It’s a simple premise that has achieved great success in eight years: provide both established and emerging filmmakers with unprecedented access to industry professionals, giving them the contacts, knowledge and confidence they need to make their films.

In 2011, Tribeca All Access (TAA) will provide grants of $10,000, one-on-one meetings with industry representatives, career development workshops and informational panels to ten exceptional filmmakers working in narrative and documentary.

This year, TAA will also expand its support for program alumni by offering grants of $5,000 to $10,000 for projects which have already participated in TAA, or for new projects from program alumni. Submissions for these alumni grants will open on November 8, 2010.

As always, program alumni will continue to have access to free or discounted equipment and services for any of their projects, and be eligible to take part in our workshops, panels and industry events.  TAA also offers promotional support for completed films that have come through the program.

Who Comes?

Tribeca All Access (TAA) participants are filmmakers from traditionally under-represented communities with great stories and a desire to tell them. Industry representatives come from the worlds of development, production and distribution, as well as agencies and law firms that have a passion for contributing diverse voices to the film industry.

For industry representatives, TAA is a place to meet talented filmmakers, find new and exciting scripts covering a range of genres and budgets, and get a first look at documentary works-in-progress.

What Happens?

In addition to receiving $10,000, selected filmmakers participate in an intensive four-day program, held concurrent with the Tribeca Film Festival. This intensive includes individual one-on-one meetings with industry members, networking with fellow filmmakers, and workshops that address the latest in fundraising, marketing and audience engagement.

The Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Awards

Program participants are also eligible for the TAA Creative Promise Awards. These juried awards are presented to one filmmaker in each category (narrative or documentary). These cash awards of $10,000 are determined by a jury of noted professionals in the field. Examples of past jurors include Neda Armian, John Cho, Viola Davis, Chris Eyre, Antoine Fuqua, Jessica Hagedorn, Hill Harper, Warrington Hudlin, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Sanaa Lathan, Jesse L. Martin, Sheila Nevins, Rosie Perez, Freddy Rodriguez, Kerry Washington, B.D. Wong.

Application Deadline

Key dates for the 2011 Tribeca All Access project submissions include:

September 15, 2010 – SUBMISSIONS OPEN

November 8, 2010 – EARLY DEADLINE

December 8, 2010 – FINAL DEADLINE

Go out and get it!

About the Colony:

Every year during the month of October, four writers, selected from a pool of industry-nominated candidates, live and work together at picturesque Almanack Farm, perched on the edge of Nantucket’s cranberry bog conservation land. The Colonists are granted ample time to generate and refine their projects and share work amongst themselves. To ensure a comfortable and inspiring work environment they are provided with a chef, a Colony car, bicycles, workspace, Wi-Fi, a printer and unlimited movie rentals. Two industry Mentors are brought up each weekend throughout the month to workshop each of the writers’ screenplays. In addition to intensive one-on-one feedback sessions, writers and Mentors enjoy an informal and sociable Colony experience over dinners and other island outings.

The application process.

Applicants must be nominated by an established professional working within the film industry. Four writers are selected to participate in the program each year. Unlike other programs or fellowships that rely on open submissions, we seek out deserving nominees through industry recommendations, consulting with producers, festival programmers, screenwriters, filmmakers, Colony alumni, studio executives, industry journalists and film schools. We seek writers with distinct perspectives, strong on-the-page voices, and a proven commitment to their craft who have already laid the groundwork for their early careers. All genres and budgets are welcome, but the writing and storytelling should take risks in both form and content.

Any writer interested in applying should contact the Colony at the email below with a bio, an industry reference (include contact information), and a draft of the screenplay you wish to develop in residence at the Colony.

Email address: screenwriterscolony@gmail.com

Past alumni include Sophie Barthes (Cold Souls), Megan Holley (Sunshine Cleaning) and Eva Vives (Raising Victor Vargas). The alumni of the lab are mainly MFAs from the big five schools (USC, UCLA, NYU, AFI, and Columbia) and have some decent credits in terms of festivals etc. before they apply. There are a few film students though, and it’s worth looking into.

It’s a great opportunity to spend a month getting feedback on your screenplay, and you get a personal chef! Find someone to recommend you, get a good draft of your script together, and apply.

Filmmakers are flown to Berlin for the festival and put up in hostiles. There are networking events, which are especially grand because the community is so international. As an American filmmaker with a European project, this might be a way to meet German/French/Spanish producers who could tap into European subsidies to produce your film. The talent campus has a number of masterclasses with renowned filmmakers. When I lived in Berlin I saw Wim Wenders, Janusz Kaminski and Tilda Swinton in one week. All events, including many festival screenings are free for participants.
I think as a filmmaker it would be intelligent to go to the talent campus with an actual project you would like to make in Europe. Then you have a tangible goal to talk to people about, as well as something to stay in touch over with the people you meet there. If you’re in the screenwriters lab, you can get feedback on what you’ve written.

