Diverse Voices in Docs
Kartemquin Films / Community Film Workshop Of Chicago
INFO: Diverse Voices in Docs (DVID) is a nine-month professional mentorship and development program for documentary filmmakers of color from the Midwest, organized by Kartemquin Films and the Community Film Workshop Of Chicago.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants should have played a principal role in a completed production (producer, writer, director, editor, etc) and have experience or work history that demonstrated their commitment to social issue documentary.
Applicants must be a legal US resident.
Applicants must NOT be a full-time student.
Applicants commit to participating in all aspects of the program and attending all 6 classes.
FEES: There is no application fee. An enrollment fee of $100 is due upon acceptance to the program. Decisions will be based on finalist interviews and work samples.
DEADLINE: November 1, 2019
kartemquinfilms.submittable.com/submit/146443/diverse-voices-in-docs-fellowship-application
AT&T Presents: Untold Stories
AT&T / Tribeca Film Festival
INFO: AT&T and the Tribeca Film Festival are giving filmmakers a shot at $1 million to make a movie as a part of the AT&T Presents: Untold Stories program, a multi-year, multi-tier alliance between AT&T and Tribeca, along with the year-round nonprofit Tribeca Film Institute. The program awards $1 million dollars, mentorship, and distribution to underrepresented filmmakers to produce their film and premiere it at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Aspiring filmmakers can submit their scripts for their chance to compete and become the fourth winner of AT&T’s Untold Stories program.
DEADLINE: November 5, 2019
https://www.tfiny.org/programs/detail/att_presents_untold_stories
Intimate Eye, Black Box Filmmaking: Open Call for Writers & Students
BRIC
INFO: BRIC is seeking short 5-8 minute scripts to be produced as part of an innovative new program. The scripts will be staged by a professional acting and directing team, then turned into a film by a group of media artists at BRIC.
Whether you are an experienced and produced playwright or screenwriter, or a first-timer, BRIC wants your short scripts.
WRITER STIPEND: $300
APPLICATION FEE: $5
DEADLINE: November 8, 2019
BPM Open Call 2019
Black Public Media
INFO: Throughout its decades of supporting Black storytellers through funding and training opportunities, Black Public Media has always been thrilled to announce an Open Call to our incredible creative community. We look forward to learning about the range of stories told in a variety of styles, platforms and perspectives that are underway. BPM’s Open Call is our chance to celebrate the complexity of the Black experience through story.
This year’s Open Call is for feature-length documentaries, shorts (non-fiction or scripted) or limited podcast series for public media distribution. Selected projects will receive production funds to advance their work. There are no limits on the subject area. However, we encourage work that will promote discourse and engage audiences around a critical social issue. In addition, we welcome proposals that target specific viewers such as children and teen audiences.
Projects will be funded in amounts ranging from $50,000 - $150,000, depending on the type of project, scope and phase of development/production. Please note that BPM funding awards are licensing agreements for public media distribution.
To be eligible:
The applicant must (a) be the project’s producer or director (b) be a US citizen (c) have a minimum of three (3) years professional producing and/or directing experience, or have a senior producer attached to the project;
Key creative personnel must include a person of African descent or person of color;
The proposed content must be nonfiction or scripted shorts, feature-length documentaries, or limited podcast series for public media distribution;
The project must be in R&D or production/completion phase and must be completed no later than May 31, 2022;
Total Project Budget should not exceed $600,000 for a stand alone or one-off documentary or the pilot for b'cast/web series; and $100,000 for all other project types; However we will review projects at all budget levels;
The applicant must hold artistic, budgetary and editorial control, and must own the copyright of the proposed project;
Projects or production entities that are foreign-based, owned or controlled are NOT eligible. Neither are industrial, promotional or student films.
DEADLINE: November 15, 2019
submissions.blackpublicmedia.org/submit/147112/bpm-open-call-2019
2020 CAAM Fellowship Program
Center for Asian American Media
INFO: Applications for the 2020 CAAM Fellowship are now open. The CAAM Fellowship Program, supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, is a year-long career and project development opportunity with a focus on nurturing mentor-fellow relationships within the Asian American documentary community in partnership with the A-Doc Network (formerly the Asian American Documentary Network). This is an opportunity to nurture and uplift Asian American documentary film producers and directors. The Program will select three to five Fellows each year.
