Sloan Science in Cinema Filmmaker Fellowship

Overview

The Science in Cinema Filmmaker Fellowship is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation as part of their mission to champion films that explore scientific or technological themes or characters. SFFILM will award fellowships to filmmakers in the screenwriting phase of developing a screenplay that tells a story related to science or technology.

Winners of the Sloan Science in Cinema Filmmaker Fellowship will receive a $35,000 cash grant and a two-month residency at FilmHouse, SFFILM’s suite of production offices for local and visiting independent filmmakers. The residency program provides filmmakers with artistic guidance, office space, a vibrant creative community, and mentorship from established filmmakers and members of the independent film industry. To strengthen the film’s portrayal of science or technology, each fellow will be connected to a science advisor with expertise in the subjects at the center of their screenplays, as well as leaders in the Bay Area’s science and technology communities.

Evaluation Criteria

Applicant Criteria

• Applicant may not be an SFFILM or Sloan employee or member of any SFFILM or Sloan boards.
• Applicant must be at least 18 years old
• Filmmaker, or any other applicant or co-applicant must become a SFFILM member at the Filmmaker Pro level or above prior to SFFILM releasing funds from the Grant.
• Primary applicant must be in a key creative role for the film: screenwriter, director, or producer.

Project Criteria

• Project must be feature length.
• Project cannot be a work for hire.
• Project must be consistent with SFFILM’s mission and represent an imaginative contribution to the moving image art form
• There must be realistic scientific or technological content at the center of the screenplay.
• Writers must have the intention of working with scientific advisors to ensure the accuracy or their stories.
• Science-fiction and speculative stories are, in almost every case, ineligible. In some rare cases, a futuristic story might be eligible if it involves science or technology that is truly on the cusp of being introduced to society.

Application Criteria

• Filmmaker clearly articulates the intended goals for the grant.
• Filmmaker demonstrates how the grant will impact short- and long-term professional and artistic goals.
• Applicant directly answers all questions on the application and does not go over the word count. Applications that go over the word count will be considered ineligible.

Grantee Responsibilities

Financial Stipulations

• The fellowship winner will receive a grant of $35,000.
• Funds must be used for living expenses and if not from the Bay Area, travel to and from the Bay Area.
• Winner must reside in the Bay Area for a minimum of two (non-contiguous) months, for no less than two weeks at a time.
  While fulfilling the two-month Bay Area residency requirement, the filmmaker must agree to live within a 20-mile drive of FilmHouse (644 Broadway San Francisco, CA 94133).
• The fellow must agree to spend a minimum of three half days at FilmHouse, and to attend a minimum of two FilmHouse events per month.
• Transportation to and from the residency is the responsibility of the fellow.

Additional Requirements

• Applicant will sign an agreement with the SFFILM
• Fellows are asked to help us in our marketing efforts by filling out a questionnaire and providing links to trailers and/or reviews. Unless otherwise specified for confidentiality reasons, the logline submitted for the LOI will be used in our press release.

Additional Notes

• Only one application per project will be accepted.
• While we encourage filmmakers to apply to the San Francisco International Film Festival, winning a fellowship from
• SFFILM does not guarantee acceptance into any of the aforementioned programs.

How to Apply

To begin the application process, navigate to the Application page to review the required items for submission. Prepare your answers ahead of time in a separate document before submitting in case there are any problems with your submission. Leave time for technical issues, please do not wait until the last minute to submit your application.

If you are an SFFILM member at the Film Pro Level or higher, your application fee is waived. If you are not an SFFILM member, 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 before submitting. Email support@sffilm.org if you have any technical questions.

Here is a sample of a few of the questions you will find in the online application:

• Bio. (200 words or less)
• Logline. In a couple of sentences, please describe the crux of your film. (75 words or less)
• Project synopsis. (300 words or less)
• Trailer or other work sample. (We will watch no more than 5 minutes of submitted footage)
• Brief description of the thematic core and scientific ideas being explored. Please include what science research and consultation you would like to put this particular grant towards; this can include specific scientists or fields of research.
• What scientific research have you conducted thus far?
• To date, what support have you received for this project?
• List all sources such as awards, residencies, grants, donations, investments, and in-kind.
• List the names and roles and other key (2-3) individuals involved in the project. Please briefly describe their qualifications.

Additional application materials are required as follows:

• A one-page writer/director’s statement. This should provide insight into who you are and your process.
• A one to three-page treatment. This should give us a clear sense of the beginning, middle and end of the story.
• Current script sample: Ten 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.
• Previous script sample: Ten pages of a previous screenplay (short or feature). Again, 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 also submit a visual sample.
• Script sample explanation: These should be broken up into two individual pages: one that introduces the script pages from the project for which you are applying, and another that introduces the previous work sample you have submitted as well as an explanation of how this has led you to the project you are currently working on.

Review Panel

SFFILM will convene panels to evaluate applications and award fellowships at its sole discretion. The review panel to decide the winners is comprised of panelists that are producers, filmmakers, industry professionals, science advisors, and qualified SFFILM staff amongst others. Winners will be announced in a press release and on the SFFILM website.