Jan 10, 2013
Artist Development
The San Francisco Film Society (SFFS) today announced a significant increase in funding to its Filmmaker360 programs through the renewal and expansion of its collaborative relationship with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation (KRF). Filmmaker360 supports narrative feature filmmakers through cash grants, residencies, script workshops, and more. Due to the program’s demonstrated success since the relationship between the two organizations began, the suite of services funded by KRF-including the flagship SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grants, which distribute more than $600,000 annually directly to filmmakers-will continue to grow and develop well beyond the five-year pilot period originally announced in 2009. With more recently-launched initiatives such as the new FilmHouse residency program already showing signs of great potential and sustainability, SFFS and KRF will strengthen their partnership and build new services in the years to come to support independent filmmakers of all stripes.
“The success of the SFFS / KRF narrative film grants coupled with the newer support programs are moving us solidly toward our goals of championing the vibrant Bay Area filmmaking community, raising local and national awareness our unique cinema culture, and making San Francisco a more attractive place to create and experience film,” said Jennifer Rainin, president of the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. “The feedback we’ve received from the film community at large has been overwhelmingly positive. Most importantly, our artists feel supported and valued and our new family is growing and thriving. This partnership with the Film Society has exceeded our expectations at every turn and we are excited to continue and expand our support of these essential programs.”
SFFS Executive Director Ted Hope added, “The vibrant and diverse voices of indie film are one of this country’s greatest assets, but without the backing of programs like these, our artists and their stories would wither and rust. Imagine a world without these essential visions. The support of KRF is vital to not just Bay Area film culture, but to the very fabric of indie culture on a national scale.”
New initiatives will be announced in the months to come. Programs in the planning stages include:
• Networking and professional development events at film festivals around the country designed to help SFFS-supported filmmakers and student participants in the SFFS Colleges & Universities program extend their professional networks and forge new industry relationships
• An ongoing screening series built around social justice films which aims to engage and activate audiences by providing forums for discussion and tools for participation and deeper individual involvement
• A mentorship program in which youth filmmakers will be paired with SFFS-supported writer-directors to foster the careers of the next generation of storytellers through training in media literacy and production
• Pitch training for narrative feature filmmakers and an annual pitch event bringing artists together with funders, commissioning editors and investors
• SFFS Labs featuring intensive project consultation with industry experts, master classes, screenwriting workshops, script readings and more
Filmmakers throughout the country reacted to the announcement:
Ryan Coogler, director of Fruitvale, two-time SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grant winner and Off the Page participant: “Film is one of the most effective ways of encouraging social discussion, but because making movies is so expensive, a film’s commercial value often determines the likelihood of it getting made. Because of this, filmmakers with unique voices and perspectives often can’t find the resources to tell their stories. This is why the Rainin Foundation’s generous commitment to San Francisco Film Society’s Filmmaker360 programs is not just a commitment to filmmakers or the independent film community; it’s a commitment to society as a whole. It ensures that more stories will be told from diverse perspectives, stories that are sure to open the minds and hearts of people all over the world.”
Aurora Guerrero, director of Mosquita y Mari and two-time SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grant winner: “Now that KRF will be funding Filmmaker360 long-term, I feel like independent filmmakers like myself can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the unique opportunities the San Francisco Film Society has to offer will continue to pave the way for many of us. Filmmaker360 has already made incredible films happen. Now they have the power to make careers happen. It doesn’t get better than that for indie artists who rely on these programs and grants to help us do the work we feel so passionate about.”
Maryam Keshavarz, director of Circumstance and SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grant winner: “The Rainin Foundation’s decision to renew and expand their support of SFFS will have a huge impact on the indie filmmaking community. SFFS is one of the few places indie filmmakers can turn to at any moment in their process, from development to postproduction, and find not only financial support but also a creative haven where we continue to grow as artists. SFFS now has the support to continue to build a community where creativity and originality triumph-it’s truly an exciting time!”
Benh Zeitlin, director of Beasts of the Southern Wild and two-time SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grant winner: “Sustainable financial support that is accompanied by creative support and creative freedom is truly the mechanism through which cinema can reclaim real independence. The San Francisco Film Society and the Kenenth Rainin Foundation are forging that essential space.”
CURRENT SFFS / KRF PROGRAMS
The San Francisco Film Society / Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grants are given twice a year to support narrative feature films with social justice themes that will have significant economic or professional impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community. The first collaboration between SFFS and KRF, this grant program was originally launched in January 2009 as a five-year initiative to distribute a total of $3 million. Under the new expanded relationship, SFFS / KRF grants will continue indefinitely at their current annual level of $600,000. Since the program’s inception, Filmmaker360 has granted SFFS / KRF funds to 30 films, including such success stories as Maryam Keshavarz’s Circumstance, which premiered at Sundance 2011 and went on to receive widespread acclaim and U.S. distribution with Roadside Attractions; Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin’s debut phenomenon which won both Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize and Cannes’ Camera d’Or and has become a box office smash with Fox Searchlight; and most recently, Ryan Coogler’s debut feature Fruitvale, which will premiere at Sundance 2013. The application period for the spring 2013 grant cycle opens January 16. For more information visit sffs.org/Filmmaker360/Grants.
The FilmHouse residency program offers free working space to filmmakers in various stages of production and provides a collaborative environment where they can share talents and resources with their peers. Located in the bustling Fillmore District of San Francisco, FilmHouse consists of 4,800 spacious square feet of newly renovated office space. Open to both narrative and documentary filmmakers, FilmHouse offers residencies of six or twelve months to selected applicants with projects that, through plot, character, theme or setting, explore social issues of our time. In addition to office space, FilmHouse residencies provide filmmakers access to additional programs such as script review, guest speakers, peer-to-peer workshops, work-in-progress screenings, SFFS production interns, and exposure of projects through various SFFS marketing and PR opportunities. FilmHouse is made possible by generous funding by the Kenneth Rainin Foundation with additional support by the San Francisco Film Commission. For more information visit sffs.org/Filmmaker360/FilmHouse-Residencies.
The Off the Page script workshop series gives select writer/directors the invaluable opportunity to develop their narrative feature screenplays with the assistance of professional actors. Filmmakers who have received an SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grant and have completed at least one draft of their screenplay or filmmakers who are interested in applying for the grant may be invited to take part in Off the Page script workshopping at the Film Society’s offices at the Film Centre in San Francisco’s Presidio. With the assistance of Filmmaker360, the participating filmmakers are given the opportunity to work with actors who are attached to or are being considered for their film. Recent Off the Page sessions have included Mario de La Vega’s The Undeniable Charm of Sloppy Unruh with actors Kyle Chandler, John Hawkes and Amy Ryan; Carlton Evans and Matthew Lessner’s Ross with actors Blake Bashoff, Alia Shawkat and Matt L. Jones; and Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale with lead actors Michael B. Jordan and Melonie Diaz.
For more information about the San Francisco Film Society’s filmmaker support programs, visit sffs.org/filmmaker360.
Kenneth Rainin Foundation is a private family foundation that is dedicated to enhancing quality of life by promoting equitable access to a baseline of literacy, championing and sustaining the arts, and supporting research that will lead to relief for those with chronic disease. The Foundation focuses its efforts on the San Francisco Bay Area and specific medical issues. It utilizes its networks, resources, and commitment to socially responsible practices to support innovation, collaboration and connection in the service of inspiring world-changing work. For more information visit krfoundation.org.