LEF New England is now accepting applications for Pre-production and Early Development grants through the Moving Image Fund.
Donor Name: LEF New England
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/08/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
LEF invests in documentary film and video projects that demonstrate excellence in technique, originality of vision and voice, and creativity in form. The strongest proposals will be those that clearly articulate the ways in which the proposed project aligns with the program’s funding criteria.
Funding Information
- For Early Development
- A maximum of (6) grants of $2,500 each will be awarded to projects in the Early Development phase.
- Appropriate Use of Funds- Early Development funds may be used for research, travel, location scouting, script or storyboard development, experimentation with shooting picture and sound, distribution planning, fundraising, creating a trailer, schedule and budget development, and staffing (creative, technical, or otherwise).
- For Pre-production
- A maximum of (6) grants of $5,000 will be awarded to projects in the Pre-production phase of development.
- Pre-production funds may be used for research, travel, location scouting, script or storyboard development, experimentation with shooting picture and sound, distribution planning, fundraising, creating a trailer, schedule and budget development, and staffing (creative, technical, or otherwise).
Funding Criteria
- Quality of cinematic form and technique
- Originality of filmmaker’s voice, vision, and point of view
- Resonance and power of the film’s core idea or story
- Feasibility of production
Eligibility Criteria
- Projects must be long format; running times of 40 minutes or more.
- Primary creative personnel (director and/or producer) must reside in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont).
- Projects must not be commissioned or work-for-hire, and the director/producer creative team must have creative control of the project.
- Projects with directors or producers enrolled in high school, undergraduate or master’s degree programs at the time of application are ineligible for consideration.
- Multi-channel or installation work will not be considered.
- LEF no longer requires you to have a confirmed fiscal sponsor at the time that you submit a letter of inquiry or application. However, if you are awarded a grant, you must have a confirmed 501c3 fiscal sponsor in place in order to receive any grant funding.
- For prior grantees, a final report on previous LEF grant funding is required.
For more information, visit LEF New England.
