BLACKSTAR FILM FESTIVAL
DEADLINES:
Preferred: March 2, 2022
Late: April 1, 2022
INFO: The BlackStar Film Festival is an annual celebration of the visual and storytelling traditions of the African diaspora and of global Indigenous communities, showcasing films by Black, Brown and Indigenous artists from around the world.
AWARDS & PRIZES:
Best Feature Narrative
Best Feature Documentary
Best Short Narrative (ACADEMY AWARDS® qualifying)
Best Short Documentary (ACADEMY AWARDS® qualifying)
Best Experimental
Audience Awards
ELIGIBILITY:
To be eligible for consideration:
Films must be directed by a person of African descent or who otherwise identifies as Black, Brown or Indigenous, and feature persons of African descent, or tell a story of Black, Brown or Indigenous experiences.
Narrative feature films and documentary films must not exceed a running time of 120 minutes.
Shorts must not exceed a running time of 40 minutes.
Non-English language works must have English subtitles at the time submitted. Dialogue lists will not be accepted.
Though not required for eligibility, preference is given to Philadelphia and North American premieres.
Note: Submissions may be in work-in-progress form; however, works that are not final cuts must be clearly marked “Work in Progress (WIP)” or “Rough Cut” with an indication of what will change or what is missing (e.g., temp sound, missing animation, etc.). If accepted, final prints/media files must be received by June 15, 2022.
Entrants must fully comply with these entry rules and regulations, including all deadlines, film length, entry material and other requirements.
Note: Entry fees are in U.S. dollars, are per film and are non-refundable. BlackStar reserves the right to disqualify a submission, without refund of any kind, if eligibility requirements are not met including if eligibility status changes post-submission. Shorts are films 40 minutes or less; features are films greater than 40 minutes, but not exceeding 120 minutes.
Students: Entry fees for student submissions for the Official Entry Deadline will be waived upon receipt of a photocopy of a current and valid student ID card or a letter from an accredited school that verifies enrollment. For questions, contact submissions@blackstarfest.org.
Films will be automatically entered into juried competition unless the entrant(s) request to be withdrawn. Entrants must make this request at the time of application.
Please note that recipients of the Short Narrative and Short Documentary Awards are eligible for consideration in the Live Action Short and Documentary Short categories of the Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy's rules.
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2022 BLACK WRITERS IN FOCUS
DIVERSO
DEADLINE: March 4, 2022
INFO: DIVERSO has partnered with RIDEBACK (Aladdin, It, The LEGO Movies) and THE WRITERS GUILD FOUNDATION to create Black Writers in Focus: a paid summer fellowship program for Black student screenwriters.
Vetted by a rigorous committee of all Black readers, four talented students will spend ten weeks over the summer fine-tuning a writing sample with a personalized mentor, attending panels and classes with industry leaders, and learning from the best by shadowing in a writers' room. Students will be paid to develop their craft.
Selected students will receive a $6,000 stipend to support a full-time commitment over 10 weeks. Fellows are expected to make a 40-hour commitment each week. The program will be hosted virtually over the summer (June 6th - August 19th).
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DOC PITCH
DocLands Documentary Film Festival
DEADLINE: March 6, 2022
INFO: Filmmakers are invited to submit their unfinished FEATURE (over 70’) documentary projects currently in development.
Presented virtually by the California Film Institute (CFI) as part of DocLands Documentary Film Festival in May, DOCPITCH is an invitation for filmmakers to submit their unfinished FEATURE-length (70 + minutes) documentary projects currently in early to late stages of completion.
With a total of $100,000 to be awarded to five projects in 2022*, viewers will be invited to cast one vote per person for their favored project to win the Audience Choice award and a jury of industry professionals will select the winner of the Jury Award. Additional awards will go to the remaining three projects.
RULES & TERMS
To be eligible, applicants MUST submit the following project elements/information on the DocPitch@DocLands FilmFreeway page:
Title of the project
Synopsis
Trailer or teaser – 3-5 minute duration, please do not include longer samples or rough cuts
Production stills that can be used for press and promotional purposes
Brief key crew bios (director/producer), to be added under Credits
At what stage you expect to be at in April 2022 and your approximate completion date
*If you have unique aspects or access to share or wish to explain in more depth, please include those in a Cover Letter. If you have a website and Facebook page, please also insert those in the appropriate field.
