To apply, there are two documents required:
A Script or Treatment — this doesn’t have to be a completed screenplay if you’re applying for a documentary or if your film is already in production. It can be a treatment, a PDF with links to footage, or any other pitch document that shows the project’s potential.
A Cover Letter — A letter that expresses your vision for your project. Help the judges get a sense of your creative vision and professional experience. Let us know if you’ve begun production and what you’d be able to use the funding for. We recommend 1-2 pages in length.
Accepted formats for Film Fund include Narrative (Features, Series, Shorts), Documentaries (Features, Series, Shorts), and Unscripted (Features, Series)
For Narrative format submissions, screenplays must be submitted in industry-standard formatting as a PDF file, along with a Cover Letter. Because different formats are accepted, scripts and submissions may be any page count. However, any submission longer than 120 pages will incur a $1 per page overage fee for each page over 120.
For Documentaries, instead of a screenplay, a treatment about the project will be accepted, which can include links to video footage (YouTube, Vimeo, etc), along with the Cover Letter.
For Unscripted format submissions, please submit a treatment about the project and highlight any exclusive access to intellectual property or a public figure. Links to video footage can be included, along with the Cover Letter.
Optionally, you can include a PDF document that includes any other information. This can be anything from a full series bible to a line-item budget, to links to footage or a sizzle reel. We recommend only including information that gives a better sense of the specific project, but please include anything that will help our judges understand the creators and the project.
When reviewing your submission we will consider your primary document (varies depending on your project format) and your cover letter. Additional optional materials, will be reviewed as needed.
Grants will range in size up to a maximum of $30,000 per project. Grant amount will be determined by the jury consisting of executives from ScreenCraft.
Recipients will be announced within 12 weeks of the final deadline of each cycle. Please refer to the top of the page for announcement dates.
Applications are accepted via electronic submission only.
There is no limit to the number of projects you may submit.
Applications must be received on or before the deadlines and application fee payment must be made in full at time of the submission.
All application fees are non-refundable.
All submitted material must be original, and all rights must be wholly owned by the writer(s).
Material must be submitted by the author or owner of the material. Material written by writing teams must be submitted by one of the writers, with consent of the other(s). All writers must be credited on the title page.
Substitutions of either corrected pages or new drafts of the entered material are not allowed. Please proofread your script very carefully before submitting.
Contact info may be included on the cover page of the screenplay, however it is not required.
Grant funding is conditional upon selected recipient going into production on selected project within twelve (12) months of when the grant was awarded.
For a full list of rules and eligibility please visit ScreenCraft.
Eligibility
We welcome international applicants. All persons from anywhere in the world are eligible; however the material submitted must be in English.
If an applicant is younger than 18 years old, a verifiable parental consent form must also be submitted with application.
All material submitted to other competitions or contests are eligible for this production grant program.
There are no requirements as to when the material was written.
Screenplay must be owned and submitted by the writer or owner.
Material should be submitted in standard screenplay format, font, spacing and margin.
We have no preferences regarding title page content. Title and name of writer would suffice.
Adaptations are ineligible unless the underlying rights are owned by the writer or director or the work is in the public domain.
Screenplays must be in generally accepted industry-standard formatting as a PDF file. Any popular software may be used for formatting, such as Final Draft, WriterDuet, Celtx or Fade In.
All material must be submitted electronically as a PDF or it will not be eligible.
The winners will be chosen based on the following criteria:
Concept
Overall Impression
Originality
Professional Presentation
Viability
Criteria for Winners and Finalists:
The winners and top finalists may be contacted by interested industry representatives, such as managers, agents or producers.
Entrants may be required to submit further information to assist in the judges’ verification of eligibility.
Any entrant may be deemed ineligible as a Finalist or Winner at the sole discretion of ScreenCraft.
Finalists may be required to sign and return within seven (7) business days of receipt a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility and a Release and Indemnification and proof of valid passport and any other documents that ScreenCraft or any other partner may require before receiving prize payment. Failure to respond to the initial notification within ten (10) days or return of notification will result in disqualification.
We reserve the right to amend these rules at any time
COPYRIGHT AND OWNERSHIP: ScreenCraft may ask for (but not require) executive producer credit depending on the project, its needs, and ScreenCraft’s participation. Writer credit and director and producer credit will remain with the original filmmaking team. All ownership and rights to the material submitted to this grant program remains with the original rights holders until and unless other agreements are made. Should your project be awarded funding, you are not obligated to accept it until and unless other agreements are made.
PUBLICITY: Except where prohibited by law, participation in this program constitutes each entrant’s consent to ScreenCraft and its agents’ and sponsor’s use of entrants’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration. All uses of an entrants’ information are in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
REFUND POLICY: All application fees are non-refundable.
ENTRY CONDITIONS AND RELEASE: By applying for this production grant, each participant agrees to release and hold harmless ScreenCraft, Red Ampersand LLC, ScreenCraft.org, its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies, contributors, Sponsors, and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising or promoting this ScreenCraft Film Fund and Grant Program and Promotion, and every one of their respective members, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, the “Released Parties”) past and present from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to damages and negligence to property and persons, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, copyright, infringement of trademark or other intellectual property rights relating to a participant’s Entry, participation in the Promotion and/or acceptance or use or misuse of Prize; provided however, that such release will not apply to any commercial exploitation of the script by a Released Party in violation of your rights under applicable copyright law; and (c) indemnify, defend and hold harmless all related parties including ScreenCraft, ScreenCraft.org and its Sponsor, agents and employees from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorneys fees) relating to an entrant’s participation in the Program and/or entrant’s use or misuse of awarded grant. Employees of ScreenCraft, and their immediate families are ineligible to participate in this contest. Any such submission will be immediately disqualified. This grant program is void where restricted by any Federal, State or Local law. Recipients’ eligibility will be verified before the grant is awarded and the winner may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility. By entering the contest, you authorize us to use any trusted third-party online and cloud-based services and databases for hosting, managing and/or transmitting your submission file(s).