We are thrilled to announce our 2020 CAAM Fellowship Mentors: Ramona S. Diaz, Senain Kheshgi, Grace Lee, and PJ Raval, plus Uber-Mentor Jean Tsien. Click below to read more about our amazing Mentors.
DEADLINE: November 18, 2019
caamedia.org/blog/2019/10/22/caam-fellowship-applications-now-open/
MICHAEL COLLYER MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP IN SCREENWRITING
The Black List
INFO: Note that this fellowship is for current undergraduate seniors transitioning into the professional world of screenwriting only.
The Michael Collyer Memorial Fellowship in Screenwriting is a one-year fellowship that is awarded to an undergraduate student who plans to pursue a career in screenwriting upon completion of his or her undergraduate degree. The winner receives a $10,000 stipend to write an original screenplay (not the script used to opt in to the fellowship) and is mentored during the course of the fellowship year by a prominent screenwriter. This program, now in its 12th year, is a partnership between the Writers Guild Initiative and the King Family Foundation, and this is its fourth year being hosted on blcklst.com.
The purpose of the fellowship is to provide an opportunity for a graduating senior to develop an original screenplay and assist in transitioning into the professional world of screenwriting. The Writers Guild Initiative is looking for diverse and emerging voices, and for projects that are character driven and personal in nature. They are exclusively seeking feature films; no shorts or TV pilots at this time.
This year, the Black List will choose ten screenplays to send to the Writers Guild Initiative selection committee for consideration. The short list will be determined in early December, and the Fellowship recipient will be selected by WGI no later than January 15, 2020. The winner may also have the opportunity to attend the Writers Guild Awards in New York City in February 2020.
Please keep in mind that, upon opting in, we will verify your status as a current college senior with your school, so it does not benefit you to opt in if you are not currently a college senior.
Additionally, please note that you will be writing a new script for this fellowship, not rewriting the script you submitted to this opportunity. The Michael Collyer Memorial Fellowship provides the opportunity to write an entirely new script with a mentor. The submitted script is used to show your writing skills, voice, etc. and the potential for wanting to hear more of the stories that you’d want to write.
DEADLINE: November 25, 2019
https://blcklst.com/education/opportunities/75
Script-to-Screen Contest
INFO: Script-to-Screen is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get your dramatic screenplay fully produced. We are searching for unique voices and compelling original dramatic stories. One of our missions is to support diverse artists who might otherwise not have these opportunities. Our directors will select one unique story that they will direct and produce. We are searching for screenwriters who have written features or short films before, and have a polished feature length script ready to be produced.
Script-to-Screen teaches writers how directors transform their screenplay into a shooting script. We believe that writers benefit from learning how production works in order to become better writers. Each application season our program selects one dramatic feature length screenplay to be produced. Your script will be directed by Co-Directors Julie Petrusak and Jermaine Burrowes, who will take the script from pre-production to post-production.
Our directors are in control of all creative aspects of the film. Writers will receive credits as per WGA guidelines. Whole Picture Films will own the rights of the completed film. Once completed the film will be added to our roster of work and will have opportunities for release and distribution.
Selected candidates will be invited for Round 2 no later than January 2020
Finalists will be invited to an in person interview
The winner will be announced in 2020
Preproduction will begin fall end of 2020
Scripts must be dramatic original screenplays only, NO adaptations. This is a low-budget production, therefore we are looking for scripts that reflect that. Our production will apply for SAG eligibility.
Our selection process will be divided into three rounds:
Round 1: CV, Bio, Logline, Synopsis
Round 2: Complete script
Round 3: In person Interview
What we are looking for:
Must be written in English
Must be in standard script format
Dramatic Scripts Only
80 page minimum
Screenwriters have to be 18+ to apply
Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook to be considered
What we will provide:
Full production of your work
Credits as per WGA guidelines
Sit in meetings with the directors during development of the shooting script
APPLICATION FEE: $25
DEADLINE: November 30, 2019