The five (5) shortlisted filmmakers will be notified no later than March 31, 2022 with a deadline of April 18 to submit all final materials, including a final trailer and video pitch.
DocPitch voting will launch on April 29 and conclude at midnight on May 8, 2022 – all awards will be presented virtually on May 11.
If you are unable to make these commitments, you are NOT eligible to enter the DocPitch competition.
Filmmakers will be disqualified if they fail to comply to all deadlines.
* Award recipients receiving cash awards are solely responsible for payment of all applicable local, state, and federal taxes. Void where prohibited.
DocLands is a non-competitive, inclusive festival dedicated to building connections and partnerships and works to invigorate the business and art of nonfiction filmmaking. Through public screenings, engaged conversations, and grassroots networking events, DocLands aims to build an active, involved, and fully supportive community around documentary film. It showcases documentary film in a variety of genres and with a diversity of content, within three main programming strands (Art of Impact, The Great Outdoors, and WonderLands) while highlighting films that transcend the traditional definition of the documentary.
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African Screenwriters Residency
The Realness Institute
DEADLINE: March 7, 2022 at 17:00 Central African Time.
INFO: The Realness African Screenwriters Residency is an incubator for African screenwriters that provides residents with the practical support needed to refine their projects from a creative perspective, as well as to pitch their projects to industry partners for potential financing and production. The residency acts as a year-round support system for alumni, helping them take their scripts from the page to the screen, and fosters a new wave of authentic African cinema in the process.
PROGRAMME:
This year, the programme will run from 3 August- 13 November 2022.
The six selected screenwriters will attend the Locarno Film Festival and their academy’s creative incubation programme “BaseCamp”, set to take place from 3 to 13 August 2022.
This will be followed by 6 weeks at the tranquil and nurturing Nirox and Farmhouse 58 in The Cradle of Humankind, in South Africa, where they will be mentored by Story Consultants Selina Ukwuoma and Mmabatho Kau and Creative Producer Cait Pansegrouw.
Residents are given a further six weeks to finesse their work from their homes, while maintaining contact with mentors.
Screenwriters will then attend the Africa International Film Festival, in Lagos, from 7 to 13 November 2022.
We will submit all final deliveries to our international partners for awards consideration. All participants are eligible for scholarships to attend further labs and workshops, such as the Locarno Filmmakers Academy, Torino Film Lab Meeting Event, EAVE Producer's Workshop, La Fabrique des Cinemas du Monde in Cannes and International Film Festival Rotterdam’s IFFR Pro’s Rotterdam Lab.
ELIGIBILITY:
We look for filmmakers with distinct voices and perspectives, who are devoted to their craft, and have a steadfast passion for cinema.
You are eligible to apply for the residency if:
You have a valid African passport.
60 - 100% of your script is filmed on the African continent.
Your script is fiction. We do not accept non-fiction work at this time.
Adaptations are eligible although you must include proof that rights to the source material have been acquired with your application.
APPLICATIONS:
Applicants must submit the following:
A motivation for wanting to participate in the Realness Residency (1/2 page).
A log line of the proposed feature project (2 lines)
A synopsis of the proposed feature project (1 page).
A treatment of the proposed feature project (6 pages).
A draft of the screenplay, if available. (Please note that we favour strong treatments over a rushed first draft)
A writer's note of intention (1 page).
A short biography (300 words max.).
Two samples of previous work, uploaded to Vimeo or Youtube. If selected, residents will be required to donate one copy of their previous work to the Nirox film library.
A producer's note (if a producer is attached) (1 page).
A producer's biography and the production company’s profile (if a producer is attached).
Visual reference material (mood board, character reference, casting tapes (if available), location scout pictures and/or sizzle reel for the project).
1 photograph/portrait (.jpg or .png)
An Application Fee of 30 Euros is required to apply. The Application Fee is payable via Paypal: paypal.me/realnessinstitute
All submitted material must be in English however, screenplays written in French will also be accepted on a limited basis (with all supporting documents in English).
Selection will be based on artistic merit alone. The Realness Institute will hold no legal claim over the work once the residency is completed.
FUNDING:
Most travel and accommodation expenses are covered by the Realness Institute and its Programme Partners.
