Opportunities

Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)/Disney/ABC Summer Television & Film Workshop Writers’ Track

Disney•ABC Television Group, in partnership with The Walt Disney Studios, has developed a program for Native American writers, directors, and actors who aspire to work in the entertainment industry.  The workshop, held on the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) campus, was designed to assist novice and experienced Native American screenwriters, filmmakers, directors and actors.

This six-week intensive workshop develops scriptwriting skills for American Indians preparing for a career as a professional writer in television and film, and runs mid-June through July. For information on how to apply to this program, please contact Marcella Ernest at (505) 424-5796, or visit www.abctalentdevelopment.com.

Chance to Win Two Free DVDs from VisionMaker Video

Please help us improve our services. Take this 15-minute VisionMaker Video survey, and you'll be entered to win two free DVDs from our online catalog. Drawing will be held August 4, 2008. (Only one survey per person please). Visit www.visionmaker.org or click here to take the survey.

ITVS Open Call – Deadline July 18, 2008

Open Call provides finishing funds for single public television programs on any subject, from any viewpoint and in any genre.  ITVS is looking for single programs of standard broadcast length (56:40 or 26:40) that can be completed within one year of contract.

There is no maximum or minimum cut-off for funding, but Open Call funds must be the last needed for completion of the project.  Visit www.itvs.org/producers/opencall_guidelines.html for guidelines. The online application will be available May 1, 2008.

IAIA Disney ABC Summer Television and Film Workshop Screening - July 25th, 2008

The public is invited to attend a special screening for the Institute of American Indian Arts and Disney/ABC Summer Television and Film Workshop on July 25, 2008 beginning at 6 p.m. The event is a culmination of six weeks of hard work by fifteen Native American students from across the country. A complementary dinner with Native cuisine will be offered, followed by a first-time viewing of several original films. Disney/ABC executives will be on hand to discuss the unique partnership between organizations and students will attend to discuss their work.  The dinner and screening will take place at the Library and Technology Center on the Institute of American Indian Arts Campus, 83 Avan Nu Po Road, Santa Fe, NM. The event is free of charge and everyone is welcome.

For more details about this event please call Marcella Ernest at (505) 424-5796 or email mernest@iaia.edu . For more information about the Institute of American Indian Arts New Media Arts Department, please visit www.iaia.edu/newmedia/index.html.

PIC Media Fund Rolling Call – Next Deadline August 1, 2008

The Media Fund Rolling Call is a quarterly open call.  Members of the Pacific Islander filmmaking community are encouraged to submit proposals for public television projects at the research and development (R&D) stage and completion stage. R&D projects may be awarded up to $15,000 and completion projects may be awarded up to $50,000. The PIC staff is available to help filmmakers craft their proposals to increase the likelihood of being awarded funding.

For more information or to download an application, visit www.piccom.org or contact Shane Seggar at sseggar@piccom.org or (808) 591-0059.

TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund Call for Entries – Deadline August 1, 2008

The TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund will provide up to $140,000 in support of innovative and compelling filmmaking that explores scientific, mathematical, and technological themes and storylines, or a leading character who is a scientist, engineer, innovator or mathematician in fresh ways. They are seeking exceptional narrative work of all genres (except science fiction or fantasy) with scientifically accurate themes or characters.

For more information, please visit the Tribeca website at www.tribecafilminstitute.org. 

33rd Annual American Indian Film Festival Call for Entries – Deadline August 5, 2008

The American Indian Film Institute is currently seeking film and video entries for the 33rd annual American Indian Film Festival. The film festival will take place November 7-15 in San Francisco, California. Entries should be by or about American Indian or Canada First Nations people and produced during year 2007-2008. Entry deadline is August 5, 2008.

The major categories for competition are: Documentary Feature, Documentary Short, Feature Film, Live Short Subject, Music Video, Animated Short Subject, Public Service and Industrial.  Please check the AIFI website – www.aifisf.com for American Indian Film Festival entry application and regulations form.  2008 Film Festival Sponsorship packets are available, ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.

CPB Program Challenge Fund – Deadline August 7, 2008

The Program Challenge Fund works to fund high-visibility, high-impact limited series, feature length documentaries and specials for national public television that offer a definitive take on a subject or break new ground in public service media.

There is no standard application process for the Program Challenge Fund, and producers should submit projects according to the general CPB Recommended Submission Guidelines.  CPB and PBS will dedicate funding to high-definition or standard-definition widescreen programs only, and recipients will be expected to deliver all digital content with the underlying rights. Producers should contact PBS.

