Our Short Film Fund is unlike any other contest out there for shorts! What makes our Short Film Fund so special? Read on…
#1: THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE PRIZE PACKAGE IN THE INDUSTRY
Our prize packages have been specially curated by our team, led by Short Film Fund Manager Julia Morizawa who knows how to create a successful short! The Grand Prize Winner will receive, among other prizes:
- A $15,000 cash grant to support the production costs of your short film.
- Free camera equipment from ARRI Rental for the duration of the shoot (some restriction apply), giving you the highest production standards possible and saving thousands of dollars in rental costs.
- Guidance from Kimberley Browning, short film programmer at Tribeca Film Festival, to help build your film festival strategy.
- Mentoring from two-time Oscar-nominated producer, Maria Gracia Turgeon to help you get to your very best film.
- Circulation of your finished film to our relevant Industry Roster, if desired, increasing exposure for your short.
#2: A COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING FILMS THROUGH POST-PRODUCTION
Unlike other short script contests, we will also award a package specifically for films in the post-production phase, which includes $4,000 in finishing funds.
Our Finishing Funds Winner will also benefit from the film festival strategy package with Kimberley, the mentorship with Maria, and script circulation to members of our Industry roster.
Finalists for the Finishing Funds prize will also get feedback on the rough cut of their film from a producer at award-winning production company Vanishing Angle, a production company that nurtures the freshest voices in the independent film community with award-winning films and series, taking projects from script through distribution.
#3: ACCESS TO A-LIST TALENT
Actors such as Amit Shah (Midsomer Murders, Fresh Meat), Ben Whishaw (James Bond, Black Doves), Alex Lawther (Andor, The End of the F**king World), Alisha Boe (13 Reasons Why), and T’Nia Miller (The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Peripheral) have all been cast in our shorts. They have come on board for a fraction of their usual fee because they see the potential in our winning scripts and filmmakers.
#4: ONGOING SUPPORT
Winning the Short Film Fund doesn’t end with us sending you a check. We are here for the filmmakers every step of the way. We provide script development and support, and remain accessible through pre-production (helping crew up, connecting the filmmaking team with ARRI), production (if we have a local team member, we can visit you on set!), post-production (feedback on cuts, referrals to post team), and film festivals (promotion of screenings via all our channels).
#5: A HISTORY OF SUCCESS
Our short films have opened doors and started the careers of so many of our winners.
Many of our 22 previously funded short films have screened at some of the top film festivals in the world including Sundance, Tribeca, BFI London, Austin, Cannes, Encounters, and Palm Springs. One even won a BAFTA!
Several of those writers and writer/directors have gone on to gain representation, sell screenplays, get staffed on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, & BBC shows, and develop their shorts into features and TV shows.
The Spring Season of our 2025 Short Film Fund is now open. Learn more and submit here.
