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Archives for 2025

SFFILM Announces Four Year Partnership with Cedar Road

SFFILM Cedar Road Iyagi Grant program will expand support for feature filmmakers; applications open March 2025.

 
San Francisco, CA–March 4, 2025 – Today, SFFILM announced a new annual filmmaking grant in partnership with film finance and production company Cedar Road (DÌDI, THE LAST YEAR OF DARKNESS, THE ACCIDENTAL GETAWAY DRIVER). Through a $160,000 partnership, the SFFILM Cedar Road Iyagi Grant program will be a key addition to SFFILM’s Artist Development Narrative Film Fund, which currently provides over $500,000 in direct artist grants a year. Launching in 2025 and continuing through 2028, this new grant is dedicated to discovering and nurturing stories that capture the depth, nuance, and complexity of Asian and Asian American characters and experiences on screen.

“SFFILM is very proud to partner with Cedar Road at this crucial time of investment and growth for film,” said Anne Lai, SFFILM’s Executive Director. “The most exciting work and freshest voices emerge from independent filmmaking which requires access to resources, and this is something that Cedar Road recognizes and champions. The SFFILM Cedar Road Iyagi Grant will provide critical funding and access to tailored support necessary to get films made and in front of audiences.”

“Cedar Road’s mission to produce stories, not stereotypes, is expressed through the SFFILM Cedar Road Iyagi Grant,” said Jennifer J. Pritzker, film producer and founder of Cedar Road. “In Korean, iyagi means “story”—a word that embodies the heart of this grant’s mission: to champion storytelling as a powerful bridge connecting people across cultures and perspectives. We can’t wait to help these filmmakers realize their dreams to get their films made.”

ABOUT THE GRANT

The SFFILM Cedar Road Iyagi Grant is dedicated to fostering bold, original feature film projects that amplify Asian and Asian American perspectives on screen. The grant focuses on developing narratives that go beyond stereotypes—prioritizing compelling themes, unexpected genres, and fresh artistic visions. By supporting these diverse stories on screen, the SFFILM Cedar Road Iyagi Grant helps to enrich the cinematic landscape, ensuring that stories from these communities are not only told but also authentically represented.

Applications are open at sffilm.org/artist-development. The early deadline is May 16, 2025, and fees are $30.

ACCESSIBILITY

SFFILM is committed to providing accessible experiences at all events whether in-person or online. For more information about accessibility at specific venues or programs, please visit sffilm.org/accessibility or contact ada@sffilm.org.

ABOUT CEDAR ROAD

Cedar Road, founded by Jennifer J. Pritzker in 2021, is committed to empowering Asian voices in film while telling universal stories. The company’s mission highlights the importance of diverse storytelling, ensuring that underrepresented voices are heard and celebrated. Their projects have been distributed by Focus Features, Utopia, MUBI, Sony Worldwide, and Hulu. Notable credits include DÌDI, which won the Audience Award at Sundance 2024 and earned four Independent Spirit Award nominations, and THE LAST YEAR OF DARKNESS, which premiered at CPH:DOX. The company also produced THE ACCIDENTAL GETAWAY DRIVER, winner of the Sundance Directing Prize, and the Independent Spirit Award-nominated PATRICE: THE MOVIE, now streaming on Hulu. Cedar Road recently wrapped production on LUCKY LU, starring Chang Chen as well as JOSEPHINE, starring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan.

SFFILM

SFFILM is a nonprofit organization whose mission ensures independent voices in film are welcomed, heard, and given the resources to thrive. SFFILM inspires and connects audiences, students and teachers, and filmmakers through film exhibition, youth education, and artist development programs. Annual public film programs presented by SFFILM include the San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM Festival) which is the longest running film festival in the Americas, Doc Stories documentary series, special events with the best and brightest in contemporary film, and family programming. SFFILM Education serves more than 15,000 students and educators with learning opportunities designed to cultivate media literacy, global citizenship, and a lifelong love of movies. SFFILM Makers supports the careers of independent filmmakers from the Bay Area and beyond with grants, residencies, and other creative development services.

