New York City Film Production Grant Program (US)

Deadline: 3 April 2025

The Jerome Foundation is inviting applications for its New York City Film Production Grant Program to support eligible New York City-based early career film directors whose work takes creative risks in expanding, questioning, experimenting with, or re-imagining filmmaking.

The Foundation seeks to fund filmmakers who take creative risks, seek innovative approaches, have a clarity of purpose and vision for imaginative storytelling, are engaged directly with those involved in their filmmaking, and work to build relationships with and impact their creative community and the field.

Funding Information

Production grants of up to $30,000.

Uses of the Funds

Funds may be used for:
- Pre-production expense examples:
  - Location scouting
  - Hiring cast and crew
  - Permitting & Insurance
  - Finalizing rentals agreements
  - Website development
- Production expense examples:
  - Shooting
  - Rehearsals
  - Location fees
  - Equipment rental or purchase
  - Travel (transportation, lodging, per diem costs)
  - Staffing (creative, technical or otherwise)
- Post-production expense examples:
  - Editing
  - DCP Master
  - Transfers and conversions
  - Securing rights and licensing
  - Scoring/sound mix
  - CGI/titling
  - Translators/subtitling
  - Special effects
  - Color correction
- Distribution expense examples:
  - Creation of trailers
  - Marketing
  - Screenings
  - Community Engagement
  - Attending pitch sessions
  - Distribution costs
  - Festival fees

Eligibility Criteria

Jerome Foundation-Aligned Focus
- Eligible filmmakers are aligned with the Foundation’s focus on artists who take creative risks, seek innovative approaches, have a clarity of purpose and vision for imaginative storytelling, are engaged directly with those involved in their filmmaking, and work build relationships with and impact their creative community and the field.
- The Foundation considers risk broadly through the ways filmmakers are expanding, questioning, experimenting with, or imagining film forms, practices, and approaches in unique ways.
Geographic Location
- Eligible applicants are residents of the five boroughs of New York City who have been residents for at least one year at the time of application and plan to be residents (for atleast 183 days of the year) during the grant period of November 2025 through April 2027.
Type of Film Project
- This production grant funds short or long-form film projects in the ever-expanding creative genres of experimental, narrative, animation, or documentary genres or in any hybrid combination of these forms.
  - This program supports film projects that will be in production between November 2025 and April 2027.
  - This program does not fund retroactively: only costs incurred after the grant is awarded and a grant contract is signed will be supported. Grantees must accept all grant funds between November 13, 2025 and April 2027 but are not expected to complete the project by April 2027.
  - Funds can be used to support all stages of production, but at least 50% of funds must be directed to production.
Experience Level: Early Career
- This grant is for early career film directors with at least 2 years (i.e., not beginning filmmakers) but no more than 10 years, of experience directing their own films in documentary, narrative, experimental or animation, or any hybrid combination of these genres.
Number of Project Requirements
- The Foundation funds early career film directors who have created enough work to communicate who they are as makers, their unique style, and their original voice.