Student film grants are awarded to schools and other recognized institutions. For the most part, those that are eligible to apply for a grant are junior film students and seniors working on their thesis projects.
For film students whose pool of resources is much smaller than that of the experienced professional, finding grants that match your material is crucial. Know what grant-giving bodies are looking for in a film, and you're well on your way to taking that first step towards your dream.
Since 1972, the Academy has been giving out cash prizes and grants to college and university filmmakers through its Student Academy Awards. Past winners of the annual competition include Spike Lee, Trey Parker, Bob Saget and Oscar winners John Lasseter and Robert Zemeckis. The Academy awards grants to four categories: Animation, Documentary, Narrative, and Alternative.
Kodak supports filmmaking students in three ways---through the Educational Allowance Program, which gives discounts on KODAK Motion Picture Films, or 16mm film; the Eastman Scholarship Program, which awards tuition and production scholarships to nominees of accredited schools; and product grants given to schools.
The project's visual imagery counts for 50 percent of the program's total criteria.
The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures puts premium on a project's art and entertainment value, as it also supports educational film programs and seminars. Grants are given to participating film schools and distributed to top student filmmakers who show exemplary work through their submitted short films.
An independent grant-making agency of the United States government, the NEH supports projects that "explore stories, ideas, and beliefs that deepen our understanding of our lives and our world." When seeking a grant from this agency, you must have a script of your project and a clear presentation of how your material will "excite, inform, and stir thoughtful reflection upon our culture, identity, and history."
The Princess Grace Awards values a film's originality and quality of research in determining its grant recipients. Only senior film students working on their thesis during the program period are eligible for nomination by participating schools. Grant amounts generally range from $5,000 to $25,000.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association gives grants to participating institutions for the continued development of film education in the country. The HFPA prefers 100 percent of its grants to be used for funding film arts fellowships, wherein the funds will be used for a student's tuition and other direct educational expenses. HFPA fellows are chosen based on their academic achievement, creative and technical ability, and financial status.