For more information visit sffilm.org
This press release is available online at sffilm.org/press/releases

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Meet the 2025 SFFILM Festival Programmers

We’re thrilled to introduce SFFILM’s 2025 Programming team! Meet the collective responsible for selecting the films and events you’ll see at the 68th San Francisco International Film Festival.

At SFFILM, the beginning of the year brings a flurry of movement to get our annual Festival planned and produced. But, one team has been hard at work since last summer to bring films and filmmakers from around the world to join us at the 68th San Francisco International Film Festival this April 17–27.

“The Programming team for the 2025 San Francisco International Film Festival has been hard at work for several months building an exciting lineup of special events, awardees, and discovery titles to share with audiences in April,” shared Director of Programming, Jessie Fairbanks. “This group has incredible curatorial talent and it is a pleasure to work with this incredible group of programmers.

Jessie and the Programming team represent decades of curatorial experience and a variety of singular perspectives that make for the exciting slate of films that the SFFILM Festival is known for. Learn more about their backgrounds, and keep an eye out for interviews with the team on our Instagram and TikTok channels. Save the date for March 26 when we announce the full Festival lineup.

Who’s Programming the Festival this year?

Jessie Fairbanks, Director of Programming

Born and raised in California, Jessie began her career producing documentaries and clip television for national networks. She spent a decade in NYC producing large-scale events, festivals, and creative projects for the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York Film Festival, HBO, The Documentary Group, David Byrne, and Google.

As the Director of Programming, Jessie oversees the artistic curation of the annual San Francisco International Film Festival, Doc Stories, SFFILM Presents series, College Days, the selection of honorees for SFFILM’s Awards Night, and other bespoke screening events.

Prior to becoming the Director of Programming for SFFILM, Jessie worked as a curator for DOC NYC, Tribeca Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, Hamptons International Film Festival, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, Nashville Film Festival, MountainFilm and others. Jessie is a voting member of Cinema Eye Honors, a grant evaluator for Chicken & Egg Pictures, a guest lecturer at local universities, and has participated in a variety of pitch sessions, industry panels and festival juries. She is particularly passionate about providing opportunities to underrepresented artists and documentary filmmaking.

Rod Armstrong, Associate Director of Programming

Rod Armstrong was a cinephile before he could drive, highlighting all of the foreign films coming to the San Diego area and cajoling his parents to chauffeur him to local arthouses. The passion turned into a career with Reel.com, a website with a wide array of editorial content about films. Rod began as a contributing editor and wrapped up his work there as Director of Content. Having long been interested in the endeavors of SFFILM, Rod began in 2003 in the publicity department. Later that year, he joined the Programming team and has been there ever since. Though Rod’s interest in film is broad and omnivorous, his greatest passion, harking back to those teenage years without vehicular transportation, remains international narrative cinema.

Jordan Klein, Programmer

A film lover and filmmaker at heart—Jordan Klein graduated from UC Berkeley and got his start as assistant to the legendary film producer Fred Roos (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Lost in Translation), marking the beginning of his career within the film industry in Los Angeles. He served on numerous productions in mediums ranging from feature film, television, commercials, short films, and music videos. His foundational working experiences helped facilitate his transition to being a production coordinator and administrative assistant to the president of film and television at PRG (Production Resource Group), a multinational company providing lighting and audio solutions to film productions and live concerts for renowned music artists around the globe.

Eventually returning to both film production and the San Francisco Bay Area, Jordan boarded both independent productions with the likes of American Zoetrope (Love Is Love Is Love) and major studio productions with Warner Brothers (The Matrix Resurrections) and Marvel Studios (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). Jordan’s deep passion, love, and commitment towards cinema brought his heart to a home at SFFILM.

