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You’ve found your new home for the best top-tier grants, labs, fellowships, festivals, markets, and programs to help advance your project and career! Lightbox is our new series highlighting outstanding programs opening for submission each month that are designed to boost independent creators from some of the best organizations in the world.
This month we highlight a hefty distribution grant focused on STEM, a couple of outstanding festivals opening for submissions, and North America’s largest film market.
1. Film Independent: Sloan Distribution Grant
Do you have a film with a narrative that focuses on real science, technology, or economics? If so, consider applying for the Film Independent: Sloan Distribution Grant. This $50,000 grant, monitored by Film Independent staff, provides support to filmmakers who are in the distribution phase and are 70 minutes or longer.
It’s a great opportunity to get your project off the ground and continue telling stories that matter. Submissions are open now, learn more about eligibility and how to apply.
2. SeriesFest
TV creators rejoice! SeriesFest is coming your way May 5-10, 2023, but early bird submissions open November 17. This festival is dedicated to exhibiting series from all over the world in all genres, running competitions in seven categories, and providing development assistance to the winner of its “Pitch-A-Thon” event.
Winners of the “Best of” competition will win $2,500 worth of in-kind post-production services from Company3! Learn more about how to submit along with dates and deadlines for SeriesFest here.
3. American Film Market
From script to screen, The American Film Market (AFM) is the premiere place in North America to network with potential investors, distributors/buyers, and other producers. The eight-day event takes place each year in Santa Monica, California, and is a must for anyone looking to make movies or TV shows.
This year’s AFM will be held from November 1-6, and in addition to networking opportunities there will be a variety of panels providing thought leadership from industry professionals about the future of entertainment. Click to learn more about how to best way to take advantage of everything the American Film Market has to offer.
4. Locarno Film Festival
The Locarno Film Festival is one of the most highly respected film festivals in the world. Held every August in the picturesque town of Locarno, Switzerland, this prestigious event is attended by distributors from all over the world who come to discover the best in independent cinema.
The festival encourages unique perspectives, experimental cinema, and newcomers, and showcases over a thousand films in eleven days. It also provides opportunities for education and professional development, and the top prize comes with a generous CHF 75,000 award! Submissions will open mid-November, learn more about how to submit your film for consideration here.
5. Noho Cinefest
If you’re a filmmaker pushing the boundaries, then The NoHo CineFest might be for you! The festival is looking to support “the courageous, the creative, the new and promising”. With multiple competitive categories, distributors often cite this festival as a place to buy new films. Submissions opened October 25, so make sure to click the link and submit your film today.
Please note that film festivals and markets are chosen based on Dear Producer’s annual study, which asks distributors from where they acquire films, how many films they distribute in a year, and other factors.
