The Jerome Foundation’s MN Film, Video and Digital Artist Development (MN Artist Development) grant provides Minnesota-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, up to $10,000 to engage in self-designed mentorship with experienced directors or other film professionals to strengthen their film directing craft and/or professional skills in connection with a specific film, video or digital production project.
Donor Name: Jerome Foundation
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/13/2023
Size of the Grant: up to $10,000
Details:
The MN Artist Development 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–10th year in the field, who have completed one short or full-length film1 , but do not have more than one feature-length film (running time of 50+ minutes or more) released and in distribution. This Artist Development grant is, however, designed to be of greatest benefit to directors in the 2nd–5th year in the field, and panels will make such artists their highest priority. 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.
Artist Development grants are awarded to either individual film directors, or co-directing teams applying jointly. Artist Development grants are not for organizations. Funds are issued directly to the film director/s named in the application or to their single-member LLCs (if applicable). Neither applications nor payments can be made to fiscal sponsors, management companies, producers, multi-owned or Partnership LLCs, S-Corps, consultants or 501(c)3 organizations.
Eligible Applicants
- Are residents of the state of Minnesota 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 Minnesota in 2022, 2023 and 2024;
- And must be in residence in Minnesota for at least 183 days in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
- Current Minnesota artists who plan to relocate to New York City before the application deadline should apply in the New York City program. Please note, the New York City grant requirements and objectives are different than those of the MN Artist Development 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 eligibility should contact Jerome program staff no later than March 31, 2023 in advance of applying.
- 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.
For more information, visit Jerome Foundation.