Kristal Sotomayor, Seasonal Curator

Kristal Sotomayor is a bilingual Latinx curator, journalist, and filmmaker based in Philadelphia. They have been distinguished as a 2023 DOC NYC Documentary New Leader and received the prestigious Rockwood Documentary Leadership Fellowship. Kristal is in their fourth year programming films for SFFILM. They have programmed for film festivals across the country including True/False Film Fest, Frameline, and Tri-Co Film Fest as well as being the Programming Director for the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival.

Kristal’s immigrant rights documentary short “Expanding Sanctuary” won the Philadelphia Filmmaker Award at the 2024 BlackStar Film Festival. Their short documentary “Don’t Cry For Me All You Drag Queens” has screened across the globe at Newport Beach Film Festival, NewFest, GAZE International LGBTQIA Film Festival, and Sidewalk Film Festival. Kristal is currently in post-production on their debut narrative short film “Las Cosas Que Brillan,” a coming of age story about a Trans Latina mermaid, produced with support from the BlackStar Filmmaker Lab. They are in development on a number of short and feature-length directorial projects through their company Sotomayor Productions. Kristal’s work has been supported by the Outfest Creative Hope Fellowship, If/Then & CIFF North Shorts Residency, MDOCS Storytellers’ Institute Visiting Fellowship, DCTV Docu Work-In-Progress Lab, and NeXtDoc Fellowship.

Bedatri D. Choudhury, Seasonal Curator

Bedatri studied literature and cinema in New Delhi and attended graduate school at Tisch School of the Arts. She has worked extensively with documentary films, particularly in the areas of program management and commissioning. She was most recently the Managing Editor of Documentary magazine, and is a programmer with DOCNYC and SFFILM. An alumna of the NYFF Critics Academy, Sundance and SXSW Press Inclusion Initiatives, the National Critics’ Institute, and Berlinale Talents, she lives in New York City and can often be heard on NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour. She is presently The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Arts and Entertainment Editor.

Amir George, Seasonal Curator

Amir George is an award-winning filmmaker based in Chicago. George has served as a programmer at True/False Film Fest and Chicago International Film Festival. George co-founded Black Radical Imagination, an experimental short film screening series. As an artist, George creates spiritual stories, juxtaposing sound and image into an experience of non-linear perception. Amir’s films have screened at film festivals including BlackStar Film Festival, Rockaway Film Festival and Camden International Film Festival, as well as cultural institutions, including Institute of Contemporary Arts, London; Moma PS1; Royal College of Art; Museum of Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles; and The Walker Art Center.

Schools at the Festival Program Returns for its 34th Year

Since 1991, SFFILM’s Education team has developed a Festival program that brings over titles from the main program and special selects for school-age students. Meet the team behind this exciting program which serves over 10,000 students annually.

Keith Zwölfer, Director of Education


Director of Education Keith Zwölfer oversees SFFILM’s Education and public-facing family programming initiatives. This includes year-round K–12 school programming, Schools at the Festival, Schools at Doc Stories, Youth Filmmakers Camp, and Youth FilmHouse Residency. Keith started his journey with SFFILM in 2004 as an intern for the Education program during the San Francisco International Film Festival. He joined the staff later that year where he quickly moved to expand youth programming to year-round. Over the course of his time at SFFILM, Keith has programmed educational events that have reached hundreds of thousands of teachers, students, parents and children here in the Bay Area as well as across the country through online offerings.

Growing up, his love of the arts was cultivated by parents who saw the importance of providing constant exposure to it through film, theater, music, dance, and museums. Keith began his career working with youth audiences at the Disney Animation and Live Action Production Studios in Orlando, Florida. He then worked and volunteered wherever he could with a wide variety of arts and educational organizations, including everything from chamber music to Cirque du Soleil. He is incredibly proud to be able to provide accessible and meaningful arts experiences to the next generation of artists and art lovers.

