The Footcandle Filmmaker Grant Fund
The Footcandle Film Society, through the Filmmaker Grant Program, provides financial support to projects that help to further the use of film as a story-telling medium and have a majority of their production work take place in North Carolina. The grant money is intended to help a filmmaker move towards their goal of completing their project so that it can be submitted to national film festivals or secure a distribution arrangement.
We provide development funding, up to $10,000, to filmmakers who have a project where they are ready to start work, have secured proper rights and access, and are either in the midst or ready to start fundraising to help support critical production.
The 2024 grant applications must be completed by May 30, 2024, and the award recipients will be notified no later than August 30 2024. The award(s) will be publicly presented at the 2024 Footcandle Film Festival during the weekend of September 27-29.
Eligibility
The film must have at least 51% of its production work completed in the state of North Carolina. The applicant must be able to demonstrate how more than more than half of the production (writing, filming, editing, post-production) work is being conducted within North Carolina.
The application can only apply to single film projects, not a series. The film may be of any length (short or feature-length) and of any type (live-action, documentary, or animated).
Applicants should preferably have previous film or television production experience in a principal role (director, co- director, producer, co-producer) as demonstrated by submitting previously completed work sample(s). Applicants who have not yet produced or directed their own work should demonstrate that they will be working with an experienced filmmaker in a principal role.
Applicants must be 18-years of age or older. The Footcandle Filmmaker Grant cannot be used with student films.
Applicants must own the copyright of their production, and have artistic, budgetary and editorial control over their project. The film project covered by this application cannot be a “work for hire”; the project must be one initiated by the applicant where they have complete control of the film.
Guidelines & Other Information
The film project should be forecasted to be completed within two (2) years of receiving the grant money (September 29, 2026).
The grant money would be provided in either the form of reimbursement of already incurred expenses or as money to address an upcoming portion of production expenses. Proof of incurred expenses, either past or upcoming, must be provided by the grant recipient in order to receive their funds.
The final grant recipient must be able to provide either a Tax ID or Social Security Number in order to receive the funds.
The film covered by this grant application must not further hate speech or any negative stereotypes.
The grant committee may opt to contact the filmmaker directly in order to ask questions or request further information.
Any grant recipients should list the Footcandle Film Society and feature the film society’s logo as a supporter in the closing credits of the final film.