Selected screenwriters will need to cover the cost of their visas and travel insurance for Switzerland, South Africa and Nigeria; and the cost of flights to Switzerland. We will assist with seeking funding and offer letters to selected participants to approach funders for their flights.
realness.institute/realness-residency
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BRIClab: Film + TV
BRIC
DEADLINE: March 10, 2022
INFO: BRIClab is a multi-disciplinary residency program created to advance opportunities for visual artists, performers, and media makers and offers emerging and mid-career artists essential resources, mentorships, and opportunities to share their work. The residency aims to build a stronger and more diverse artistic community in Brooklyn, New York by supporting long term growth and fostering relationships across disciplines.
The BRIClab: Film + TV residency track incubates innovative and ambitious documentary filmmakers working on short form, episodic, or feature length non-fiction films. Three residencies will be awarded to create opportunities for emerging and mid-career filmmakers.
RESIDENCY BENEFITS:
A stipend of $2500
Up to $6000 towards production cost (expenses must be pre-approved and
documented via invoices and receipts)Access to courses through BRIC's Media Education program at no fee
Access to BRIC production studios and post-production resources
A mentor with industry experience relevant to your project
A collaborative cohort community with group critiques and access to BRIC networking events
A public presentation of your work upon completion of the program
Access to industry gatekeepers through professional development workshops and collaboration opportunities
WHO SHOULD APPLY
You must be:
A New York City based creative, 18 years of age or older.
A documentary filmmaker with a proven degree of competence in production.
An individual artist and/or a creative team of two.
Either not employed by BRIC full-time, or a non-salaried BRIC staffer who works fewer than 500 hours/year.
We are interested in:
Documentary projects of all lengths (short/feature/series).
Thoroughly-researched, original concepts.
A detailed breakdown of budget and the various ways that the project will
maximize the use of BRIC facilities and resources.A specific production timeline leading up to project completion by spring 2023.
Films can be in any language; if not in English, work must be subtitled.
bricartsmedia.org/briclab-film-tv
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WRITERS IN RESIDENCE
Hedgebrook
DEADLINE: March 14, 2022
INFO: Hedgebrook is on Whidbey Island, about thirty-five miles northwest of Seattle. Situated on 48-acres of forest and meadow facing Puget Sound, with a view of Mount Rainier, the retreat hosts writers from all over the world for fully-funded residencies of two to four weeks (travel is not included and is the responsibility of the writer to arrange and pay for). This residency is open to women-identified writers 18 and older.
Central to what we do, our Writer-in-Residence Program supports fully-funded residencies for selected women-identified writers at the retreat each year. Up to 6 writers can be in residence at a time, each housed in a handcrafted cottage. They spend their days in solitude – writing, reading, taking walks in the woods on the property or on nearby Double Bluff beach. In the evenings, “The Gathering” is a social time for residents to connect and share over their freshly prepared meals.
Hedgebrook’s mission is to support visionary women writers whose stories and ideas shape our culture now and for generations to come. Residents must be willing to adhere to a specific set of health and safety protocols we have implemented to keep writers, staff, and surrounding communities safer. We will be following CDC and local government guidelines and recommendations for travel and in-person gathering restrictions.
Residencies for this application cycle, Cycle 1, will take place February - June 2023.
2023 WiR Genres for Cycle One:
Fiction
Non-Fiction
Playwriting
Poetry
Screenwriting/TV Writing
Songwriting
hedgebrook.org/writers-in-residence
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DIVERSE VOICES SCREENWRITING LAB
WeScreenplay
DEADLINES:
Regular: March 15, 2022
Final: April 15, 2022
INFO: Diverse Voices is a dynamic screenwriting lab with a proven track record of helping move the needle for stories that are told from perspectives that are often underrepresented in Hollywood today. This includes writers of color, women writers, writers with disabilities, writers over 40, writers in the LGBTQ+ community, and any other voices that have historically been ignored by Hollywood.
All readers for this competition come from diverse backgrounds, and all entrants will receive a page of FREE written feedback on their script from their first round’s judge.
