© 2023 Dr. Stacy L. Smith & the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. All Rights Reserved.
Who Can Apply?
The Proof of Concept program is for...
Filmmakers age 21 and over
Anyone who is legally permitted to and will reside in the United States for the duration of the program and is eligible to work in the US may apply
Filmmakers who have a minimum of 5 years of professional TV/Film/Visual Arts experience or are enrolled in their final year of an MFA film program
Filmmakers who have directed at least one short film previously to serve as a sample of work
Filmmakers submitting for this program should also keep the following in mind...
The project submitted for this program must be intended to serve as a proof of concept for a future feature film or television project, whether narrative, documentary, and/or animated
Funds are provided for unproduced work only and PROOF OF CONCEPT will serve as the majority or sole project funder for the submitted film
What will my application need to include?
What we need to know about you: your personal statement, links to or copies of your previous work, your resume/CV, letters of recommendation, and academic credentials (if applicable).
What we need to know about your proposed film: a script and lookbook for your proof of concept short, a script or treatment for the feature or television project it serves as a proof of concept for, and a statement about why your short is a proof of concept for the longer form project.
Specific details on what you'll need to include are provided in the application link.
How will you select who participates?
Our selection criteria will include (but is not limited to):
Artistic quality of previous work
For your submitted film:
Novelty
Relevance to market/alignment with market forces
Artistic quality of submission
Genre
Strength of proposed story from the perspective of including women, trans, and non-binary perspectives
Academic credentials (minimum GPA 3.5) if applicable
Perceived ability to carry out the project successfully
Demonstrated capacity to tell a story that focuses on the perspectives of women, trans, and non-binary people
Demonstrated interest in supporting women, trans, and non-binary cast and crew
When will applications close?
Applications for the 2024 cycle are now closed. For more information on POC, please sign up to join our mailing list.
When will applicants be notified of their status?
Applicants will be notified of their program status later this spring.
© 2023 Dr. Stacy L. Smith & the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. All Rights Reserved.