Soph Schultz Rocha, Education Manager

Soph Schultz Rocha is the Education Manager at SFFILM. They support the year round K–12 school and education programs and co-lead the Youth Filmmakers Camp and Youth FilmHouse Residency. With a background in filmmaking, art, youth mentorship, and community organizing, they are passionate about giving youth the tools and access they need for their artistic vision to flourish. They are a mentor with First Exposures in San Francisco and was their 2021 Residency Lead Teaching Artist. Soph also co-founded Moments Co-Op, a bookstore and residency space elevating the voices of BIPOC artists and writers in Oakland, CA.

Stay In Touch With SFFILM

SFFILM is a nonprofit organization whose mission ensures independent voices in film are welcomed, heard, and given the resources to thrive. SFFILM works hard to bring the most exciting films and filmmakers to Bay Area movie lovers. To be the first to know what’s coming, sign up for our email alerts and watch your inbox.

SFFILM Cedar Road Iyagi Grant

 
Applications for the 2025 SFFILM Cedar Road Iyagi Grant are now open!

Overview

SFFILM Cedar Road’s Iyagi Grant is dedicated to discovering and nurturing stories that capture the depth, nuance, and complexity of Asian and Asian American characters and experiences. In Korean, iyagi means “story”—a word that embodies the heart of this grant’s mission: to champion storytelling as a powerful bridge connecting people across cultures and perspectives.

The Cedar Road Iyagi Grant, supported by the film finance and production company Cedar Road (known for projects such as Dìdi, The Last Year of Darkness, and The Accidental Getaway Driver), is dedicated to fostering bold and original stories that amplify Asian and Asian American perspectives. This grant focuses on developing narratives that go beyond stereotypes—prioritizing compelling themes, unexpected genres, and fresh artistic visions. By supporting these diverse voices, Cedar Road’s Iyagi Grant helps to enrich the cinematic landscape, ensuring that stories from these communities are not only told but also authentically represented.

Awards are made to 1-2 projects one a year in the fall, for all stages of production. In addition to a cash grant between $10,000-$30,000, recipients receive access to the FilmHouse (located in SOMA in San Francisco) and benefit from SFFILM’s comprehensive and dynamic development programs.

Timeline

  • Grant opens Tue, March 4, 2025
  • Regular Deadline Fri, May 16, 2025 (Application Fee $30)
  • Final Deadline Fri, May 30, 2025 (Application Fee $50)
  • Finalists Notified in September 2025
  • Recipients Announced in October 2025

Who Can Apply

  • Filmmakers must be at least 18 years old.
  • Applicant may not be an SFFILM or Cedar Road employee or member of any SFFILM or Cedar Road boards.
  • Applicants must be actively engaged in one of the following phases: screenwriting, development, pre-production, production or post-production and should apply for the phase of production they expect to be in six months after the final submission deadline.
  • Primary applicants must be in a key creative role for the film: screenwriter, director or producer.
  • Film must capture the depth, nuance, and complexity of Asian and Asian American characters and experiences.
  • Film must be a feature-length fiction film. Short films or documentaries are not accepted. Project may not be work for hire.
  • Project budgets shall be $3,000,000 or under including all phases of production.
  • Projects may reapply and must include what significant progress has been made since the last submission.

HOW TO APPLY

To begin the application process, navigate to the “Apply Now” page to review the required items for submission. If you have not yet created an account for the SFFILM Grant Platform, please do so (please note: this is separate from your SFFILM member account).

Please select ‘SFFILM Narrative Grants 2025’ from the dropdown menu and complete the core questions. If eligible, you are welcome to submit to more than one of our Narrative grants by answering supplemental questions for each opportunity you’d like to be considered for.

If you are a member of SFFILM, your application fee is waived. If you are not a member of SFFILM, there is an application fee that must be paid in order for your submission to be considered. To pay the application fee, enter your credit card information at the end of the application after you hit “submit.” Email grants@sffilm.org if you have any technical questions.

