Council on Foundations 43rd Film & Video Festival: Call for Entries
Deadline: July 6, 2009
The Council on Foundations and Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media (GFEM) are seeking submissions of films and videos for its 43rd Annual Film & Video Festival, to be held April 25 - 27, 2010, in Denver, CO.
The Film & Video Festival
The festival showcases films, videos, and television programs that have received support from foundations, corporate giving programs, and donor networks, with the aim of encouraging grantmakers to use media to advance their philanthropic goals. The festival promotes foundation support of creative, high-quality productions that expand the boundaries of the use of media for the social good.
Submissions may target local, state, regional, national, and international audiences. The committee will give special consideration to projects that demonstrate innovative strategies for distribution, outreach, public education, and civic engagement, such as the use of print or broadcast journalism, websites, networking, schools, libraries, or the meetings and conferences of nonprofit organizations.
Eligibility
To be eligible, projects must have received full or partial funding for either production or distribution from a private, community, operating, or corporate foundation; a corporate giving program; or a donor network. The grantmaker does not have to be a member of the Council or GFEM. The Council will not consider submissions that have been funded solely by public agencies or federal or state grants. The films and videos must have been completed within the past two years. Works may be of any length—from feature length to a brief public service announcement. No works in progress will be considered. All submission forms, DVDs and entry fees must be received by July 6.
Submission Procedures
Organizations and filmmakers may submit as many film and video projects as they wish. For each submission, the Council must receive the following by July 6:
• The submission form, completed online. Print a copy of your form before you submit it electronically.
• Five printed copies of the submission form, along with five DVD copies of your film.
• A check in the amount of $60 payable to the Council on Foundations. This fee helps cover a portion of the program’s administrative expenses.
DVD submission instructions:
• Do not include more than one project on a single DVD.
• Films in languages other than English must have subtitles or be dubbed. DVDs must be formatted in Region 0 or 1.
• If submitting a film from a multi-part series, submit only one episode, up to 90 minutes, that stands on its own.
Projects may be submitted by filmmakers, project directors, sponsors or funding sources. If possible, the person or organization submitting the work should provide published reviews of the work, articles about the project or funders, and promotional and outreach materials such as stills, brochures, press releases, etc.
The Council can only be responsible for the safety of your work while it is in our possession—from the time it arrives at the Council’s offices to the time it is returned to you. If damage or loss occurs during this time frame, the Council will compensate you for the DVD(s) lost or damaged. Please do not submit original materials.
Selection Process
Projects will be reviewed by a program curator and a diverse screening committee consisting of grantmakers, filmmakers, and media users. Approximately 15 films are selected to be in the festival and, of those, 4 - 5 films are presented with the Henry Hampton Award For Excellence in Film & Digital Media. The Henry Hampton Award honors the very best in foundation-funded media, named in honor of a man who broke traditional molds of documentary filmmaking and put excellence and innovation at the forefront of his work, Henry Hampton Award winners exemplify the very best in foundation-funded media.
If your film or video is selected for the festival, it will screen during the Council on Foundations Annual Conference, the Fall Conference for Community Foundations, and the Family Philanthropy Conference. A short clip will also be shown on the Film & Video Festival website.
Fee
The fee is $60 per entry. Please make checks payable to the Council on Foundations.
About the Council on Foundations
The Council on Foundations, formed in 1949, is a nonprofit membership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations. Members of the Council include more than 2,100 independent, operating, community, public and company-sponsored foundations, and corporate giving programs in the United States and abroad. The assets of Council members total more than $282 billion, and they distributed more than $21 billion in grants in 2008. The Council’s mission is to provide the opportunity, leadership, and tools needed by philanthropic organizations to expand, enhance, and sustain their ability to advance the common good. Visit the Council’s website.
About Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media
Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media (GFEM) is an association of grantmakers committed to advancing the field of media arts and public interest media funding. It serves as a resource for grantmakers who fund media programming, infrastructure and policy, as well as those who employ media to further their program goals. GFEM members reflect a wide range of interests and approaches, but share a common interest in the key role media play in building public will and shaping civil society. GFEM is an affinity group of the Council on Foundations. For more information, or to become a member, visit GFEM's website.
2009 Festival Films:
Winners of the Henry Hampton Award For Excellence in Film & Digital Media: Banished • Body & Soul: Diana and Kathy • Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai • Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North • Trouble the Water • UnNatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?
Other festival films:
9 Star Hotel • Exposé: America’s Investigative Reports “Blame Somebody Else” • America’s Next Top Immigrant • Calavera Highway • Critical Condition • Election Day • Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans • Greensboro: Closer to the Truth • In the Family • Including Samuel • Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita • Scaredycat • The Dhamma Brothers • The Judge and the General • The Last Conquistador.
