Cinereach Seeking Young Filmmakers for $5,000 Fellowship

Cinereach, a not-for-profit dedicated to supporting and producing artful films that depict underrepresented perspectives, cross cultural boundaries, and promote dialogue, is currently seeking applicants for its annual Reach Film Fellowship.

The prestigious six-month program supports young filmmakers with grants, resources, and industry mentors who help guide their short films through all stages of production.

The application deadline is July 15, 2009. Applications and guidelines can be found at http://www.reachfilmfellowship.com.

Four winning applicants will be awarded $5,000 and be mentored by an established filmmaker. Fellows also receive production support from sponsors, workshops, career coaching, and industry exposure. Industry judges will award an additional $5,000 to the most outstanding film of the four, which will also screen at Cinereach’s annual Reach Out event in the spring.

The fellowship is open to filmmakers who completed film studies programs in 2008 or 2009. This year, self-taught filmmakers may also apply, but are advised to discuss their eligibility with Cinereach staff before submitting an application. Applicants must also be able to reside in the New York Tri-State area from August through April of 2009/2010 to meet the Fellowship requirements.

Cinereach also has a large granting program for emerging and established filmmakers. There are two letter of inquiry deadlines annually for this program, June 1 and December 1. Grants range from $5,000 – $50,000 for features and documentary films in all stages of production (www.cinereach.org/grants).

Cinereach was created in 2006 by young filmmakers, philanthropists and entrepreneurs with the goal of championing socially relevant films. Its three key areas, Grants & Awards, Productions, and The Reach Film Fellowship facilitate the creation of films that challenge, excite innovate, offer new perspectives and inspire action. Cinereach has awarded close to $2 million in grants and achievement awards since its inception. Past recipients include: The Betrayal (Nerakhoon), a 2009 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary; A Jihad for Love, an acclaimed documentary exploring the complex intersection of Islam and homosexuality; and Entre Nos a narrative feature film from IndiePix that premiered to great acclaim at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. Cinereach’s first in-house documentary, The Road Ahead: The First Green Long March, was a selection of the Hamptons, Queens (Best Intl. Documentary), and Cleveland International film festivals and has screened in connection with leading environmental organizations.