Application Elements

  • Logline. In a couple of sentences, please describe the crux of your film. (95 words or less)
  • Filmmaker Bio (400 words or less)
  • Project synopsis (400 words or less)
  • Describe how your film, through plot, character, theme, or setting, explores urgent social issues of our time. (300 words or less)
  • What made you want to tell this story and why is now the right time for you to tell it? (300 words or less)
  • Please describe your artistic vision and stylistic approach. How will your film look and feel? (300 words or less)
  • List the names and roles and briefly describe the qualifications of the other key (up to 5) individuals involved in the project.
  • These individuals could include producers, directors of photography, editors, actors or other key crew. State the date they became attached to the project. (300 words or less)

Work Sample Materials

  • Current script sample: Ten consecutive pages of the script you are applying with. The ten pages do not need to be the first ten pages. Please select what you believe to be the best ten pages.
  • Script sample explanation: This should introduce the script pages from the project for which you are applying and provide context as well as any other pertinent information that would be helpful for the review panel to consider, such as which draft of the film this is and why you selected this passage.
  • Budget Top Sheet (required for all stages of production. Optional but strongly encouraged for screenwriting stage applicants).
  • Optional but strongly encouraged: A lookbook or pitch deck for the project.
  • Optional but strongly encouraged: A previous work visual sample 5-10 minutes in length.

Finalist Materials

Approximately 10 applicants will be chosen as finalists. The following materials will be required for further consideration before the winners are selected. Finalists will have approximately two weeks to submit these items:

Screenwriting

  • A one-page writer/director’s statement. This should provide insight into who you are and your process.
  • A two to three page treatment. This should give us a clear sense of the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
  • A minimum of 25 pages of the script you are applying for. The 25 pages do not need to be the first ten pages. Please select what you believe to be the best ten pages.
  • A script explanation that gives context in terms of where we are in the script as well as orientates us as to where we are in the story (500 words max)
  • Proof of rights to story (if applicable)
  • Optional: A minimum of ten pages of a previous script. The ten pages do not need to be the first ten pages. Please select what you believe to be the best ten pages. If you don’t have a previous screenplay, you can submit a visual sample, with an online link in an attached document alongside an explanation of the visual sample.

Development

  • A one-page director’s statement. This should provide insight into who you are and your process.
  • A one-page producer’s statement. This should provide insight into who you are and your process.
  • A two to three page treatment. This should give us a clear sense of the beginning, middle and end of the story.
  • Full Script: Please submit the latest draft of the script you are applying for.
  • Full Script Explanation: Provide any relevant context for your script submission. Please note that some members of the review committee may be unable to read the full script. Make sure to include page numbers for an excerpt of at least 25 pages you’d like the committee to read if they’re unable to read the script in its entirety.
  • A full budget that includes actual funds raised to date, in-kind donations with associated market value and any outstanding or pending funds.
  • Optional but encouraged: Previous Work Sample. A ten-minute sample of a previous work of the writer/director (short or feature). We will only accept online links.

Pre-production

  • A one-page director’s statement. This should provide insight into who you are and your process.
  • A one-page producer’s statement. This should provide insight into who you are and your process.
  • A two to three page treatment. This should give us a clear sense of the beginning, middle and end of the story.
  • Full Script: Please submit the latest draft of the script you are applying for.
  • Full Script Explanation: Provide any relevant context for your script submission. Please note that some members of the review committee may be unable to read the full script. Make sure to include page numbers for an excerpt of at least 25 pages you’d like the committee to read if they’re unable to read the script in its entirety.
  • A full budget that includes actual funds raised to date, in-kind donations with associated market value and any outstanding or pending funds.
  • Shooting Schedule Details

