TFI Latin America Fund: Rules and Regulations

Overview

The TFI Latin America Fund supports innovative filmmakers living and working in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America who are working on feature-length scripted, documentary or hybrid films. Funded films are story-driven and in the advanced stages of development, production or post-production with no existing US or Latin American distribution in place. Whether through unconventional forms or more traditional means, selected media artists are encouraged to invent, explore and redefine visions and stories that reflect their diverse cultures.

Through the Fund, TFI supports Latin American and Caribbean filmmakers who are working independently of larger producers in an effort to reach a more expansive audience. The artists supported by this program range from the filmmaker who presently aids in the development of the field by exploring innovative storytelling strategies, to the filmmaker who works with a medium or represents a community that is underrepresented in the mainstream.

Films

The TFI Latin America Fund seeks feature-length scripted, documentary, animated or hybrid films that are story-driven and in the advanced stages of development, production or post-production with no existing US or Latin American distribution in place. The Fund recognizes and supports projects that take stylistic risks and are unconventional in form and content, but that above all else position the story as the driving force of the film. In short, the TFI Latin America Fund looks for films that bravely push the boundaries of artistic storytelling and show a new & exhilarating side to the Latino identity. Please refer to our list of previous grantees to help a better idea of the types of films we fund.

Funding

In 2015 the Tribeca Film Institute’s Latin America Fund provided grants of up to $12,000 to selected Latin American and Caribbean filmmakers. Fund recipients were announced and celebrated at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2015. In addition to the funds, each grantee receives exclusive guidance from the Tribeca Film Institute to ensure that each film reaches completion and enters the U.S. marketplace from the best possible vantage point.

The TFI/Bloomberg Fellowship

The TFI/Bloomberg Fellowship is awarded to Colombian, Brazilian, Chilean and Mexican filmmakers (living in their respective countries) in order to aid in the development of their projects at any stage.

The TFI/Canacine Grants

With the support of Canacine, TFI awards grants to feature-length scripted & documentary filmmakers throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, to support their projects at any stage from development thru post-production.

Selection Process

Films will be selected from an open call for submissions, and final decisions will be done by Tribeca Film Institute staff in the Artist Programs department.

SUBMISSION RULES AND REGULATIONS

TFI Latin America Fund

In order to qualify for the TFI Latin America Fund, entrants must comply with ALL of the following Rules and Eligibility Requirements. Failure to comply with these rules will render a submission ineligible.

Submissions must be scripted, documentary, animation, and/or hybrid feature-length films with an intended length of at least 70 minutes
Submissions must be in advanced development, production or post-production and must not have aired on any form of television, been screened publicly or have been distributed in theaters or via the internet prior to February 2016. Submitted films must show enough footage to highlight unique access and storytelling ability.
Eligible projects should not have any existing US or Latin distribution in place.
Projects may be in any language or dialect, but if they are not in English, then they must be subtitled in English.
Applicants must be over 18-years old.
Student films and stand-alone short films are not eligible for submission.
Applicants will be notified by March 2016 whether their projects have been awarded funding or not.

For the TFI/Bloomberg Fellowship:

Grants are awarded annually to feature–length filmmakers from Colombia, Brazil, Chile and Mexico.
Projects are accepted at any stage from advanced development thru post-production.
Latino filmmakers need to be from Colombia, Brazil, Chile and Mexico – and living and working in these respective countries – in order to be eligible for support.
TFI staff will determine who receives the Fellowship. You do not apply directly to it.

All submissions must include the following:

Applicants must complete the online application form (SUBMISSIONS OPEN) and upload a thorough proposal (which needs to be in English).
- A description that outlines the form and style of the project.
- Bios of filmmaker(s) and key crew members.
- Contact information for key crew members.
- A concise timeline explaining the sequence of steps required for the completion of the eligible project.
- A budget for the requested funds; entrants must detail how the grant money will be used towards the completion of the film.
- Outreach/audience engagement strategy for the project, if applicable.
- A treatment (required) or a script (optional) in English.
For Documentary & Scripted Submissions: Applicants must include a footage URL (YouTube/Vimeo) or submit 2 DVD copiesof project footage (trailer, scene assemblage and/or a rough cut) no shorter than 7 minutes. If DVD’s are mailed, they should be labeled with submission number, project title, running time, applicants name and contact information. DVDs must be NTSC and formatted for Zone 0 and 1. PLEASE NOTE: If you provide links embedded onto your application, you must not take down your footage at any time through the submission process (September- February) or you will be disqualified. If you do not have footage of the current project at this time, we encourage you to submit a prior work as your sample footage.
Mailed footage samples must be shipped pre-paid, including any duties or customs fees.
Tribeca Film Institute will make every effort to safe-guard the materials submitted; however TFI will not be responsible for lost or stolen DVD samples. Submissions will not be returned.

Important Dates

September 4th, 2015 – Submissions Open

November 4th, 2015 – Submissions Deadline

Entry Fees

There is no entry to apply for the TFI Latin America Fund.

Shipping

All materials must be sent prepaid to:

Tribeca Film Institute
32 Ave of the Americas, 27th Fl
New York, NY 10013
Attn: (Name of Fund)
(212) 274-8080

Entries will not be considered complete until all of the materials are received. All submissions must be postmarked within the entry deadline dates.

Questions?

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding the entry process:

Latin America Fund (Documentary & Scripted):

latinfund@tribecafilminstitute.org or at (212) 274-8080 x28.