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Rooftop Filmmakers Fund! - Deadline is in two weeks

From Rooftop Films

Happy Thanksgiving, and happy holidays! I hope this season is a merry and productive one for you all. So if you're getting started on your next film, or just finishing one up, and you're looking to raise some money, the Rooftop Filmmakers' Fund is here for you.

The deadline for applications is just over two weeks away. Applications must be postmarked by December 15, 2005.

Full details about the Fund, and an application form, can be found at (cut and paste if the link doesn't work).

We’ve got $7,756 to give away for your independent productions (no more than $3,000 per filmmaker), plus various other resources including cameras, sound equipment, and a wealth of talented people including an editor, a sound engineer, a composer, a DOP, a still photographer and a producer. We're also excited that our new editing studio is shaping up nicely, and can give away Avid or Final Cut Pro time in our Brooklyn office. Plus, we may be able to connect you with some top-of-the-line post-production services from PostWorks, New York's premiere post house.

So what are you waiting for? A simple two-page application could be all that stands between you and thousands of dollars for your film.

A couple notes based on questions which have been coming in:

WHAT ASPECTS OF PRODUCTION DO WE FUND?
We will fund any and all aspects of a film, from pre-production to production through post. If a distribution model is innovative enough, we might get involved, but with this fund we're more interested in getting films made (we'll handle getting them seen once their finished).

Our goal is to fund a large percentage of your total or remaining budget. That is, we're more likely to provide $2,000 of a $2,500 total budget or $500 of a $500 total budget than $2000 of a total $20,000 budget. If you are making a feature, we are more likely to provide finishing funds than start-up funds.

CAN I SEND A TAPE WITH MY APPLICATION?
Yes, send us footage. if you have footage or a rough cut or some kind of sample of the film, send it along in whatever format is convenient for you (but do NOT send your one and only camera masters). You need only send one copy (as opposed to the application, where we request 3 copies). We would prefer to hold onto the footage you send us, but if you want it back, please include a SASE.

CAN I GET ADVICE?
Absolutely. We encourage it. Rooftop Films wants to give you these grants. We are not some big foundation to fear and trick; we’re here to help the independent filmmakers we already love. So we want to help you make your proposals and your films as good as possible. We will happily look over a draft of your application and give you advice. Email Rooftop Films Artistic Director Mark Rosenberg at filmfund@rooftopfilms.com if you want your application pre-reviewed. You can simply email what you’ve got as a word doc or in the body of the email, and we’ll check it out.

WHAT'S THE MOST COMMON ADVICE?
The thing we tell filmmakers the most is to try to show, don't tell, even when writing. Explain the story of your documentary, not just the subject; tell us about the characters and the scene in your narrative, not just the concepts. Keep it concise, but try to give an overview and some details.

Now go to the website www.rooftopfilms.com, download the application, and let’s get started making your next film.

Sincerely,

Rooftop Films Staff:
Mark Elijah Rosenberg (Artistic Director)
Dan Nuxoll (Program Director)
Sarah M. Palmer (Festival Director)

Starts11/29/2005
Ends12/17/2005
IssuesMedia
Homepagerooftopfilms.com
Contactfilmfund@rooftopfilms.com

Posted on November 29, 2005 in Film / Screening by Anayansi