Production

  • A one-page director’s statement. This should provide insight into who you are and your process.
  • A one-page producer’s statement. This should provide insight into who you are and your process.
  • A two to three page treatment. This should give us a clear sense of the beginning, middle and end of the story.
  • Full Script: Please submit the latest draft of the script you are applying for.
  • Full Script Explanation: Provide any relevant context for your script submission. Please note that some members of the review committee may be unable to read the full script. Make sure to include page numbers for an excerpt of at least 25 pages you’d like the committee to read if they’re unable to read the script in its entirety.
  • A full budget that includes actual funds raised to date, in-kind donations with associated market value and any outstanding or pending funds.
  • Shooting Schedule Details
  • Optional but encouraged: Previous Work Sample. A ten-minute sample of a previous work of the writer/director (short or feature). We will only accept online links.

Post-production

  • A one-page writer/director’s statement. This should provide insight into who you are and your process.A one-page producer’s statement. This should provide insight into who you are and your process.
  • A two- to three-page treatment. This should give us a clear sense of the beginning, middle, and end of the story.Full Script: Please submit the latest draft of the script you are applying for.
  • A full budget that includes actual funds raised to date, in-kind donations with associated market value and any outstanding or pending funds.
  • Work sample one: A ten-minute sample of the work in progress. We also invite you to submit a full copy of the film but we can’t guarantee we will watch more than ten minutes. Should you choose to submit the entire project please include a timestamp of the 10 minutes you would like the committee to watch if they are unable to view the full cut. k.
  • Optional but encouraged work sample two: A ten-minute sample of a previous work of the writer/director (short or feature). We only accept online links.

FAQs

Do I need to live in the Bay Area to be eligible for the SFFILM Cedar Road Iyagi Grant?
The SFFILM Cedar Road Iyagi Grant is open to applicants who live anywhere in the U.S. or internationally. The stories can be set anywhere in the world.

What stages does the SFFILM Cedar Road Iyagi Grant support?
This grant supports films in the screenwriting stage, development, pre-production, production, and post-production.

What is the difference between the regular deadline and the final deadline? Will my project be more competitive if I submit earlier?
The regular deadline fee is $30 and the final deadline fee is $50. We encourage filmmakers to submit as early as possible but it does not make the application more competitive.

How much funding can I request?
Applicants can request up to $30,000.

Is there a budget cap?
Yes, the film’s budget must be below $3 million.

What are acceptable uses of the funds?
For the screenwriting stage, the funds are awarded to the writer or writer/director and can be used for cost of living expenses and childcare while the filmmaker works on the project. Filmmakers have also used the funds for research trips, consultants, and table reads. For the development stage, the funds are awarded to the producer and should be spent on parts of the development process such as casting agents, location scouts, and/or lookbooks. up to 40% of the awarded funds can be used to create a proof-of-concept, mood reel, or a closely related short film if the producer feels that this is the best use of those funds to unlock additional support for the film. For Pre-Production and Production, the funds can be used to support expenses related to preparation and on-set filming. For post-production, you should clarify which elements of post-production you would like to put the grant towards.

Is there a limit to the number of times I can apply?
No, there is no limit. Projects may reapply and state what significant progress has been made since the last submission.

Is there an additional stipend for travel and accommodations to the Bay Area?
No. Filmmakers are welcome to apply the grant toward cost of travel but no additional stipends are provided.

I would like to submit my project to more than one SFFILM narrative grant. Are there additional fees?
You are welcome to submit your application for consideration for more than one narrative grant opportunities. Please be sure to review the eligibility for each grant and answer the supplemental questions each grant requires. There is only one submission fee per application.

For more information about our grants and fellowships, please contact grants@sffilm.org.

Krishnan Shah Family Foundation Grant

 
Applications for the 2025 Krishnan Shah Family Foundation Grant are now open!

Overview

The Krishnan Shah Family Foundation Grant supports and nurtures storytelling that explores the human condition with levity, joy and humor. The aim is to discover and nurture feature films that provide an uplifting experience, and create space for inspiration as a viewer. All film genres are eligible, however we do prioritize comedies, dramedies, and family-friendly projects.