Over a dozen past winners have been signed, staffed, and optioned as a direct result of their Diverse Voices Lab meetings. Past finalists and winners have signed with companies including Heroes & Villains Entertainment, 3Arts, Zero Gravity, APA, ColorCreative, and more.
wescreenplay.com/diverse-voices/
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BLACK MUSLIM FILMMAKER GRANT
Muslim Public Affairs Council
DEADLINE: Extended to March 31, 2022
INFO: The $10,000 grant is open to filmmakers who identify as Black Muslims; are either U.S. citizens or permanent residents; and have an episodic, narrative or animated project in development, production or post-production.
mpachollywoodbureau.org/fullstory
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The Thousand Miles Project
Coverfly
DEADLINE: March 31, 2022
ENTRY FEE: $0
INFO: The Thousand Miles Project is open to writers who are passionate about telling Asian and Pacific Islander stories. They’re accepting Features, TV Pilots, Shorts, Web Series, Short Stories, Book/Manuscripts, Stage Plays, Graphic Novels, and Articles
We at The Thousand Miles Project are committed to h elping emerging writers tell their stories and jumpstart lasting writing careers in the entertainment industry. In partnership with Universal Content Productions (UCP) and writer/producer Soo Hugh (The Terror, Pachinko), the program will provide up to 20 writers/writing teams the opportunity to learn about television writing and the industry through panels and lectures with writers, development execs, managers, and agents in a two-day intensive virtual workshop.
After the workshop, participants will be invited to apply for a 24-week development lab by submitting a series idea for further development. Television project proposals in any genre are welcome. We are interested in narratives told through the lenses of any Asian and Pacific Islander community (all Asian or Pacific Islander countries or cultures). From those proposals, up to 3 writers/writing teams will be selected to join the development lab with Soo Hugh, her team and UCP to write a pilot script and potentially develop their project further with UCP. The lab writers will meet on a bi-weekly basis, with additional monthly meetings with Soo and her team.
BENEFITS:
Workshop Participants - Up to 20 writers/writing teams will be invited to free virtual workshops to learn about television development and career strategies from writers, showrunners, managers, agents, and studio execs.
Virtual Workshop dates will be June 11, 2022 and June 18, 2022.
Development Lab Writers - Workshop participants will be invited to apply for the development lab by submitting additional materials by August 1, 2022, which are currently contemplated to include:
Short answers to a series of questions regarding their series concept
An artistic statement of intent about themselves (750 words or less)
Up to 3 writers/writing teams who participated in the workshops and submitted series development ideas will be selected to participate in a 24-week paid development lab. With guidance from Soo and her team, plus peer-to-peer feedback, writers will write a pilot. Selected writers are expected to fully participate by giving support and feedback to each other in the lab.
Writers/writing teams from the lab may be invited to further develop their project with UCP after the development lab is completed.
If UCP chooses not to further develop a project from the lab, UCP will give the rights to the applicable script back to the writer/writing team (and UCP will no longer continue to own it). Further details, and an agreement, will be provided to writers/writing teams selected to participate in the lab.
ELIGIBILITY:
Applicants must be at least 18 years old at the time of their application.
Applicants can be from any country or background.
Applicants must have a strong proficiency in English.
Applicant’s participation in the 2-day workshop (and lab, if applicable) must not violate any other obligations applicant may have at law, pursuant to contract, or otherwise.
To participate in the development lab, applicants must be legally authorized to live, work and participate in the lab in the United States.
Applicants must be available to participate in the 2-day workshop and lab (if applicable): Workshop is currently scheduled for June 11, 2022 and June 18, 2022, for approximately 8 hours each day with hours based on the Pacific Time Zone. Confirmed dates and time will be provided.
If selected for the development lab, applicant must execute a standard writer agreement, and other required documentation, in order to participate.
Writing teams can be no more than 2 writers. Each writer must submit a separate application.
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ROLLING SUBMISSIONS
ISO/NETFLIX INDIGENOUS PRODUCTION APPRENTICESHIPS AND CULTURAL MENTORSHIPS GRANT
Indigenous Screen Office / Netflix
DEADLINE: Rolling
INFO: ISO has partnered with Netflix to provide funding to support training, professional development and culturally specific approaches for Indigenous on-screen content creators. There are two funding streams available:
Production Apprenticeships: the goal of these grants are to support new opportunities for hands-on training and career progression for Indigenous creatives who want to take their careers to the next level. You are required to demonstrate that apprentices have a record of production experience and demonstrate that this opportunity will support their skills building and career development.
Cultural Mentorships: this program was created to offer the opportunity for Indigenous producers, directors and writers to engage in cultural mentorship, community engagement, cultural learning, and protocols work during the development and pre-development phases of their projects. This may include working with Elders, language speakers, knowledge keepers and/or community members to develop their project idea or to support their personal growth and development in their career as a screen-based storyteller.