Otherwise it can also be a fantastic opportunity to spend a movie-filled week in one of the greatest cities in the world. Alumni and selected participants of the talent campus are also eligible to apply for the Berlin Today Award:

The award offers five young directing talents the chance to produce a short film in cooperation with a Berlin / Brandenburg based production company. The nominated films celebrate their world premiere during the Berlinale Talent Campus. The winning film, chosen by a jury, will receive the BERLIN TODAY AWARD during a gala ceremony.

Eligible for participation in the BERLIN TODAY AWARD 2010 are
- all persons with a complete application for the Berlinale Talent Campus 2009
- all participants of the Berlinale Talent Campus 2003-2008 (Alumni).

The programs continue with special hands on labs (which require a special application) including

THE SCORE COMPET ITION for score composers and sound designers, THE CAMPUS STUDIO for directors, producers, cinematographers, and editors involved in post-production stage, THE SCRIPT & DOC STATION for scriptwriters and documentary filmmakers, THE TALENT PROJECT MARKET for collaborating producers and directors, THE TALENT PRESS for film critics, THE BERLIN TODAY AWARD for directors and THE TALENT ACTORS STAGE.

All of these are extremely valuable opportunities to further the life of a project and filmmaking career. To apply for the campus (and all the other programs) you have to fit these minor eligibility requirements:

• Are you fluent in English? (In particular, can you fill out the application in English and understand a lecture or discussion in English?)
• Do you work or study in the areas of screenwriting, documentary filmmaking, producing, directing, cinematography, acting, editing, film criticism, sound design, film music composition, art direction or production design?
• Have you worked on a short film that was awarded a prize OR Has your work been screened at an international film festival OR Have you worked on a film of at least 60 minutes in length OR Are you a film student in your final year or in a post-graduate programme?
• Will this be your first time at the Berlinale Talent Campus, or are you a Campus alumni that wishes to apply to the Talent Project Market or to the Berlin Today Award?

Application opens July 15th. Good luck!

Samuel Goldwyn, Producer

The Samuel Goldwyn Writing Awards is one of the most prestigious writing competitions in America, only available to University of California students.

From the Website:

Some of the more famous winners include: Francis Ford Coppola, Eric Roth, Pamela Gray, Allison Anders, Colin Higgins, Carroll Ballad, Scott Rosenberg, Carolyn See and Jonathan Kellerman.

In 2009 we received 151 scripts from eight University of California campuses.

The first prize is $15,000, second $7,500, third $4,000, with two honorable mentions of $2,000 and $1,000.

All full-length dramatic writing in script form is eligible–equivalent of a feature length screenplay, three-act stage play, or a one hour (minimum) teleplay.

If you’re a UC student, this is a serious opportunity. This award has gotten people agents and sales in the past, and is up there with the Nicchols Fellowship in terms of respect.

Finalists are notified in September. Good luck!

Film Independent, situated in Los Angeles, has many programs designed to help aspiring filmmakers. The only downsides to FIND programs are that you have to live in Los Angeles to participate and that the cost applying to the labs is higher than other similar programs.

Project:Involve 2011 DEADLINE MARCH 29TH

Project Involve is Film Independent’s signature diversity program, dedicated to increasing diversity in the film industry by cultivating the careers of under-represented filmmakers. The program, which runs from October through June, selects filmmakers from diverse backgroun ds and filmmaking tracks. During the nine-months, the Fellows are paired one-on-one with a mentor from the film industry, assigned to a team to make a short film incorporating a given theme, and attend monthly filmmaking workshops and other educational seminars.

Applications for Project involve are accepted in the following categories: Acquisitions/Distribution, Agent/Manager, Cinematography, Development Exec, Directing, Documentary, Editing, Film Programming, Marketing, Producing, Screenwriting, and Writer/Director

Another major option at film independent is the filmmaker labs. The alumni aren’t quite as prestigious as the Sundance crowd, but there are many good opportunities to be had.

The Director’s Lab DEADLINE OCTOBER 4TH 2010 – Application Fee $75 ($55 for FIND Members) – 8 projects.

the Directors Lab is an intensive eight-week program running in Los Angeles in February and March. The primary focus of the Lab is on learning to work with actors and the rehearsal process. Under the guidance of the lab instructor, Directors Lab Fellows select short scenes from their scripts to workshop. Additionally, Fellows go through a mini-production, learning how to break down a script into a shot list, collaborate with cinematographers, and construct a scene in the editing process. Film Independent provides the Lab participants with camera and sound packages to shoot their scenes. All scenes will be shot on digital video and critiqued by the Lab Instructor as well as the other Lab participants.

