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Who doesn’t love movies? Most people love movies, including felons. Movies provide a great escape from life. They entertain people, they show us a slice of life, and more. Felons who enjoy making movies, or would like to get started doing so, may want to learn more about the $5,000 Southern Filmmaker Grant. This grant is one that is specifically for those who love movies and want to be a part of making them, too.
The Southern Filmmaker Grant is for those who love filmmaking and want to get involved in research and development. Each year, the organization gives out 10 grants that are worth $5,000 each. In order to qualify for one of these grants you have to be considered a Southern Maker. What that means is that you have to live in the south. This grant is only open to those who live in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
If you are a felon who wants to do more filmmaking and you live in a southern state, then this grant may be the one for you. It’s a good idea to apply for this grant and see if you can be awarded one of the 10 grants that are given away each year.
Applying for the Grant
Filmmaking is something that some felons are passionate about. This grant is perfect for felons who have a love of filmmaking and need some extra financial support. The funds provided through the Southern Filmmaker Grant program are made possible by the MacArthur Foundation.
Here are some important details for felons to keep in mind regarding applying for the Southern Filmmaker Grant:
- You can apply for the grant right online. If you have questions about how to apply or who is eligible, they can be reached by email and will answer your questions in a timely manner.
- Every year, the group gives away $50,000 total to filmmakers. They choose 10 people and give them each a $5,000 filmmaking grant.
- Felons who are currently attending college cannot apply for the grant. The grant is open to college staff and non-college students at the time of the application.
- If you are collaborating with one or more people for the project you will need to apply together. Do not submit a separate grant application for each person that will be working together. The team that is working together should submit just one grant application.
- The amount of your budget for your filmmaking research and development will not have an impact on whether or not you can receive the grant. Therefore, you should not worry if you are applying for a $5,000 grant, but your budget for the project is $25,000. The financial disparity will not influence whether or not you are approved for the grant.
- You can use the funds in order to pay yourself a salary for working on the project you want to do. To be able to do that, you will need to document the hours that you put in and compensate yourself accordingly.
- There is no particular length of film project you need to have in order to apply for this grant. You can work on a short film or a longer one and still qualify for the grant.
- If you do receive the grant you will have a time period of one year in which the funds must be used.
- When you apply for the grant you will need to submit a sample of your work. You can use a narrative reel as your sample clip.
Standing Out
When felons submit their application for the filmmaking grant it’s a good idea to make it stand out. There are going to be quite a few people apply for the grants each year, so you want to make sure that yours gets noticed. One of the things you can do to make it get more attention is to focus on your passion for filmmaking.
When you write up your grant application be sure to explain who your core audience is and why you are passionate about the project. Those who are considering the applications need to understand that you are passionate about filmmaking and your project. If they don’t see that then they will likely move onto someone else who is.
By sharing your passion for the project and what it means to you, as well as what it may mean to your core audience, you will help your grant application stand out. By standing out there is a good chance you will be one of the people who gets the $5,000 filmmaking grant. The grant can be life changing for those felons who receive it. This is the opportunity to turn a passion into something more.