Program Goals:
To create new training, career development and job opportunities for Indigenous on-screen creatives, with a focus on those who have gained experience in the sector and want to expand their skill set;
To build capacity within the sector, at all levels of production;
To support Indigenous producers, directors and writers to engage in cultural engagement, learning and protocols work during the development phases of their project;
To recognize Indigenous ways of working, which often requires extensive engagement, consultation and learning at the community level.
SUBMISSION PROCESS AND NOTIFICATION:
Applications must be completed in the ISO Apply portal. Projects will be assessed on a continual basis until funding for the program is depleted for that fiscal year.
Grant notifications can be expected 3-4 months following the deadline.
PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
Please note the spirit and intent of ISO funding is to support Indigenous creators and companies that are controlled by Indigenous people, who have decision-making authority and creative control.
For the purposes of ISO programs, “Indigenous” is defined as status and non-status First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples of Canada. All applicants must be residents of Canada.
Individuals (including sole proprietors):
Are a First Nations, Inuit or Métis person residing in Canada and who is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada who has resided in Canada for at least eight months over the last one-year period;
Working in screen-based content, including TV, film, web, gaming, apps, and XR (VR, AR);
The project is under the financial and creative control of the applicant; and two of the three key members of the creative team (director, screenwriter, showrunner, producer) are Indigenous.
Can deposit a cheque in the name of the applicant;
Is not insolvent or bankrupt, or in the course of the reorganization of its business within the meaning of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada)
Individual Applicants: Please be advised the Canada Revenue Agency considers grants as taxable income. Please keep all expense receipts related to this grant to offset your tax obligations. If you are incorporated as a sole proprietor, you must apply under your business name for the grant to be deposited to your business bank account. Grants will not be deposited to an account in any name other than the applicant name.
Companies :
Indigenous-controlled (minimum 51% ownership by person/s who are First Nations, Inuit or Métis);
Registered as a corporation with its head office in Canada;
Bios for each owner of the company must be provided as well as their individual percentage of ownership.
Main activity of the organization is the production or support of screen-based content, including TV, film, web, digital narrative content, and XR (VR, AR).
Is not insolvent or bankrupt, or in the course of the reorganization of its business within the meaning of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada);
Can deposit cheque in the name of the applicant.
PROGRAM CATEGORIES
This program is open to Indigenous Production Apprenticeships and Cultural Mentorships for the following applicants:
Indigenous Productions: Indigenous Productions may apply to this program to hire and train a maximum of three (3) Indigenous apprentices on a production, or to participate in a cultural mentorship. The production company must be 51% Indigenous owned, with two of the key creative roles (producer, director, writer, showrunner) held by an Indigenous person. The company must be registered in Canada.
Indigenous Individuals: Indigenous individual creatives may apply directly to serve as an apprentice on a production or to participate in a cultural mentorship. For apprenticeships, the specialist who will be serving as mentor may be Indigenous or non-Indigenous. Cultural mentors must be Indigenous. The applicant must be a resident of Canada. Indigenous individuals may apply to be apprentices on any type of production but must have a confirmation letter of role and fee.
Apprenticeships can be supported for fiction, non-fiction, or documentary screen-based projects in all genres. The following types of productions are eligible:
Feature-length works
Television series
Web series
VR, 360, digital and interactive works
Ongoing studio work
Training and professional development for the following key creative roles are eligible for apprenticeships:
Producer
Director
Screenwriter
Showrunner
Editor
Director of Photography
Costume Designer
Sound Designer
Production Designer
Lighting Designer
Animation/Effects
Apprenticeship Definition and Eligibility:
Apprentices may be at any stage in their career, but the opportunity must be to provide enhanced experience, training and professional development that will support career progression. They must have demonstrated production experience.
They must be working with a more senior professional with a demonstrated track record in their area of practice.
They must be learning the skills of a more advanced role through hands-on work, training and shadowing.
Apprentices must be compensated at an industry standard for their experience level and hours worked.
Apprentices must be Indigenous, however, their mentor may be non-Indigenous;
Apprentices must be residents of Canada.
iso-bea.ca/program/iso-netflix-apprenticeship-cultural-mentorship-funding-program-2021/