SFFS/KENNETH RAININ FOUNDATION FILMMAKING GRANT

Name of Contest:
SFFS/KENNETH RAININ FOUNDATION FILMMAKING GRANT

Sponsoring Organization:
San Francisco Film Society

Director:
Graham Leggat, Executive Director
Sara Dosa, Grants & Residencies Coordinator (contact for SFFS Grants)

Address:
39 Mesa Street, Suite 110
San Francisco, CA 94129

Telephone:
415-561-5019

Fax:
415-440-1760

E-Mail:
sdosa@sffs.org

Website:
http://www.sffs.org/filmmaker-services/grants-and-prizes/sffskrf-filmmaking-grants.aspx

Purpose of Contest:
The SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants support films that, through plot, character, theme or setting, significantly explore human and civil rights, antidiscrimination, gender and sexual identity and other urgent social justice issues of our time. The grant supports films that have a significant economic or professional impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community. The grants, which run 2009–2013, will be awarded in the spring and fall of each year, disbursing a total of over $3 million.

Number of years this contest has been running:
2

Deadlines:
August 13th

Entry Fees:
$35; Fee is waived for SFFS Filmmaker Pro members ($90 for year-long membership).

Kinds of scripts accepted (i.e. Teleplays, features, MOWs):
Open to all genres, so long as the project has a strong and recognizable social justice value, contributing, for example, to a greater public appreciation of a disenfranchised group, identifying an area where social change is needed or bringing to light a difficult or inspirational story, condition or issue.

Restrictions
Applicant must be at least 18 years old.
Applicant must be actively engaged in a narrative feature film project in one of the following phases: Screenwriting/Script development, Preproduction, Production, Postproduction
Film must significantly feature a plot, character, theme or setting that reveals or explores human and civil rights, antidiscrimination, gender issues, sexual identity and/or other urgent social justice issues of our time.
If requesting Screenwriting/Script development funds: you must reside in the Bay Area during the writing phase.
Project budgets shall be $3 million or under including screenwriting/script development, above-the-line, preproduction, production, postproduction and initial distribution and marketing costs.
If applying for screenwriting: you may apply if you are co-writing a screenplay. However, the principal writer must be a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Description of Prizes:
A total of $225,000 for Fall will be disbursed in 2010.

Readers and Judges:
SFFS Grants readers and judges are filmmakers and screenwriters working in the Bay Area; industry professionals such as sales agents, producers and consultants; as well as SFFS staff.

Success Stories:
In Spring 2010, the panelists awarded a total of $170,000 in grants to Krisy Gosney for Manhandled (screenwriting), Annie Howell for Black Kid (preproduction), Barry Jenkins for Jeremiad (screenwriting), Maryam Keshavarz for Circumstance (postproduction) and Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild (postproduction).
In Fall 2009, Amanda Micheli: $35,000, Screenwriting/Script Development and Jeff Zimbalist: $35,000, The Scribe of Urabá, Pre-production.
In Spring 2009, Richard Levien: $35,000, La Migra, screenwriting/script development.

Please take a moment to describe why you feel your contest is best able to help writers break into the industry.
SFFS Filmmaker Services ensures that all applicants, whether chosen to receive a grant or not, receive constructive feedback on their projects from their professional Bay Area filmmaking community reviewers. This feedback, along with the additional consultation provided by SFFS staff on its filmmaker services, classes and professional development opportunities, strengthens applicants’ projects for future granting opportunities and connects them to a substantial community of film professionals that will provide them with greater resources and knowledge for growth in their careers.