For more information and guidelines, please visit the CPB website at www.cpb.org.  

IDFA Call for Entries – Deadline August 10, 2009

The 21st edition of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, the largest festival for creative documentaries in the world, will take place in Amsterdam, November 20-30, 2008. Each year, IDFA selects and screens more than 250 documentaries, running the gamut from international audience favorites to artistic experiments along the fringes of the genre.

Website: www.idfa.nl/industry/services/film-entry.aspx

Deadline: August 10 (for films finished after April 1).

Grants for Art Projects Applications – Deadline August 11

NEA application guidelines for the Grants for Arts Projects are now available. Organizations may apply under the following categories: Access to Artistic Excellence (Deadline: August 11, 2008). Learn more at www.arts.gov/grants/apply/.

NBPC New Media Institute 2008 Accepting Applications – Deadline August 11, 2008

NBPC and its National Minority Consortia partners are launching the third annual New Media Institute (NMI), a professional development program and conference for media makers looking to stay current in the ever-changing landscape of digital media.   The new media institute is a virtual workshop series, new media production and conference teaching new advances in new media production and distribution.

American Indian Film Festival Seeking Entries – Deadline August 15, 2008

The 6th Annual American Indian Film Festival at Bellevue Community College is seeking film submissions for their upcoming festival in November 2008.  This year's theme focuses on Indigenous Women Filmmakers.  Films must be directed or co-directed by a woman of Indigenous descent.  Categories include feature length (60 mins or longer), narrative, documentary, and short films (59 mins or shorter).

There is no entry fee. If your film is accepted, BCC covers accommodations, as well as a small honorarium.  Travel support is negotiable. For application and guidelines, contact Programmer Sara C. Sutler-Cohen, at ssutler@bcc.ctc.edu or (425) 564-5722.

Social Entrepreneurship in Focus Through Documentary Call For Submissions – Deadline August 15, 2008

Stories of Change - Social Entrepreneurship in Focus Through Documentary: The Sundance Documentary Film Program, in partnership with the Skoll Foundation, will provide $1.2 million in film project grants to enable the development and/or production of new feature-length independent documentary films that frame, examine, and amplify social entrepreneurship as an innovative approach to the central questions of our time. The deadline for submissions is August 15, 2008.

Visit docsource.sundance.org/dfp-blog/2008/06/20/stories-of-change-social-entrepreneurship-in-focus-through-documentary for more information.

America’s Media Makers: Development Grants – Deadline August 27, 2008

"Grants for America's Media Makers" support media projects that explore significant events, figures, or developments in the humanities and offer creative and new approaches to humanities content.  These grants cover a wide range of activities including, but not limited to, meetings and individual consultations with scholars, preliminary interviews, designs for interactivity and digital distribution, and the creation of partnerships for outreach activities and public engagement with the humanities.
 
Development grants should be used to refine humanities ideas, a script, or a design document for digital media components or projects.  Production grants support the preparation of a program for distribution. 

Any U.S. nonprofit organization with IRS 501(c)(3) tax exempt status is eligible to apply, as are state and local governmental agencies. Individuals are not eligible to apply. Independent producers who wish to apply for NEH funding are advised to seek an eligible organization to sponsor the project and submit the application to NEH.

Read the full guidelines and download a grant application from www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/AmMediaMakers_development.html.

National Endowment for the Humanities Grant – Deadlines August 27, 2008 and January 21, 2009

The Division of Public Programs at the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities funds radio, television, and digital projects in the humanities that are intended for public audiences.

The division is currently accepting applications for development and production grants under the category of America's Media Makers. Upcoming deadlines are August 27, 2008, and January 21, 2009. New application guidelines are now posted on the NEH website (www.neh.gov ) for the August deadline. Grants will support radio, television, and digital projects that offer multiple formats and use new technology to deliver humanities content.

Cine Sin Fin: 14th Annual East L.A. Chicano Film Festival Call for Entries – Deadline August 30th, 2008

The Annual East Los Angeles Chicano Film Festival will take place in November at various locations throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. Cine is a growing part of the cultural landscape in Los Angeles, in California, in the United States and Internationally. Each year the festival screens 50-60 films (feature length documentaries, narratives, shorts and experimental cinema) with an approximate attendance of 5000 people a year. The festival has consistently drawn in families, artists, producers, directors, youth and persons from all walks of life.

