The Jerome Foundation’s NYC Film, Video and Digital Production(NYC FVDP) grant provides New York City-based early career film directors, working in short and/or long form experimental, narrative, animation or documentary genres, or in any combination of these forms, a production grant of up to $30,000 for all stages of production.
Donor Name: Jerome Foundation
States: New York
Borough: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/13/2023
Size of the Grant: up to $30,00
Details:
The NYC FVDP grant supports early career film directors whose work takes creative risks in expanding, questioning, experimenting with or re-imagining film, video and digital production. Applicants must be film directors in their 2nd–10thyear in the field, who have completed at least two short or feature-length films1, but do not have more than two feature-length films (running time of 50+ minutes or more) released and in distribution. This grant supports artists who embrace their roles as part of a larger community of artists and citizens, and consciously work with a sense of service, whether aesthetic, social or both.
Production grants are awarded to either individual film directors or co-directing teams applying jointly. Production grants are not for organizations. Funds are issued directly to the applicant film director/s or to their single-member LLCs (if applicable). Applications cannot be accepted from, nor payments made to fiscal sponsors, management companies, producers, multi-owned or Partnership LLCs, S-Corps, consultants or 501(c)3organizations
Projects Are Eligible for Funding
Eligible projects include new short, episodic, or feature-length film, video and digital production projects either in the genres of animation, documentary, experimental, and narrative, or in a combination of these forms. The Foundation has no preferences for subject matter or genre. Panels who review applications and recommend grants are asked to equally consider animation, documentary, experimental, and narrative work. Any budget, large or small, qualifies. Applicants are expected to demonstrate their experience and capacity for the proposed story or content or form. If a film involves or focuses on specific people or communities, applicants will be asked to demonstrate the degree to which meaningful relationships with the film subjects/content has been developed. This program supports film directors who present work in non-traditional venues in addition to work screened in movie theaters, festivals or broadcast channels, ranging from public access to screenings within specific communities as well as films that have online distribution/presentation.
Eligible Applicants
- Are residents of one of the 5 boroughs of New York City who have been residents for at least one year at time of application and plan to be residents during the span of the grant period, through April 2025.
- Jerome does not require citizenship, but does require residency and a social security number or ITIN number for tax purposes
- Applicants must file US federal taxes as a resident of New York City in 2022,2023 and2024
- And must be in residence in New York City for at least 183 days in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
- Current New York City artists who plan to relocate to Minnesota before the application deadline should apply in the Minnesota program. Please note, the Minnesota grant requirements and objectives are different than those of the New York City program.
- Are early career film directors with at least 2 years, but no more than 10 years, of experience directing their own films or videos, working in documentary, narrative, experimental or animation, or any combination of these genres.
- Jerome Foundation expansively frames the early career spectrum as film directors with at least a 2-year track record of directing and presenting their own projects (i.e., not first-time directors) and with no more than 10 years of experience. Age is not a factor in determining eligibility or career status.
- Mid-career or established artists from other fields who have recently shifted to film directing will not be considered early career. For example, a composer with a ~10- year career in music who is now moving into film directing will not be considered an early career film director for the purposes of this grant.
- The Foundation recognizes that career-paths can be non-linear or disrupted along the way. The Foundation additionally acknowledges that the number and types of opportunities afforded to directors may differ significantly based on discipline, race/ethnicity, class, gender, physical ability and geography among other factors. They also recognize that some directors may experience significant success and move past early career status well before their 10th year of practice. If an applicant self-defines as an early career artist but has been making work for more than 10 years or has received significant support for multiple projects and/or does not “pass” the eligibility quiz, they should contact Jerome staff no later than March 31, 2023 to discuss before submitting an application.
- Film directors who wish to discuss any aspect of their eligibility should contact Jerome program staff no later than March 31, 2023 in advance of applying.
- Have directed, released, screened and distributed no more than 2 feature-length films (running time of 50 minutes or more)
- Are not at a point in their careers where they receive consistent development and production opportunities, commissions, awards, acclaim, commercial success, national or regional prizes for multiple projects, (are not mid-career or established film directors). In the eligibility quiz, there is a detailed listing of awards and prizes that impact eligibility for this grant.
- Have directed, completed, released and screened at least two film projects, whether two short films, two feature-length films OR the combination of one short film and one feature film. Qualifying films are those for which the applicant is listed in the credits as the director, owns the copyright of the production and has artistic, budgetary and editorial control over the film. These works must have been publicly screened and not made while the applicant was in a degree-granting program.
- Applicants are required to name 2 qualifying films as described above and provide the completion date, the public screening location or platform and links to the films. Public screening includes but is not limited to film festivals, presenting or community organizations, or in online screening platforms with a juried or curated selection process and/or through project grants. These works must be directed solely by the film director/s applying. Either of these qualifying films may be used as work samples, but applicants have the flexibility to use their other film work.
- Public screening includes but is not limited to film festivals, presenting or community organizations, or in online screening platforms with a juried or curated selection process and/or through project grants.
- Films that have been screened publicly only through a film director’s own platforms or through un-curated, “sign up” or “first come, first served” formats are not eligible. Film directors who are entirely self-presented and who have no additional support through grants, festivals, community or public screenings and/or competitive grants or prizes are not eligible.
- The Foundation funds early career film directors who have created enough work to communicate who they are as makers, their unique style and original voice. This work must be directed solely by the film director/s applying.
- Commercial, industrial work, PSAs, journalism, or music videos over which the film director does not have creative control cannot be used to confirm eligibility and cannot be the focus of a grant project or used for work samples. They understand the creative value of this work but, because of its nature, it does not provide panelists the opportunity to understand the film director’s voice and vision.
- Are the Director/s of the proposed film (i.e., own the copyright of the film, have artistic, budgetary, and editorial control and will be listed in the film credits as the director/s).
- Only the director or a co-directing team who meet all eligibility requirements may apply.
- Producers, cinematographers, screenwriters, editors, actors, or interdisciplinary artists, who are not also primarily film directors, are not eligible. For example, choreographers making a dance film or visual artists who incorporate video as part of an installation, technology-based projects, games or interactive work are not eligible for this grant.
- Individual applicants must be the sole director of the proposed film. Films created with a co-director will not count towards eligibility and may not be used as work samples. Applicants will be required to affirm sole creation of all work samples.
- Co-directing applicants may not include individually created films or films codirected with other artists not included in the application to establish eligibility. Codirectors submit a single application and will share the grant funds equally. To apply, all co-director applicants must meet all the eligibility requirements.
- Co-directing applicants may not submit work samples directed individually or codirected with anyone other than the co-applicant. Applicants will be required to affirm co-creation of all work samples.
- Create new films that are innovative and/or that take creative risks in expanding, questioning, experimenting with or re-imagining artistic forms.
- Will have a film project in production between November 2023 and April 2025. Funds can be used to support all stages of production, but projects that are only in pre-production during the grant period should not apply in this round; projects that are primarily in post-production during the grant period are a lower funding priority.
For more information, visit Jerome Foundation.
