Herbert Filmmaking Grants
The nonprofit San Francisco Film Society supports film art in all its forms, focusing its efforts on the progressive ideas of socially impactful films from deserving filmmakers. In addition to screenings, festivals, workshops and educational initiatives, the society offers numerous grant programs. Its Herbert Family Filmmaking Grants awarded $25,000 worth of funds to Bay Area filmmakers in 2009.
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Basics
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The San Francisco Film Society launched its filmmaker services programs in August 2008. As part of the programs, San Francisco's Herbert family donated $25,000 to be distributed to Bay Area filmmakers in 2009. These awards were to fund narrative and documentary filmmakers at any stage of production, from screenplay to distribution and promotion. As per the grant's guidelines, projects had to possess recognizable social, artistic or cultural merit and reflect on the filmmaker's long-term professional and artistic goals.
Amounts and Projects Funded
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Awards from the Herbert Filmmaking Grant ranged in size from $2,500 to $5,000 each. Seven local filmmakers -- Christian Bruno, Sam Green, Jenni Olson, Gemma Cubero, Peter Nicks, Rick Tejada-Flores and Jack Walsh -- received grants in February 2009. All of the projects funded were documentary features. Bruno's "Strand," Olson's "The Royal Road" and Nicks' "Hope and High Water" focused on local California issues, such as the area's cultural and film history. Other funded docs covered topics as diverse as female bullfighters (Cubero's "She Is The Matador") and Bolivian family history (Tejada-Flores' "The Road to Chulumani").
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Other SFFS Grants
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As of 2011, the San Francisco Film Society no longer offers applications for Herbert Filmmaking Grants. However, the society continues to offer other funding opportunities. Its SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants cater to independent filmmakers working on narrative features with social themes. The SFFS/Hearst Screenwriting Grant and the Djerassi/SFFS Screenwriting Fellowship offer monetary mid-career awards and a one-month residency at the Dejerassis Resident Artists Program, respectively. Awards range from $15,000 to $75,000 each. In 2010, the SFFS doled out over $450,000 to Bay Area filmmakers. In addition to grants, the society gives cash prizes at its annual Golden Gate Awards competition.
Application Process
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Applicants interested in any of the San Francisco Film Society's grant programs must submit a letter of inquiry to the society and complete an online application at the organizations's website. The SFFS charges an administrative fee -- $35 as of 2011 -- to nonmember applicants. Guidelines and application requirements vary per grant, but most applications include work samples, film treatments and work sample explanations. Programs, eligibility and grant amounts change over time; visit the San Francisco Film Society's official website for up-to-date info on the latest opportunities and deadlines.
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