There is no entry fee;  send any length (format VHS or DVD) film with synopsis and press kit (if available), to:

Cine Sin Fin
c/o A La Brava P.R., Inc.
673 South Fickett Street
Los Angeles, CA 90023

For questions contact Jaime Segall-Gutierrez at elsuperxicano@hotmail.com or Ernesto Espinoza at cinesinfin@gmail.com.

All films submitted and selected will become part of the Cine library and may be shown at their venues; they will respect all requests to do otherwise. For further information regarding Cine Sin Fin submission guidelines, internship and volunteer opportunities, or to be a sponsor, call (323) 265-2344.

Urban Film Series - 2008 Call for Films, Participants, Volunteers, Sponsors, and Press

Next Generation Awareness Foundation (NGAF) seeks notable films and participants for its 2008 Urban Film Series programs. Urban Film Series is comprised of several highly-acclaimed film-related programs that enhance awareness and provide exposure of the arts, independent cinema, media, and the motion picture industry to underserved communities across America. Be a part of NGAF's historic programs. Be a volunteer, speaker, vendor affiliate, sponsor, poet or author. Submit your film or your proposal to bring one of the Series to your area. Deadlines range from February 25, 2008 - September 1, 2008 go to www.urbanfilmseries.com/callforfilms.php for a complete listing.

Big Sky Documentary Film Festival Call for Entries – Deadline September 1, 2008

The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival is seeking submissions for its sixth annual event.  From February 13-22, 2009 the festival will screen 100 films, including world and U.S. premieres, classics, rare and experimental works in downtown Missoula, Montana.  The event will feature public and VIP events including panel discussions, galas, receptions, and networking round-tables.

The competitive event is open to non-fiction films and videos of all genres, subject matter, lengths and production dates.  Awards and cash prizes will be given for Best Documentary Feature (over 50 minutes long), Best Documentary Short (15-50 minutes), Best Mini-Doc (under 15 minutes) and best documentary about the American West (the “Big Sky Award’). The deadline for submission is September 1, 2008, and the late entry deadline is October 20, 2008.

For more information, please visit the festival website at www.bigskyfilmfest.org.

National Latino Media Council 2008 Latino Television Writers Program – Deadline September 2, 2008

The National Latino Media Council seeks serious participants who can write at least one half-hour comedy or one-hour dramatic television script in English within a five-week period of time.  The program takes place in Los Angeles, CA from November 8 to December 13th, 2008.  Each participant is expected to complete at least one script by the end of the five-week session, which will then be read by network executives.

Writers whose scripts show promise will be interviewed and mentored by the network executives with the idea of placing them on a show.  Stipends of $250 per week will be given to each participant.  Flight, housing, and meals are provided.

Writing samples must be in English, written by individual participants; television scripts are preferred.  The submission deadline is September 2.  For more information, please call Acasia Flores at (626) 792-6462, or visit the website at www.nhmc.org/writers.

Governor Richardson Announces Third Round Call for Proposals of "New Visions/New Mexico" Contract Awards – Deadline September 5, 2008

Announcing the third year of the New Visions/New Mexico Contract Award program, designed to support and promote the work of New Mexico-based directors, producers and writers. A total of $160,000 in contracts, up to $20,000 per project is available toward the creation of narrative films, documentaries, animated and experimental projects. This year, Panavision has again provided two prizes, each an in-kind donation toward the rental of motion picture camera equipment (HD, 16mm or 35mm) with a rental value of $10,000 per prize. Filmmakers may apply for funds toward the completion of existing projects, or the launching of new ones (one project per filmmaker).

The deadline for proposals is September 5, 2008.  Awardees will be announced in November.   A free seminar about preparing a New Visions/New Mexico proposal will take place at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque at 10:00 am on August 8, 2008.  Interested filmmakers should call (505) 476-5600 to reserve a seat.

Applications are available online at dev.nmfilm.com/locals/nm-filmmakers/new-visions-contract-awards.php, and at the New Mexico Film Office, 418 Montezuma Avenue in Santa Fe.

Art(ists) on the Verge Call for Artists – Deadline September 8, 2008

The Jerome Foundation and Northern Lights, with fiscal sponsor Forecast Public Art, announce Art(ists) on the Verge, a new Minnesota grant program that supports emerging artists who create and present new work at the intersection of experimental artistic practice and technology. This program concentrates on art practices that are social, collaborative and/or participatory.  

Informational sessions for interested artists will be July 21, 2008 at 6:00 pm at Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis and August 15, 2008 at 12:00 pm at the Jerome Foundation, 400 Sibley Street, Suite 125, St. Paul. Applications are due Monday, September 8, 2008.

