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Submit Your Letter of Inquiry
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Now accepting LOIs for Production and Post-production! | |
Image Description: Over a deep blue-green background with a pattern of tangled ripples, white and aquamarine text reads: Production and Post-production Letters of Inquiry Deadline January 17. | |
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New England-based directors and producers seeking production and post-production funds for feature-length (40+ min) nonfiction film and video projects are encouraged to apply for LEF's next grant deadline on January 17, 2025.
The Moving Image Fund's Production and Post-production grants have a two-part application process. Filmmakers interested in applying for project support must first submit a brief Letter of Inquiry (LOI). This year, the amount of information requested through the LOI form has been reduced.
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From these initial inquiries, a smaller pool of applicants will be notified on Friday, March 7 about whether they are invited to submit a full application.
A maximum of eight (8) grants of $15,000 each will be awarded to projects in the Production phase, and a maximum of six (6) grants of $25,000 each will be awarded to projects in the Post-production phase during LEF’s major grants review. Please note that in order to be eligible for Post-production support, the project for which you are applying must have received previous LEF support.
- Production funds may be used for shooting picture and sound, early stage editing, equipment costs, materials, travel, and staffing (creative, technical, or otherwise)
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Post-production funds may be used for editing costs, rights, online, sound mix, color correction, transfers, distribution strategy, and staffing (creative, technical, or otherwise). To be eligible for Post-production funding, the project must have already been supported by LEF at a previous stage (Early Development, Pre-production, or Production)
More information about this opportunity is available on the Guidelines and How to Apply pages of LEF's website.
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The Moving Image Fund’s eligibility criteria are:
- Projects must be long format with projected running times of 40 minutes or more.
- Primary creative personnel (director and/or producer) must reside in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont).
- Projects must not be commissioned or work-for-hire, and the director/producer creative team must have creative control of the project.
- Projects with directors or producers enrolled in high school, undergraduate or master’s degree programs at the time of application are ineligible for consideration.
- Multi-channel or installation work will not be considered.
Still not sure if you're eligible? Take a look at our FAQ page.
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All Letters of Inquiry are due on
Friday, January 17 at 11:59pm
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Please note: The Moving Image Fund’s submission portal has moved.
Now, through an account with LEF’s grantmaking interface, you’ll be able to apply for funding, view your previous grant support, and complete final reports, all in one place.
For more instructions, visit LEF's How to Apply page.
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Virtual Info Session
To learn more about the Moving Image Fund, join LEF staff for a virtual info session hosted via Zoom from 3:00–4:00pm ET on Thursday, December 5.
| This session will include live captioning (CART). Please let us know by Monday, November 25 if you'd like to request ASL interpretation (SVI) for this meeting. | | |
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Moving Image Fund Grantee News
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Image description: In this still image from Dan Habib and Samuel Habib's film THE RIDE AHEAD, co-director Samuel Habib smiles in the sunlit spectator area between two baseball diamonds, wearing a Red Sox jersey, as a Go-Pro camera mounted to his wheelchair shows a broad blue sky above. | |
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LEF-supported project THE RIDE AHEAD (dirs. Dan Habib, Samuel Habib; prods. Dan Habib, Erica Lupinacci) will be screening tonight at DOC NYC (and online until December). An expansion of the short film “My Disability Roadmap,” the film follows co-director Samuel as he itches to move out, start a career and find love all while navigating life with a disability. The film won the Best Director award at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival earlier this month. Future screenings are posted on the film's website.
Earlier this month, LEF-supported project EL SIGNIO VACÍO (the empty sign) (dir./prod. Kathryn Ramey), a film about the ongoing U.S. occupation of Puerto Rico, screened at Northwest Film Forum's 7th Engauge Experimental Film Festival. The festival celebrates sprocket-driven, artist-made experimental film that originated on film stock. The film will play at the Society for Visual Anthropology Film Festival on November 23.
Prior LEF grantee Frederick Wiseman (CITY HALL) will be awarded a 2024 Common Good Award from Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), honoring a distinguished group of individuals who demonstrate the power of the arts to inspire advocacy, education, and social transformation. The awards will be presented on Saturday, December 7, 2024, at noon at the Design and Media Center at MassArt (621 Huntington Avenue, Boston). The event is free and open to the public, though tickets are required.
ENCHUKUNOTO (The Return), a short documentary directed by Laissa Malih from Season Two of Reciprocity Project, a short film series and multimedia platform made in partnership with Indigenous storytellers and their communities worldwide, is shortlisted for an International Documentary Association (IDA) Award. The film and the series are produced by prior LEF grantees Kavita Pillay and Adam Mazo, as well as Tracy Rector. The IDA Awards nominees will be announced on November 19th and the ceremony will take place on December 5 in Los Angeles, CA.
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Are you a LEF grantee or fellow with news to share about your film? | | | |
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Image description: Cover of the US Independent Film Audience & Landscape Study by Kerith Putnam with large blue and red text filling the page.
