Federal Grants for Women in the Film Business
Women in the film industry must face certain realities when seeking federal grant funding, namely that the U.S. government does not provide grants to individual artists. Grants are available for film projects associated with a qualified organization. The trick to securing a federal grant is to find a fiscal sponsor, such as a university or media art center that will support your project. The good news is that there are sponsors that specifically support women film artists.
Other People Are Reading
-
Federal Grants in the Arts
-
Your grant money The U.S. government has established agencies and bureau divisions to support excellence in the arts and humanities. Grants are only offered through U.S. organizations with nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status. Federal grants are essentially funneled through an organization that sponsors you, instead of being paid directly to you. You will need to find a fiscal sponsor before applying for a federal grant.
How Does Sponsorship Work?
-
A fiscal sponsor acts as an umbrella organization that administers a grant for your film project. You apply for sponsorship according to each sponsor's guidelines, and then apply to the federal agency for a grant. Once a grant is approved, the funds are paid to you through the sponsor, which typically charges an administration fee. This process helps make sure the funds have some kind of institutional oversight, and are used for a specific project. The project remains the sole property of the artist.
-
Grant Sources
-
According to www.nea.org, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is the largest funder of the arts in the country. Film falls under the category of Media Arts, and funding goes to film projects that focus on the arts, such as films about literature, dance, music, theater or visual arts. Other NEA categories offer funding for participation in international film festivals. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) offers development and production grants under the Grants for America's Media Makers program for film projects that focus on the field of humanities. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the Department of State offers creative grants for work focused on cultural exchange.
Fiscal Sponsors
-
There are nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations that focus on women in the film industry, most notably Women Make Movies and Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI), which has over 40 chapters worldwide. In addition, there are arts organizations that offer fiscal sponsorship that is not gender specific, including, Fractured Atlas, Film Forum and Dead Center Film.
Finding a Grant
-
Where to look It is worthwhile to thoroughly search the federal government's grant website for information on funding opportunities, deadlines and eligibility. Also go to your state's foundation for the arts or council of the arts website to find further lists of organizations and universities that serve as sponsors for women film artists. Seeking a federal grant as a woman in the film business requires tenacity, a passion for your project, adherence to very specific guidelines and patience, but the rewards can be worth the effort.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Fotolia.com, courtesy of Laser Image by Fotolia.com, courtesy of Dušan Zidar Image by Fotolia.com, courtesy of Aleksandr Ugorenkov
More Like This
Comments
-
this is what I do and want to do the rest of my life'''''.