The Screenwriter’s Lab DEADLINE MARCH 2 2010 – Application Fee $75 ($55 for FIND Members) – 10 projects.

Participants meet two to three evenings per week in Los Angeles in August and September. ”The Lab is designed to help screenwriters improve their craft, develop their voices as writers, and take their current scripts to the next level. During the Lab, Fellows receive feedback on their scripts from the Lab instructor, outside advisors, and the other writers in the program.”

A really excellent part of submitting to this lab is that you receive coverage from a reader. Coverage can run around $150 depending on who you get it from. You can also resubmit projects to FIND Labs, which is not as possible at Sundance.

Fast Track DEADLINE FEBRUARY 1 2010 – Application Fee $75 ($55 for FIND Members)

Fast Track is a film financing market that takes place during the Los Angeles Film Festival designed to help narrative and documentary filmmakers move their current projects forward. During three days of intensive meetings, Fast Track connects filmmakers with financiers, production companies, and other industry professionals. This highly selective program is open to established as well as up-and-comThe Ning filmmakers with exceptional projects still seeking funding. Participants accepted into Fast Track are also eligible for a $10,000 production grant awarded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Fellows from the labs also have the opportunity to receive a number of grants from FIND.

This is the creme de la creme of screenwriting competitions. Five $30,000 fellowships are awarded to writers who have earned less than $5,000 writing for film and television. There are over 6,000 applicants each year. Being a quarter or semi-finalist is prestigious enough to be put on people’s resumes. Here is the basic info from the website:

The Competition

Since 1991, over 3,500 writers have entered the Nicholl Fellowships each year. A record 6,380 entries were received in 2009. All scripts are read at least once in the competition. About half are read a second time and about one-sixth are read a third time. About five percent of entries advance to the competition quarterfinals, about two percent advance to the semifinals and about 10 reach the finals.

Judging

The first and quarterfinal rounds are judged by industry professionals who are not members of the Academy. The semifinal round is judged by Academy members drawn from across the spectrum of the motion picture industry. The finalist scripts are judged by the Nicholl Committee.

Announcements

All entrants will receive notification of their status by e-mail sent no later than August 1 of each year. Quarterfinalist letters are e-mailed by August 1; fellowship recipients are announced in October.

To apply people need to submit:

• original feature film screenplay approximately 90 to 120 pages in length (there is no page limit) in PDF format only
• fill out the online application form
• early bird entry fee of US $30 (by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time April 1)  or regular deadline entry fee of US $45 (by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time May 1)

Each week I will publish a new opportunity – Grants, Labs, Programs, Artist Colonies, etc. from my database. Good luck to everyone!

1. The Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab – DEADLINE MAY 1st – Application Fee $35 – 12 Projects Selected

Every year the Sundance Institute holds its annual screenwriters lab. The lab happens every year the week before the Sundance Film Festival. Some of the major films to come out of the Screenwriter’s Labs include Requiem for a Dream by Darren Aronofsky, Hard Eight by PT Anderson, Reservoir Dogs by Quentin Tarantino, Hedwig and the Angry Inch by John Cameron Mitchell and Me You and Everyone We Know by Miranda July.

The January screenwriter’s lab invites 12 participants every year from over 3,000 applicants. If accepted, participants also have the opportunity to apply for the three week director’s lab in the summer. There is an excellent webseries documenting the director’s lab on youtube. It is also good to look at the loglines and resumes of the 2010 fellows to see what kind of projects and experience levels Sundance is interested in.

The 12 accepted fellow will be flown to the Sundance Ranch in Utah where they will participate in intensive workshops with major independent and Hollywood screenwriters. About half of the participants seem to come from open application, and the other half are scouted by members of the labs. For the application for the screenwriter’s lab, Sundance requires:

• A cover letter introducing yourself and your project (e.g.: Why are you applying to the program? Are you collaborating with anyone on the project? What is the status of the project? How do you envision the realization of the script?)
• Resume/bio (including name, address, and telephone) of the writer, and anyone else involved with the project (i.e.: director, producer, etc.). It is unnecessary to have anyone other than the writer attached.
• A synopsis of the screenplay, no more than two pages, double-spaced.
• The first five pages of your script. Do not submit script pages from any other work. Do not send the screenplay or videotape.
• A $35.00 non-refundable processing fee, payable by credit card via the online application.

Finalists (I was one but I don’t know how many there are) are notified by August 15th and then asked to submit a complete screenplay for the final selection process.

Notification date of those accepted is no later than December 15th. I have read (I can’t find the link any more) that the rate of films produced out of the lab nears 60%.

Take heart if you don’t get in, it takes many people at least three tries. Miranda July, brilliant director of Me You and Everyone We Know, was rejected twice before she got in. Cary Fukunaga, the director of Sin Nombre, got in on his second try as well.