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The Short Film Fund provides an opportunity for emerging writers and filmmakers to receive much-needed financial support to get their work produced and seen.
Our partnerships with ARRI Rental, Oscar-nominated producer Maria Gracia Turgeon, and Tribeca short film programmer Kimberley Browning elevate the films that come through our Fund through free camera equipment, mentorship, and film festival strategy.
Many of our 26 previously funded short films have screened at some of the top film festivals in the world, including Sundance, Tribeca, BFI London, Austin, Cannes, Encounters, and Palm Springs. One even won a BAFTA!
Interested, but have questions? Here are the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions:
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Can I direct my own short if I win?
To date, every winning filmmaker has directed their own short, if desired, or has had their choice of director. If the writer intends to direct, we may want to chat with them and see samples of previous work before making a final decision on the Winner. If the script progresses to the Semi-Finalist round, the filmmaker will have an opportunity to provide supplementary materials, including samples, at that time.
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Can I include supplementary materials as part of my submission?
If you are applying to the Production Grant, all we need for the first round of review is a PDF of your screenplay. If you are submitting for finishing funds, we review your rough cut (or any footage provided) and only refer to the script if we need clarification on the story. If your project progresses to the Semi-Finalist round, you will have an opportunity at that time to submit supplementary materials (pitch deck, work samples, budget, etc.), but it is not required.
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What do I need to submit when applying for Finishing Funds?
For Finishing Funds, we ask for a link to footage of your film, such as a rough cut, scene assembly, trailer, or dailies. If submitting a collection of dailies, please limit the total runtime to 20 minutes. We will also ask for a copy of your screenplay, which we may review if we need clarification on the story beyond the footage provided.
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Can the short be filmed in any country?
Absolutely. However, if your short film is filmed in a language other than English, we do ask that English subtitles be provided in the final product. Additionally, the free camera equipment rental provided by our partner, ARRI Rental, is only available in countries where ARRI operates and may include some restrictions based on location and transport.
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Can I apply for the production grant even though I will be shooting my film prior to the Winners’ announcement?
No, the production grant is intended for projects that need the funding in order to go into production. If you submit to our Short Film Fund for the production grant, but then you end up completing principal photography while the current season of the Fund is still open, you can instead be considered for Finishing Funds.
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Does Shore Scripts ever have any rights over my work?
No. You wrote it, it’s yours! We will never hold any rights over your work. Even if your script is awarded production funding through the Short Film Fund, you will maintain all copyrights and ownership and will have control over all elements of the produced short film. The production team will retain all revenue that may be generated from the produced film.
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The Spring Season of the Short Film Fund will award a $15,000 cash production grant to the Grand Prize Winner and $4,000 in Finishing Funds to a short film in post-production. Additional prizes for the winners include:
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Oscar-nominated producer Maria Gracia Turgeon will mentor both winners and Kimberley Browning, short film programmer at Tribeca, will provide a film festival strategy package.
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Opportunity for the completed films of both winners, as well as our Top 15 Script Finalists, to be sent to our relevant Industry Roster.
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ARRI Rental will provide free camera equipment to the winner of the production grant for the duration of the shoot, saving the production thousands of dollars in rental fees.
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PAPER DAUGHTER, written & directed by Spring 2025 Grand Prize Winner, Cameron Kwan, is an official selection of the renowned Annecy Int'l Animation Film Festival. Watch the trailer here!
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DRAGONFLY, written & directed by Short Film Fund Manager, Julia Morizawa, is now available to watch on Omeleto!
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