TO CANNES: BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD SELECTED FOR UN CERTAIN REGARD Two-time SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grant winner 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' one of the most lauded films at Sundance, has won the Grand Jury Prize for US Dramatic Competition and been acquired by Fox Searchlight!  Cinematographer Ben Richardson was also recognized by the Jury with the prize for best cinematography in US Dramatic Competition. Eligibility | Application Guidelines | FAQs | Apply Online SPRING 2012 LOI APPLICATION NOW CLOSED! OVERVIEW The SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants support feature narrative films that through plot, character, theme or setting explore human and civil rights, antidiscrimination, gender and sexual identity and other social  issues of our time. This is NOT a documentary grant. This bold, unprecedented initiative will help realize the Kenneth Rainin Foundation’s visionary goals at the same time as it consolidates the Film Society’s position as a national leader in support of cinematic work that celebrates humanity in all its variety and vitality. “The Kenneth Rainin Foundation’s mission is to fund inspiring, world-changing work,” said Jennifer Rainin, KRF founder and president. “We are thrilled to partner with the San Francisco Film Society to harness the power and influence of film for positive social change and to support the vibrant Bay Area film community.”

SPRING 2012 SFFS/KRF WINNERS: Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale, production $100,000 Robinson Devor, Untitled Sara Jane Moore Project, development $33,000 Lance Edmands, Kyle Martin, Bluebird, postproduction $44,000 Carlton Evans, Matthew Lessner, Ross, development $40,000 Mohammad Gorjestani, Malcolm Pullinger, Somehow These Days Will Be Missed, screenwriting mkshftcllc.tv $33,000 Ray Tintori, Josh Penn, Untitled Cabal Project, screenwriting $50,000 court13.com/films/ray-tintori Learn more

The grants, which run 2009–13, will be awarded in the spring and fall of each year.  The SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants provides tangible encouragement and support to meaningful projects nationally that benefi and uplift the Bay Area filmmaking community in a professional and economy capacity. In addition to the cash grant, recipients will receive various benefits through the Film Society’s comprehensive and dynamic filmmaker services programs.  


ELIGIBILITY

• Please have a look at our past KRF grants recipients page to understand where projects have been based and their connection to the Bay Area.  Additionally note the range of issues themes and stories we have supported in the past.
• Applicant must be in a key creative role for the film: screenwriter, producer or director.
• Applicant must be an SFFS member at the Filmmaker Pro level or above or must pay the $25 (early deadline) or $45 (late deadline) fee.
• Applicant must be at least 18 years old.
• Applicant must be actively engaged in a narrative feature film project in one of the following phases: Screenwriting, Development, Preproduction, Production, Postproduction
• Film must significantly feature a plot, character, theme or setting that reveals or explores human and civil rights, antidiscrimination, gender issues, sexual identity and other social justice issues of our time.
• Total Project budget shall be $3 million or under.
• Projects must be consistent with SFFS’s mission and represent an imaginative contribution to the moving image art form.
• Projects and applicants may reapply for additional funding.
• Applicants or project must have a Bay Area filmmaking connection and uplift the community in a professional or economic capacity.  Please ask if you are not sure how this might relate to your project.
• Please note that while we encourage filmmakers to apply for to the SF Internation Film Festival, Cinema by the Bay and Filmmaker360 project development program, winning a grant from Filmmaker360 does not guaranteed acceptance into any of the above programs.

Funds must be spent in the following ways:

• Please also refer to our FAQs page if you have any general questions.
• Applicants must apply for the phase of production they expect to reach within three months of receiving SFFS/KRF funds.
• If requesting Screenwriting or Development: you must reside in the Bay Area during the writing phase or development phase. If applying for screenwriting: you may apply if you are co-writing a screenplay.
• If requesting Production Funds: 60% of grant monies must be spent in the Bay Area or on Bay Area crew, talent, equipment or services.
• If requesting Pre- or Postproduction funds: 80% of grant monies must be spent in the Bay Area or on Bay Area personnel or services.

If you are unsure if you meet the requirements or have any questions regarding what phase you are in, please email grants@sffs.org.


Priority will be given to:

• Projects that demonstrate viable financial support and promise a high likelihood of being brought to completion.
• Projects that are vibrant, intelligent, moving and innovative.
• Projects that illustrate a sense of hopeful transformation or a movement towards positive social change.
• Projects based, shot or engaged in pre or postproduction in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• In the case of applications for screenwriting or development, applicants who live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• For first-time filmmaking applicants, projects with team members that demonstrate track records of filmmaking success.

