Women in Film Grant

The Women in Film Grant supports women filmmakers each year with essential funding for for scripted, documentary, and experimental projects in pre-production and post-production.

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How to Apply

You must be a woman filmmaker living in New York State.

The program is open to independent narrative and documentary projects of any length and at any stage of development. Film Independent supports other types of projects and like-minded organizations that further our mission and are in the process of obtaining their 501(c)(3) status; including interactive media, film festivals and more. Non-US applicants are welcome to apply.

Who Can Apply

Applicants must submit the following materials for consideration:

Project Description (logline, story summary/synopsis, topic summary, artistic approach, project stage and timeline)
Work Sample (director’s prior work or current work sample)
Audience and Distribution (distribution and marketing strategy, intended audience)
Key Creative Personnel (bios for each creative team member, list of attached advisers or consultants)
Fundraising Strategy (overall fundraising strategy, funding to date)
Budget
A non-refundable application fee of $45*

*All applicants to the Fiscal Sponsorship program are required to be current Film Independent Members. Application fee waived for NYWFF members and fellows.

Selection Criteria

The New York Women’s Filmmaker Grant is looking for unique projects from talented filmmakers ranging from first-time directors to those more firmly established in the indie film community. The project’s viability, both financial and artistic, will be considered by our review committee, as will the team’s collective expertise and the overall proposal presentation. Our ultimate goal is to work with you to get your film funded, finished and seen. Your written proposal and budget should show us how you plan to make that happen.

Film Independent’s mission is to champion creative independence in visual storytelling in all its forms and to foster a culture of inclusion. We support a global community of artists and audiences who embody four pillars: Diversity, Innovation, Curiosity, Uniqueness of Vision. Applicants must articulate in their application how their project embodies or furthers our mission.

The following additional criteria must be met for projects to be eligible for the Film Independent Fiscal Sponsorship Program:

Your project must be a short or longform, fiction or non-fiction, film or video.

Your project must be a single independent production not paid for or produced by a studio or streamer.

A slate of projects will not be eligible.

Educational programs are not eligible.

Projects must be seeking to raise over $10,000.00 USD through fiscal sponsorship.