1. If the director is based outside of the U.S. but the producer is based in the U.S., do we still qualify?
We will accept applications from producers based in the U.S. (even if the director isn’t based in the U.S.),as long as the producer will be the person leading/running the impact plans and will be the one prepared to attend meetings and the Impact Kickstart strategy summit.
The director must still identify as an underrepresented maker, as defined above, in this case.
2. If our director doesn’t identify as underrepresented but a majority of the rest of the team does, do we still qualify?
No. Although the director doesn’t have to be the applicant, we still require that the director identify as an underrepresented maker. Our lens is one of equity, and decolonizing the documentary field. This award is for film projects directed by underrepresented filmmakers. It’s not just a matter of diversity, but rooted in a desire to lift up largely underrepresented perspectives and to serve directors and film teams who disproportionately do not have the same level of access and resources as other directors proximate to power and privilege who are more widely represented in the field.
3. How do you define “feature length”?
40 minutes or longer. If you are submitting a multi-part series, then the total run time of the full series should be 40 minutes or longer.
4. Why is the 2021 Impact Kickstart only selecting two films instead of four films in past call for applications?
We are only offering two Impact Kickstart awards in 2021 to maximize the time, attention and resources dedicated to each film project.
5. I have more questions! What can I do?
We’ve got a webinar coming up to answer questions from anyone interested in applying! The webinar will take place on Tuesday, February 23, 2 – 3 pm ET. Register for that here! If you can’t attend, we will be recording it and posting it to this page. If you have any additional questions in the meantime, please email Gerry Leonard at [email protected].