2022 AMERICAN STORIES DOCUMENTARY FELLOWSHIP

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In 2022, the American Stories Documentary Fellowship will support five filmmaking teams from underrepresented backgrounds making creative, cinematic and character-driven documentaries about modern America.

Fellows will each receive a $10,000 grant to support production or post-production costs. From September 11-18, they’ll participate in an immersive, creative retreat on the coast of Maine, where they’ll workshop their stories with experienced mentors and industry leaders in the week leading up to the Camden International Film Festival. Fellows also have an opportunity to connect with dozens of funders, distributors and creative partners via industry meetings during CIFF and a virtual market following the festival.

Program Dates: September 11-18, 2022

Eligibility

Content: We’re looking for documentary filmmakers working on stories that are tapping into narratives or themes that explore “American Stories” in a myriad of ways. (The stories don’t need to be developed or filmed entirely in the US)
Length: Feature films with an intended runtime of 70 minutes or more
Stage: Films in production and post-production
Makeup of Team: The program is open to filmmakers from backgrounds that have been historically marginalized in the film industry by virtue of their ability, citizenship status, ethnicity, gender identity, race, religion, or sexual orientation.

The American Stories Documentary Fellowship includes the following support:

* a $10,000 grant per project
* Round trip flight to Camden
* (7) Nights of accommodations for one (a private room in a shared house for Fellows)
* (2) All Access Passes to the Camden Film Festival*

Note: While we’re only able to cover travel expenses and guarantee accommodations for one person per filmmaking team, we welcome additional collaborators such as co-directors and producers to participate in the workshops if they are able to attend.

DEADLINE
Monday July 12th @ 11:59pm

If you have questions about the program or the application process, please contact artistprograms@pointsnorthinstitute.org.

The Points North Institute is committed to providing application assistance to applicants who require support with the application process. Directors or the key creative on a project who self-identify as artists who are deaf, hard of hearing, have a disability, or are living with a mental illness may request assistance at any stage of the application process. To request assistance and for additional information please email artistprograms@pointsnorthinstitute.org.

Project Info

Project Title *

Current Status *

Pre-Production

Production

Post-Production

Project Website

Intended Runtime (in minutes) *

Have you completed principal photography? *

Yes

No

Do you have a rough cut? *

Yes

No

Anticipated completion date * +

Key Creative Personnel

Director

Director's First Name *

Director's Last Name *

Demographic questions are for internal program evaluation related to our ongoing equity, inclusion and accountability work. Your responses will be kept strictly confidential.

Director's Race or Ethnic Origin (select all that apply) *

Director's Gender *

Does the Director identify as Transgender? (optional)

Yes

No

Prefer not to answer

Director's sexual orientation (optional)

Does the Director identify as a person with a disability? (optional)

Yes

No

Prefer not to answer

Director's Country of Citizenship *

Director's Country of Residence *

Co-Director

Co-Director's First Name

Co-Director's Last Name

Demographic questions are for internal program evaluation related to our ongoing equity, inclusion and accountability work. Your responses will be kept strictly confidential.

Co-Director's Race or Ethnic Origin (select all that apply)

Co-Director's Gender

Does the Co-Director identify as Transgender? (optional)

Yes

No

Prefer not to answer

Co-Director's sexual orientation (optional)

Does the Co-Director identify as a person with a disability? (optional)

Yes

No

Prefer not to answer

Co-Director's Country of Citizenship

Co-Director's Country of Residence

Producer(s)

0/255 characters

Bios of Key Creative Personnel
Provide brief biographies for the director(s), and if attached, the producer(s), cinematographer, and/or editor. Include notable credits and/or major recognition or award information. For each creative team member, include information about relevant expertise and the individual's role in the project. Bullet list names and titles of any attached advisors and/or consultants.

Suggested Length: Approximately 1 paragraph per bio *

Contact Information

Contact Email *

Contact phone number (with country code if outside the U.S.) *

Address line 1 *

Address line 2

City *

State (or Province) *

Zip/Postal Code *

Country *

Project Description (IDA Core App)

Logline
Please provide a brief summary of the project that captures the most important elements of the project – setting, characters, central conflict or concerns.

Up to 50 words *

Synopsis / Story or Concept Summary
Give an overview of your story, introducing the main characters and potential plot points. Describe the anticipated story and narrative trajectory, or potential character arcs for your film. If your project is non-narrative or not-character driven, what is the concept and intended film structure? Give an overview of the subject matter and your primary questions and ideas to be explored. Please be clear about the elements of your film that remain unknown or unclear and highlight the questions that may steer the direction of your film.

Up to 1000 words. *

0/1000 words

Artistic Approach
Describe your creative vision for the finished project. What are the visual and audio elements that will bring your film to life? Explain your intended use of artistic devices or any particular creative approach or structuring that informs the storytelling (eg. animations, re-creations, transitions).

