Through the Westridge Grant, SFFILM supports U.S.-based independent narrative feature films that seek to address social issues and pressing questions of our time through creative and original storytelling.
To that end, four or five grants of up to $25,000 will be awarded to filmmakers in support of thought-provoking, vibrant, intelligent, original, and moving projects in the screenwriting or development phase that explore current social issues through plot, character, theme, and/or setting. Projects should have strong and recognizable social value and contribute to a greater public understanding of a disenfranchised group, identify an area where social change is needed, and/or bring to light a complex and/or inspirational story, condition, or issue. Grants will be awarded in two categories:
Screenwriting Grants — Grants will be awarded to writers or writer/directors who have at least one draft of their screenplay completed. The expectation is that at the end of the six-month grant period, screenwriting grantees will have a final or nearly final draft of their script completed.
Development Grants — Grants will be awarded to producers who are attached to films with a completed script. These producers must be prepared to begin to package (attach talent, hire a casting agent, scout locations, etc.) their films. The expectation is that at the end of the six-month grant period, the grantee will have made significant progress toward setting a production date and/or securing financing.
In addition to financial support, grant recipients will receive benefits through artistic development programs as well as support and feedback from SFFILM and Westridge Foundation staff.
To be eligible, applicants must be at least 18 years of age. Those applicants in the screenwriting phase must be the writer or writer/director on the project. If there is a co-writer, a director who is not a writer, or a producer attached to the project, they must be co-applicant(s). Projects in the development phase must be the producer (s) of the project, and the writer or writer/director must be the co-applicant(s).
The majority of the project (at least 90 percent) must be set and filmed in the United States.
Documentary, short film, or series projects are not supported.
An application fee of $25 will be applied through July 10, and a fee of $45 between July 11 and July 31, 2019.
See the SFFILM website for complete program guidelines and application instructions.
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