For more information, please contact Eleanor Savage, Program Officer, Jerome Foundation (651) 224-9431 esavage@jeromefdn.org  or Steve Dietz, Director, Northern Lights (952) 994-4118 AOV@northern.lights.mn. More information can be found at northern.lights.mn/.

Social Science Research Council Grants – Deadline September 8, 2008

The Social Science Research Council is accepting proposals. Small grants of up to $7,500 are available for research that supports public-interest efforts to change the media / telecommunications infrastructure, practices, policies or content. The grants are intended for short-term, advocacy-centered research, completable and usable by advocacy partners within the next 4-12 months.

Visit mediaresearchhub.ssrc.org/grants/small-grants-project for proposal guidelines.

Red Nation Film Festival 2008 Call for Entries – Deadline September 15, 2008

Submissions are now being accepted for the 2008 Red Nation Film Festival, taking place November 13-16, 2008. The RNFF is accepting submissions of American Indian themed Feature Films; Shorts; Documentaries and International Indigenous Films.  Films must have an American Indian theme, leading character American Indian, or American Indian director/producer to enter.

Visit www.rednation.com to download an application.

Cinéma Prospérité Call For Submissions – Deadline September 15, 2008

The Social Equity Venture Fund is accepting entries for Cinéma Prospérité, a film competition designed to showcase successful models of enterprise-based development work.  Up to $20,000 will be awarded to new and professional filmmakers worldwide who have made short films showcasing real people working to end poverty through enterprise-based solutions.  More information is available at www.sevenfund.org/cinema.

ITVS Development Diversity Fund – Deadline September 26, 2008

ITVS seeks talented minority producers to develop single programs for public television. They want to support minority artists in the research and development phase of their project to tell their stories, inspire multicultural dialogue, and reach audiences often overlooked by conventional programming.

Visit www.itvs.org/producers/ddf_guidelines.html for details.

Citizens Media Summit at APME Conference – October 2, 2008

Ready to start your own community news site? Want to get citizen journalists to write for you? Hear from iBrattleboro to Baristanet, Bakersfield to Backfence. The Citizens Media Summit is a day-long workshop on citizen journalism in conjunction the Associated Press Managing Editors conference.  Register now at  www.j-newvoices.org/index.php/site/story/citizens_media_summit_iii_agenda.

Coming Up: Citizen Media@ONA. A day-long workshop at the ONA Conference, Sheraton Centre, Toronto.  Register at www.j-lab.org/ona07.shtml.

Third Coast Festival Conference – October 9-11, 2008

Join Chicago Public Radio for the Third Coast Festival Conference this October 9-11, for two and a half days of listening, discussion and an open sharing of expertise about the art and craft of audio production.  Before this year’s conference begins, the Association for Independents on Radio (AIR) is sponsoring a one-day gathering to help producers understand the changing landscape for audio production: Opening the Gate to Social Media: A One-Day Immersion for Public Radio Producers.

INDIANER INUIT: The North American Native Film Festival Call for Submissions - Deadline October 31, 2008

INDIANER INUIT: Das Nordamerika Film Festival is a unique European festival offering a platform for North American Natives and First Nations Peoples to present works depicting their culture, their past and their present in fascinating films full of humor and rich content, as screenwriters, directors and actors.

To submit a film, simply send two DVD or VHS copies (feature films, live short subjects, long or short documentary films, music videos, and animated films), no form necessary, before October 31, 2008.  The address for submission, along with more information about the festival, can be found at www.nordamerika-filmfestival.com/en/filmfestival.html.  Please e-mail gl@mace25.com with any questions you may have.

MadCat Women's Film Festival Call For Submissions - Early Bird Deadline November 3, 2008

Every year, MadCat seeks to find and exhibit provocative and visionary works by women directors that are original in their use of the medium, and that challenge the use of sound and image while exploring notions of visual story telling. MadCat accepts films and video of all lengths and genres: experimental, narrative, documentary, animation, collage and whatever else you can think of. MadCat also accepts pieces produced in any year. The only parameter is that the films and videos are directed by or co-directed by women.

MadCat will open its call for submissions this September. Filmmakers must include an entry form for each film submitted. These forms will be available in September at madcatfilmfestival.org/submissions.html.

Early Bird Deadline: November 3, 2008
Late Bird Deadline: January 12, 2009

Indie Film Financing and Distribution Tutorial

Studio Daily is offering free tutorials about different avenues for funding and the various distribution deals for independent films.  Visit www.studiodaily.com/main/work/8977.html for information and more tutorials on dealing with the financial and technical pressures of indie films.