Evaluation Criteria:

• Project has strong and recognizable social justice value, contributing, for example, to a greater public appreciation of a disenfranchised group, identifying an area where social change is needed or bringing to light a difficult or inspirational story, condition or issue.
• Project clearly demonstrates a net economic gain for the Bay Area filmmaking community.
• Filmmaker has clearly articulated his or her intended goals for the grant, how those accomplishments will be measured and what the next steps will be for the project.
• Filmmaker demonstrates how the project will impact short- and long-term professional and artistic goals.
• Applicant directly answers all questions on the application and does not go over the word count. Applications that go over the word count will be considered ineligible.

Restrictions:

• Filmmaker may not be a SFFS or KRF employee or member of any SFFS or KRF board.
• Filmmaker may not be a full-time student.
• Project is not work for hire.
• Project is not a documentary.

Please Check the FAQs page if you have any questions.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

The Spring KRF Round is now CLOSED.

• Spring 2012 LOI was open as of January 10, 2012
• Spring LOI early deadline was February 1. The late deadline was February 8, 2012.
• Finalists are invited to submit additional materials February 27, 2012.
• Additional materials deadline for finalists is April 10, 2012.
• Winner will be announced early April, 2012.  

How to Apply

The SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grant process consists of two phases: an LOI (Letter of Inquiry) phase and a finalist phase.

The LOI phase:
The LOI is not a letter, rather an online application that filmmakers can submit within a one month period. The  next online application will become available on January 10, 2012.  If you are not a SFFS member at the Filmmaker Pro Level or higher, please pay the $25 administrative fee here if submitting your application before the early deadline. Please pay a $45 administrative fee if you are submitting your application after the early deadline. If you are a "Pro" member, the fee is waived.

Please be prepared to answer the following questions in the LOI:

• Logline. In a couple sentences, please describe the crux of your film (75 words or less)
• Bio (200 words or less)
• Project synopsis (300 words or less)
• Describe how your film, through plot, character, theme or setting, explores urgent social justice issue of our time. (150 words or less)
• How does the film contribute to or uplift the Bay Area filmmaking community? (150 words or less)
• Please describe your artistic vision and stylistic approach. How will your film look and feel? (150 words or less)
• How will you measure the success of this project? (150 words or less)
• Describe the anticipated impact of the requested grant on your short- and long-term professional and artistic goals. (150 words or less)
• List the names and roles and briefly describe the qualifications of the other key (2 or 3) individuals involved in the project. State the date they became attached to the project (200 words or less).  

Aproximately ten applicants will be invited to submit finalist applications.  Finalists have roughly three weeks to a month to submit finalist materials.

Finalist Applications:

Finalist will be asked to submit the following:

Screenwriting

• A three to ten page treatment.
• A minimum of ten pages of the script you are applying for.
• Work Sample: A minimum of ten pages of a previous screenplay (short or feature). These do not have to be the first ten pages. Please submit what you believe to be the best ten pages.
• A work sample explanation - this should give context to your previous work sample as well as connect the previous sample to the work you are applying for.
• Please note: screenwriters applying for the SFFS/KRF Grant must be the principal writer on the project, and must also reside in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Development

• A three to ten page treatment.
• A minimum of ten pages of the script you are applying for.  These do not have to be the first ten pages - please submit what you believe to be the best ten pages.  (We welcome you to send a full screenplay but we do not guarantee that it will be read.  Should you want to send the full script please send this digitally.)
• Work Sample: A ten-minute DVD sample of a previous work (short or feature) that can be viewed on a television. This can be one ten-minute sample, two five minutes samples, etc. Be sure to make sure it works ahead of time. We will not accept online links.
• A work sample explanation - this should give context to your previous work sample as well as connect the previous sample to the work you are applying for.
• A one-page budget summary that includes a funding plan.

Pre-production

• A three to ten page treatment.
• A minimum of ten pages of the script you are applying for.  These do not have to be the first ten pages - please submit what you believe to be the best ten pages.  (We welcome you to send a full screenplay but we do not guarantee that it will be read.  Should you want to send the full script please send this digitally.)
• Work Sample: A ten-minute DVD sample of a previous work (short or feature) that can be viewed on a television. This can be one ten-minute sample, two five minutes samples, etc. Be sure to make sure it works ahead of time. We will not accept online links.
• A work sample explanation - this should give context to your previous work sample as well as connect the previous sample to the work you are applying for. 
• Full budget including money raised to date.

