ELIGIBILITY
Grants are given only for completion expenses. To be competitive, projects must be in post-production with at least a strong rough cut. Projects in development, script-development, pre-production, production, or early post-production will not be considered.
Applicants must hold artistic, budgetary, and editorial control and maintain copyright of the proposed project. Grants are given only to filmmakers with creative and financial control of their projects.
In case of collaboration, a sole project director must be designated as the applicant.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
• Sample work must be in English or subtitled in English.
• Student, educational, and promotional projects are NOT eligible for consideration.
• Films cannot be finished at the time of application.
• Films that premiere before grant determinations are made but after the application period has ended are eligible with a document need for finishing expenses support.
Applicants do not need to be Jewish, but projects must reflect thoughtful consideration of Jewish history, life, culture, or identity.
Applicants are automatically eligible for consideration for JFI’s signatures awards (https://jfi.org/for-filmmakers/grants/signature-awards).
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Projects Must:
• Make a unique contribution to the body of films on Jewish history, life, culture and/or identity.
• Have high production values and reflect excellence and originality in storytelling and craft.
• Demonstrate potential to entertain and engage, turn conversation into action, and reframe understanding of Jewish cultures and identities.
• Showcase contemporary relevance.
• Provide a realistic schedule, fundraising plan, personnel, and budget to bring the project to completion.
• Identify a realistic strategy for reaching its intended audience.
• Show that the grant will make a critical contribution to the project’s completion.
• Indicate a strong alignment to JFI's mission, vision, and values.
REVIEW PROCESS
A selection committee of industry professionals will review all applications, preview sample works, and select finalists. An independent panel of media professionals including producers, directors, programmers, academics, distributors, or other experts in the field will convene to collectively select the grant recipients. The names of the panelists will remain confidential until after the awards are announced at the closing night of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival in August.
JFI is not able to provide critiques, screening notes, or individual reviews of films not awarded grants.
GRANTEE REQUIREMENTS
• The Jewish Film Institute will have the first option to present the Bay Area Premiere of the film.
• The grantee will acknowledge funding by the Jewish Film Institute and any designated/named Award or Grant on screen, in web, pitchbook, poster, and printed credits for the project, or wherever else such credits appear. JFI staff has the right to review credits before post-production is complete.
• Grantee will provide a MP4 file of the finished film and trailer for JFI’s archive, not to be shared without the filmmaker’s express permission.
• Grantee will update JFI staff on the status of the film at milestone moments for JFI to report to stakeholders and elevate in its communications.
• Grantees must adhere to JFI's community standards and code of conduct (https://jfi.org/about-jfi/mission).
All completed films must be closed captioned.
GRANTEE BENEFITS
In addition to funding, grantees are entitled to:
• Recognition in JFI's institutional and marketing materials year-round and at the annual San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.
• Invitations to live and online filmmaker events year-round.
• Request feedback on their project from JFI staff.
• Host a work-in-progress screening virtually or in the Ninth Street Independent Media Center’s Screening Room, under JFI’s auspices.
• Automatic Consideration for JFI's Signature Awards (https://jfi.org/for-filmmakers/grants/signature-awards).
RESTRICTIONS
• Grantee may not be a Jewish Film Institute employee or Board member.
• Grantee may not be a full-time student.
• The project cannot be a work for hire.
• Only one application per project will be accepted.
• Industrial, educational, or promotional projects are ineligible.