Watch & Review Rough Cuts

NBPC would like to let you know that the rough cuts are up for their latest collaboration with the WGBH Sandbox.   Please log on to lab.wgbh.org/open-call/eviction/rough-cut and give these hard working filmmakers some constructive criticism.  Filmmakers selected for this round are: Javan Cornelius, Lisa Russell, Alfred Santana, Jon Goldman, and Sarah Gonser.

“In the Life” Call for Documentaries

In the Life Media, Inc is now seeking documentaries about the LGBTQ experience for their 2008 and 2009 season. They will consider non-fiction films of all lengths created by independent producers or entities in the past five years for acquisition.  Preference will be given to broadcast premieres.  

For submission guidelines and more information go to www.inthelifetv.org/

Join the LPB Directory of Artists

Log on to www.lpbp.org/directory.php to join the Latino Public Broadcasting Directory of Artists.  The Directory of Artists serves as a forum for producers, directors, cinematographers, editors, writers and composers to connect with other artists in their community.  With your help, it can become a useful tool for filmmakers to post their information and find other artists within their community.

High Country News Call for Writers

High Country News, a nonprofit news magazine that focuses on environmental, cultural, and social issues in the Western U.S., is looking for new voices for their pages and Web site, hcn.org.  HCN will consider well-researched stories on any natural resource or environmental topic, as long as it concerns the West. “Resources” include people, politics, culture and aesthetic values.

Submissions are divided into several categories: “Book Reviews,” (350 words); “Roundups,” topical stories of about 800 words; “Uncommon Westerners,” profiles of about 650 words; features are generally up to 4,000 words and essays are under 1,000 words.  New writers should begin by sending a query for a Roundup, profile or book review, rather than for a full-length feature. E-mail queries are preferred; send to editor@hcn.org and include “Story Query” in the subject line.

For more information contact Jodi Peterson, Associate Editor, at jodi@hcn.org.

Wajju Seeks Documentary Submissions

Wajju (www.wajju.com) is a documentary hosting website created as a result of the current digital media age. Multimedia and social networking are prevalent forces in society allowing people to spread their influence and messages using all forms of online services.

Wajju would like to place a positive spin on this digital revolution by using the internet and video to circulate social and cultural awareness, by collecting videos from those involved in grassroots movements, hosting them online, and inspiring a greater number of people to get out, get active, create videos of their own and reach even more people. You can help get this movement started, by donating your own videos and getting the word out.

TWN Wednesday Night Walk-in Producers Seminars

New York City-based Third World Newsreel, an alternative media arts organization, is hosting a series of Wednesday night seminars to aid filmmakers in fundraising, sound and camera work.  All classes are $20/$10 (low income) unless otherwise noted. Register now by e-mailing workshop@twn.org or visit http://twn.org/twnpages/edtraining/workcal.aspx for more information.   Email questions to Roselly Torres Rojas at distribution@twn.org.

IsumaTV Website Call for Submissions

Win a $1000 prize in IsumaTV's 'Best New Video of the Month' contest.

IsumaTV is seeking innovative Indigenous filmmakers to submit their films and videos to the site. If you, or someone you know, would like to submit your film, they accept features and shorts of all genres, as well as music videos, interviews and testimonies.

Uploading your film is free for you and your audience, while offering viewers the option to connect to your distributor. To submit your film, go to www.isuma.tv and click on 'Submit Your Film'.

Please continue to support this word of mouth campaign--tell a friend!  At the beginning of each month, visit the website to see the 'Best Video of the Month'!

Native Arts at NEFA / Native Artist Exchange - National Travel Fund

The Native Artist Exchange provides support for Native artists residing in any of the 50 United States to travel to different regions of the country so that they may exchange artistic knowledge and skills. This fund is designed to encourage and assist American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian artists, and provides an opportunity for Native artists to teach, learn, and collaborate in traditional or contemporary Native art forms through travel from one region to another across the nation.

Travel grants will be awarded up to $1500 based on review of detailed requests and budgets appropriate to the scope of travel.  Applicants may receive one travel grant per fiscal year.  Requests must be received by NEFA no later than two calendar months prior to the departure date of the proposed trip.

For more information about the National Travel Fund, email dspears@nefa.org or call NEFA at (617) 951-0010 ext. 525.  Application guidelines can be found at www.nefa.org/grantprog/nativearts/nativeartistexchange.html.

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