Ask Programming: Recent Questions from Filmmakers

ITVS programming staff answer questions from filmmakers about the funding process:

Q. How many times must I submit an application to ITVS before my project is recommended for funding? I’ve heard that ITVS doesn’t fund first-time applicants and that a person generally has to apply with a project multiple times before it’s awarded funding.

A. This is certainly a myth to bust, and our statistics for 2009 do just that. In reviewing the projects that were recommended for funding by peer panels for Open Call, International Call and LINCS, 65 percent were first-time applications. And of those funded projects, over one-third came from applicants new to ITVS.

True, sometimes a filmmaker applies with a project two, three or even seven times (on rare occasion), before his or her project is finally recommended for funding. However, it is in no way part of our evaluation criteria; generally, it’s a matter of timing. Often a filmmaker submits an application to ITVS early in the production phase, and their proposal isn’t as developed as other projects in competition that are further along in production. There are examples of projects that were recommended for funding early in production, but they were exceptional in other aspects (ie. urgency of the story; filmmaker’s track record).

Whether you’re a newbie or a veteran, devote your resources to developing your project proposal, and rest assured that statistics are descriptive, not prescriptive.

Want to know more about ITVS policies and procedures for funding? Read past entries of Ask Programming >>

Tags: film resources, independent film