Timeline

  • Grant opens Tue, March 4, 2025
  • Regular Deadline Fri, May 16, 2025 (Application Fee $30)
  • Final Deadline Fri, May 30, 2025 (Application Fee $50)
  • Finalists Notified in September 2025
  • Recipients Announced in October 2025

Who Can Apply

  • Filmmakers must be at least 18 years old.
  • Filmmakers may not be an SFFILM or Krishnan Shah Family Foundation employee or member of any SFFILM or Krishnan Shah Family Foundation Boards.
  • Applicants must be actively engaged in one of the following phases: screenwriting, development, or post-production and should apply for the phase of production they expect to be in six months after the final submission deadline.
  • Primary applicants must be in a key creative role for the film: screenwriter, director or producer.
  • Film must feature plot, character, theme and/or setting that explores the human condition with levity, joy and humor.
  • Film must be a feature-length fiction film. Short films or documentaries are not accepted. Project may not be work for hire.
  • Project budgets shall be $3,000,000 or under including all phases of production.
  • Projects may reapply and must include what significant progress has been made since the last submission.

HOW TO APPLY

To begin the application process, navigate to the “Apply Now” page to review the required items for submission. If you have not yet created an account for the SFFILM Grant Platform, please do so (please note: this is separate from your SFFILM member account).

Please select ‘SFFILM Narrative Grants 2025’ from the dropdown menu and complete the core questions. If eligible, you are welcome to submit to more than one of our Narrative grants by answering supplemental questions for each opportunity you’d like to be considered for.

If you are a member of SFFILM, your application fee is waived. If you are not a member of SFFILM, there is an application fee that must be paid in order for your submission to be considered. To pay the application fee, enter your credit card information at the end of the application after you hit “submit.” Email grants@sffilm.org if you have any technical questions.

Application Elements (Subject to change)

  • Logline. In a couple of sentences, please describe the crux of your film. (95 words or less)
  • Filmmaker Bio (400 words or less)
  • Project synopsis. (400 words or less)
  • Describe how your film, through plot, character, theme, or setting, explores urgent social issues of our time. (300 words or less)
  • What made you want to tell this story and why is now the right time for you to tell it? (300 words or less)
  • How does the film contribute to or uplift the Bay Area filmmaking community professionally or economically? For
  • Screenwriting or Development Phase (300 words or less)
  • Please describe your artistic vision and stylistic approach. How will your film look and feel? (300 words or less)
  • List the names and roles and briefly describe the qualifications of the other key (up to 5) individuals involved in the project.
  • These individuals could include producers, directors of photography, editors, actors or other key cast and crew. State the date they became attached to the project. (300 words or less)

Work Sample Materials

  • Current script sample: Ten consecutive pages of the script you are applying with. The ten pages do not need to be the first ten pages. Please select what you believe to be the best ten pages.
  • Script sample explanation: This should introduce the script pages from the project for which you are applying and provide context as well as any other pertinent information that would be helpful for the review panel to consider, such as which draft of the film this is and why you selected this passage.
  • Budget Top Sheet (required for development and post-production applicants. Optional but strongly encouraged for screenwriting stage applicants)
  • Optional but strongly encouraged: A lookbook or pitch deck for the project.
  • Optional but strongly encouraged: A previous work visual sample 5-10 minutes in length.

Finalist Materials

Approximately 25 applicants will be chosen as finalists. The following materials will be required for further consideration before the winners are selected. Finalists will have approximately two weeks to submit these items:

Screenwriting

  • A one-page writer/director’s statement. This should provide insight into who you are and your process.
  • A two to three page treatment. This should give us a clear sense of the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
  • A minimum of 25 pages of the script you are applying for. The 25 pages do not need to be the first ten pages. Please select what you believe to be the best ten pages.
  • A script explanation that gives context in terms of where we are in the script as well as orientates us as to where we are in the story (500 words max)
  • Proof of rights to story (if applicable)
  • Optional: A minimum of ten pages of a previous script. The ten pages do not need to be the first ten pages. Please select what you believe to be the best ten pages. If you don’t have a previous screenplay, you can submit a visual sample, with an online link in an attached document alongside an explanation of the visual sample.