This month, we've been sinking our teeth into the hearty US Independent Film Audience & Landscape Study, led by Keri Putnam, former CEO of the Sundance Institute, as a fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center. The study offers valuable insights into the struggles of independent film viewership in a world of streaming content, and the untapped potential of audiences hungry for films outside of the mainstream market. The study "touches on the nuances of paid video on demand, the rise of niche streamers like MUBI and Documentary+, educational services like Kanopy, how PBS still shapes the indie market, and the untapped potential for indies on free streamers like Tubi or Pluto." Read more about Putnam's study in Indiewire, and check out Brian Newman's distillation in his Sub-Genre newsletter.
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Upcoming Film Opportunities
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Image Description: The Rogovy FoundationLogo | |
The Miller / Packan Film Fund (Deadline: November 15)
The Miller / Packan Documentary Film Fund provides grants to feature-length non-fiction projects that address social issues and inspire others. Each year, grants totaling $200,000 are awarded to between eight and twelve filmmakers. The fund operates an open call submission process, and awards are announced bi-annually. Each grant is one-time only and offered in amounts up to $25,000.
Learn more
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Image Description: Sundance Institute Logo | |
Sundance Documentary Producers Track (Opens: November 19)
The Documentary Film Program is seeking their next class of fellows for the 2025 Producers Track. The program supports emerging independent nonfiction producers with works-in-progress features to be considered for the Producers Lab and Fellowship.
Opportunities for the Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellowship and the Native Lab Fellowship will be open soon too.
Learn more
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Image Description: Ford Foundation Logo | |
Ford Foundation JustFilms (Deadline: December 6)
Through its open call, JustFilms supports artist-driven, feature-length (50+ min.) documentary films that creatively intersect with the social justice issues that are central to the Ford Foundation’s mission. JustFilms supports 25-30 new feature documentary film projects, at all stages of production, through annual grants that typically range from $25,000 to $100,000.
Learn more
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Image Description: BAVC Media Logo | |
BAVC Mediamaker Fellowship (Deadline: December 9)
The MediaMaker Fellowship program is particularly interested in supporting a diverse cross-section of media creators from across the U.S. who are nearing post-production on their first or second feature-length documentary. This ten-month-long program includes $10,000 distributed to each Fellow over the course of the Fellowship, mentorship and strategy sessions, San Francisco convenings (travel paid), workshops, and more.
Learn more
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Image Description: ITVS Logo | |
ITVS Open Call (Deadline: December 13)
Open Call provides up to $400,000 of co-production funding to independent producers of nonfiction documentaries, ranging from short films to feature length. Open Call is not a grant. Awardees will receive funding in the form of a co-production agreement that assigns ITVS certain broadcast and streaming rights to your project during the term of the contract.
Learn more
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Image Description: Film Independent Logo | |
Film Independent Documentary Story Lab (Deadline: December 16; Member Extended Deadline: January 6)
Over the period of one week, directors with projects in late production/early post-production attend multiple workshops and sessions with guest speakers, established documentary directors, institutional funders, legal professionals, and distributors. Fellows are paired with an experienced Creative Advisor and Editing Advisor who provide one-on-one support. The Lab culminates in a final pitch event that offers further opportunity for individualized feedback and discussion with industry executives.
Learn more
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Image Description: Perspective Fund Logo | |
Perspective Fund (Deadline: Rolling)
The Perspective Fund supports filmmakers and strategists for whom entrenched forces and systems are most apparent in their lives and communities, who can most acutely construct films and campaigns to respond. Areas of funding include production, impact planning and campaigns, and participant compensation.
Learn more
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Image Description: Working Films Logo | |
Working Films Rapid Response Mini-Grants (Deadline: Ongoing)
This funding is intended to offset the financial costs of holding screenings and can be applied to expenses such as venue rental, equipment, and marketing. Mini-Grants of up to $600 per event will help organizers focus on creating impactful experiences that inspire action and sustained engagement by audiences.
Learn more
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Image Description: Assets for Artists Logo and Maine Arts Commission logo | |
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Assets for Artists FREE Professional Development Workshops (Through January 2025)
The Assets for Artists program is a key resource for Maine artists, offering a range of free, artist-tailored professional development workshops. The upcoming Fall 2024 workshops include online and in-person sessions covering various topics such as personal finances, project planning, wellness, marketing, and more. These workshops aim to address the unique challenges and needs of artists, helping them thrive in their careers.
(Workshops are available to artists of all disciplines in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, and now also available to artists in Vermont and Maine.)
Learn more
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Thanks for reading,
The LEF New England team
Lyda, Gen, & Matthew
LEF Foundation
PO Box 382066
Cambridge, MA 02238
617.492.5333
lef-foundation.org
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A private family foundation dedicated to the support of contemporary arts, LEF was established in 1985 with offices in Massachusetts and California. The Moving Image Fund was launched in 2001 through the LEF office in Cambridge, MA to support independent film and video artists. Since its inception, the Moving Image Fund has awarded nearly 500 grants to New England-based independent filmmakers with over $5 million in funding. The goal of LEF New England is to fund the work of independent documentary film and video artists in the region and to broaden recognition and support for their work locally and nationally. It also supports programs that highlight the rich history and ongoing legacy of innovation within New England's independent film community. The overarching goal of LEF New England's philanthropic investment is to help build a sustainable and strong community of support for artists and their work.
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