Up to 500 words. *

0/500 words

Authorship & Connection to Story
What is the creative team’s connection and access to the community that the story is about? How are you ensuring the safety and well-being of your protagonists? Explain the film team’s relationship, collaboration or engagement with the participants and/or community depicted. Why is the core creative team uniquely positioned to make this film? Who has creative control of the project? If there are risks involved for the participants of your film, how are you assessing those and ensuring their safety and well-being?

Up to 500 words. *

0/500 words

Topic Summary
Detail the topics, issues, themes, challenges, stakes, or questions that your project will cover. Describe why the subject of your film is important to you and why you decided to make this film. Explain the cultural or social relevance and context for the topic.

Up to 1000 words. *

0/1000 words

Filmmaker(s) Statement
Explain who you are as a filmmaker, and if applicable, how this film is expanding or evolving your creative practice. What does success look like for you as an artist? What challenges are you facing?

Up to 500 words *

0/500 words

Project Stage & Timeline
Explain the current status of the project. Outline the projected production timeline from the project’s current state to the anticipated completion date. Your timeline should detail major project activities, production schedules, and anticipated postproduction and release dates. If you have applied to this fund previously, please share how your project has progressed.

Up to 500 words. *

0/500 words

COVID-19 Considerations
Please reflect on how COVID has impacted your film and how you plan on moving the project forward with COVID-specific limitations in place.

Up to 500 words. *

0/500 words

Accessibility
Does anyone on your production team have an accessibility need, and if so, how are those needs being addressed? Do you have plans to make the film accessible to D/deaf, blind/low vision, disabled, and neurodiverse audiences? Please ensure that these accessibility costs (captions, audio descriptions, transcripts) are reflected in the submitted budget.

Up to 500 words.

Audience & Distribution (IDA Core App)

Audience Considerations
Describe the audience you’d like your film to reach and why. How do you plan to reach your target audience?

Up to 200 words. *

0/200 words

Intended Impact
Articulate the impact you hope the film will have - on the participants, the documented community, an issue, and/or the broader society. Do you have social, cultural, or policy change goals? What is your impact strategy, if you have one? How are you building partnerships with organizations in your issue area?
Up to 500 words.

*

Fundraising Strategy (IDA Core App)

Fundraising Strategy
Describe the overall fundraising strategy for the film.

Up to 200 words. *

0/200 words

Funding to Date
Include all sources and amounts raised to date. Clearly distinguish between potential sources of funding and secured amounts. List the status of other sources of funding currently under consideration, whether to be applied for or pending. Please list one funding source per line.

Examples:
Foundation A / $15000 / Secured
Private Investment / $25000 / Secured
Foundation B / $10000 / Applied
Broadcast License A / $75000 / In Negotiation
Crowdfunding Campaign / $35000 / In Process (end date MM/DD/YY)

Grant Impact
Should you receive a grant, describe how any granted funds would be spent and how the amount requested would help you move forward with your project.

Up to 200 words. *

0/200 words

Total Funding Secured to Date *

Total Production Budget *

Comprehensive Line Item Expense Budget
Please provide a breakdown of your project’s projected expenses, from development through release, in U.S. dollars, including a budget total. Provide budget notes for any areas that may be viewed as out of the ordinary or which requires further explanation. *

Fiscal Sponsor / Sales Agent

If you are working with a fiscal sponsor for this project and/or a sales agent, please list them here. If not, type N/A.

*

Work Samples

Please provide links and passwords for both samples in your written proposal. Links and passwords should be valid for at least six months from the date of your submission.

Director's Prior Work URL (optional)
We encourage applicants to include a link to a previous work (any length or genre) by the director. Emerging filmmakers with no previous directing experience may also apply without a previous directing sample. 🛈

Password (if necessary)

Discuss the relevance of the work to the current project. If the current project is a departure from the previous work, how will this film differ?

Current Work Sample / Rough Cut URL
Please share a work sample that demonstrates characters, story arc or structure, and visual treatment. This should also reflect the current stage of the project. For projects in production, we request a minimum of 10 minutes of edited footage. For projects in post-production, please submit at least 20 minutes of edited footage. * 🛈

Password (if necessary)

Describe the sample you are submitting for consideration. What should reviewers be looking for in your sample? Explain what is present or absent in the sample, and how it will differ as a finished film. How is it representative of the intended story, style, subject, or another aspect of the project? (Up to 200 words) *

Supplemental Questions

Have you participated in any markets, pitch sessions, fellowships or lab programs with this project? If yes, which ones? (if none, please mark n/a). *

How did you hear about the American Stories Documentary Fund? *

Have you applied to a Points North Institute artist support program before? *

Yes

No

If yes, which ones?