Submissions Now Closed

The TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund seeks exceptional narrative work that is scientifically relevant, accurate, and exciting.

In 2010, the TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund will provide up to $140,000 in support of film projects that explore scientific, mathematical, or technological themes in their storylines, or that feature a leading character who is a scientist, engineer, innovator or mathematician.

Past projects that have received funding for screenplay development through the TFI/Sloan Partnership include outstanding screenplays about Rosalind Franklin, Hedy Lamarr, Richard Feynman, Edwin Hubble, Ramanujan, Stanley Milgram, Muhammad Yunus and a boy who built a nuclear reactor in his backyard.

Read more about the 2009 grantees and their projects.

The Sloan Foundation joins the Tribeca Film Festival and Institute each year in sponsoring screenings, panels and readings. Read about the events at 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.

Funding

The Tribeca Film Institute will award multiple annual grants ranging from $10,000 – $40,000 in 2010, totaling $140,000.

With the goal of progressing films through development and production towards completion and ultimately distribution, financial support is provided to projects at various stages, and is available in three categories:

Development Funds

This category awards $10,000 – $40,000 towards project development, to help the filmmaker commission a screenplay based on a treatment idea, option literary material for adaptation, commission a rewrite of an earlier draft, retain a casting director to attach talent to help secure funding or similar areas that will bring the project closer to production.

• Projects may include treatments or finished screenplays.
• Eligible projects should not have already commenced production.

Finishing Funds

This category awards $10,000 – $40,000 towards post-production, to help the filmmaker complete specific post-production processes on the film. These processes can include sound editing, negative cutting, transfer to film, printmaking costs, and other items necessary to the film’s post-production deliverables. This award is meant for films that are in post-production, with the goal of completing them for distribution.

• Projects submit either a complete rough-cut or scene-selections, minimum 30 minutes.
• Eligible projects should have already completed principle photography.

Distribution Funds

This category awards $10,000 – $30,000 towards self-distribution and promotion of a completed feature length film, with an emphasis on creative and innovative distribution models.

• Eligible projects should be completed, but should not have been completed before January 1, 2009.
• Projects should not have screened widely at festivals, markets or released theatrically, but a film that has had a small festival run is still eligible.
• Eligible projects must have a minimum length of 70 minutes.

Projects & Eligibility

The TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund is seeking feature-length narrative film projects in any genre (except science-fiction and fantasy) that creatively address the role of science and technology in everyday lives, and depict the lives of scientists, engineers, innovators and mathematicians in new, but still accurate ways.

Projects can be at various stages, from development (we will consider treatments or finished screenplays), advanced production or post-production (we will consider works-in-progress), and completed films pursuing distribution.

The TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund is open to both established and emerging narrative filmmakers.

Please Note:

• Films may only apply for one category of support at a time through the TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund.  Please refer to the guidelines above to determine which type of support is most suitable.
• Short films or student projects are not eligible, although previous award recipients from the Sloan Foundation’s Film School are encouraged to apply.
• Previous award recipients from the Sloan Foundation's Film Festival Programs are encouraged to apply.
• The TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund does not offer funding to documentaries.