Development

  • A one-page director’s statement. This should provide insight into who you are and your process.
  • A one-page producer’s statement. This should provide insight into who you are and your process.
  • A two to three page treatment. This should give us a clear sense of the beginning, middle and end of the story.
  • Full Script: Please submit the latest draft of the script you are applying for.
  • Full Script Explanation: Provide any relevant context for your script submission. Please note that some members of the review committee may be unable to read the full script. Make sure to include page numbers for an excerpt of at least 25 pages you’d like the committee to read if they’re unable to read the script in its entirety.
  • A full budget that includes actual funds raised to date, in-kind donations with associated market value and any outstanding or pending funds.
  • Optional but encouraged: Previous Work Sample. A ten-minute sample of a previous work of the writer/director (short or feature). We will only accept online links.

Post-production

  • A one-page writer/director’s statement. This should provide insight into who you are and your process.A one-page producer’s statement. This should provide insight into who you are and your process.
  • A two- to three-page treatment. This should give us a clear sense of the beginning, middle, and end of the story.Full Script: Please submit the latest draft of the script you are applying for.
  • A full budget that includes actual funds raised to date, in-kind donations with associated market value and any outstanding or pending funds.
  • Work sample one: A ten-minute sample of the work in progress. We also invite you to submit a full copy of the film but we can’t guarantee we will watch more than ten minutes. Should you choose to submit the entire project please include a timestamp of the 10 minutes you would like the committee to watch if they are unable to view the full cut. k.
  • Optional but encouraged work sample two: A ten-minute sample of a previous work of the writer/director (short or feature). We only accept online links.

FAQs

Do I need to live in the Bay Area to be eligible for the SFFILM Krishnan Shah Family Foundation grant?
The Krishnan Shah Family Foundation grant is open to applicants who live anywhere in the U.S. or internationally. The stories can be set anywhere in the world.

What stages does the Krishnan Shah Family Foundation support?
Krishnan Shah Family Foundation supports films in the screenwriting stage, development, and post-production.

What is the difference between the regular deadline and the final deadline? Will my project be more competitive if I submit earlier?
The regular deadline fee is $30 and the final deadline fee is $50. We encourage filmmakers to submit as early as possible but it does not make the application more competitive.

How much funding can I request?
Applicants can request up to $22,500.

Is there a budget cap?
Yes, the film’s budget must be below $3 million.

What are acceptable uses of the funds?
For the screenwriting stage, the funds are awarded to the writer or writer/director and can be used for cost of living expenses and childcare while the filmmaker works on the project. Filmmakers have also used the funds for research trips, consultants, and table reads. For the development stage, the funds are awarded to the producer and should be spent on parts of the development process such as casting agents, location scouts, and/or lookbooks. up to 40% of the awarded funds can be used to create a proof-of-concept, mood reel, or a closely related short film if the producer feels that this is the best use of those funds to unlock additional support for the film. For post-production, you should clarify which elements of post-production you would like to put the grant towards.

Is there a limit to the number of times I can apply?
No, there is no limit. Projects may reapply and state what significant progress has been made since the last submission.

Is there an additional stipend for travel and accommodations to the Bay Area?
No. Filmmakers are welcome to apply the grant toward cost of travel but no additional stipends are provided.

I would like to submit my project to more than one SFFILM narrative grant. Are there additional fees?
You are welcome to submit your application for consideration for more than one narrative grant opportunities. Please be sure to review the eligibility for each grant and answer the supplemental questions each grant requires. There is only one submission fee per application.

For more information about our grants and fellowships, please contact grants@sffilm.org.