Production

• A three to ten page treatment.
• A minimum of ten pages of the script you are applying for.  These do not have to be the first ten pages - please submit what you believe to be the best ten pages.  (We welcome you to send a full screenplay but we do not guarantee that it will be read.  Should you want to send the full script please send this digitally.)
• Work Sample: A ten-minute sample on DVD - that plays on a TV - of a previous work - short or feature - links will not be accepted.
• A work sample explanation - this should give context to your previous work sample as well as connect the previous sample to the work you are applying for.
• Full budget including money raised to date.

Post-production

•  A three to ten page treatment.
• A minimum of ten pages of the script you are applying for.  These do not have to be the first ten pages - please submit what you believe to be the best ten pages.  (We welcome you to send a full screenplay but we do not guarantee that it will be read.  Should you want to send the full script please send this digitally.)
• Work Sample One: A ten-minute sample on DVD - that plays on a TV - of the current work-in-progress - links will not be accepted.
• Work Sample: A ten-minute DVD sample of a previous work (short or feature) that can be viewed on a television. This can be one ten-minute sample, two five minutes samples, etc. Be sure to make sure it works ahead of time. We will not accept online links.
• A work sample explanation - this should give context to your previous work sample as well as connect the previous sample to the work you are applying for.
• Full budget including money raised to date.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Filmmakers with incomplete applications will not be considered.
• All DVD work samples should be tested on a television set before sending. DVD submissions will not be returned.
• Please do not submit finalist materials on special paper or in special bindings. Please only submit materials on standard black and white paper.
• Grantees may be required to provide SFFS a return on the funds invested  depending on the percentage of the budget funded by SFFS.
• Crediting San Francisco Film Society and Kenneth Rainin Foundation -If awarded a SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grant, filmmakers shall acknowledge support with for screenwriting or development grants; "With the Support of San Francisco Film Society and Kenneth Rainin Foundation" credit and use of both logos or for pre-production, production or post production grants"Produced in association with San Francisco Film Society and Kenneth Rainin Foundation" and use of both logos. If the amount funded represents more than twenty five percent of the total budget, the credit shall be above the line.

For any and all questions, please contact Tamara at tamara@sffs.org or 415-561-5019.

Please send your application in standard black and white with no photos, folders or embellishments of any kind. Please check your DVDs to make sure they work on a television ahead of time.  Work samples and full application must be received by 5:00 pm on April 10, 2012 for the Spring 2012 grant cycle.  

Please mail them to:

SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants
c/o San Francisco Film Society
39 Mesa Street, Suite 110
San Francisco, CA 94129

If you have any questions please email grants@sffs.org.  

Review Panel
The Film Society will convene a panel to evaluate applications and award grants at its sole discretion.  Previous review panleists have been producers, screenwriters and SFFS staff among others.  Winners will be announced in a press release and on the SFFS website.

Marketing
The Filmmaker Services Team in conjunction with our excellent marketing and creative departments at SFFS is rolling out an exciting new marketing and outreach campaign.  SFFS/KRF winners are asked to help us in our efforts by filling out a markting questionnaire with lots of information about their winning project and links to a trailer or reviews so we can gush about it on our website and in other marketing materials.  

Payment

Payment will be made via business check and can be made out to an individual or company name according to recipient specifications. The Film Society will issue a 1099 form at year's end reflecting grant income.  

Reporting Requirements

Grant recipients will be required to submit a progress report and a new work sample three months, and then again six months, from the date of the grant award.  Crediting San Francisco Film Society and Kenneth Rainin Foundation For Screenwriting and Development Support - Filmmaker shall provide acknowledgement with a "With the Support of San Francisco Film Society & Kenneth Rainin Foundation" credit with both logos. For Pre-Production, Production and Post Production Support - Filmmaker shall provide acknowledgement with a "Produced in association with San Francisco Film Society & Kenneth Rainin Foundation" credit with both logos. If the grant represents twenty five percent or more of project budget, credit will be above the line.  

Giving Back and Supporting Bay Area Film Culture All grant recipients will be required to: 

• Offer SFFS the first look at finished work and first right of refusal for potential premiere at the SFIFF or other SFFS exhibition venues in the Bay Area.
• Write an article or participate in an interview about your work for one or more publications.
• Lead a workshop or professional development course in your area of expertise.
• Meet with filmmakers to discuss work. Show a work-in-progress or present your project at an appropriate forum.
• Participate in SFFS Golden Gate Awards prescreening activities.
• Mentor or otherwise assist filmmakers who participate after you in these programs.
• Participate in community outreach activities around the issues addressed by the film.

APPLY ONLINE

The LOI is CLOSED.  

Learn more about the Kenneth Rainin Foundation.