LEH, New Orleans Film Society and Deep South Studios Announce Create Louisiana Deadline
In May 2015, the LEH joined with the New Orleans Film Society and Deep South Studios to announce the Create Louisiana Filmmakers Grant, an industry-building program designed to recognize and celebrate the creative industries in Louisiana, including all of the burgeoning, indigenous filmmakers that contribute to Louisiana’s vibrant creative economy. On August 3, the partners announced that the application period for the 2015 Create Louisiana grant will begin August 14 and close September 14.
The grant recipient team will receive a $50,000 grant for a short film project. The film is to be completed within 12 months of receiving the award, with the finished project set to screen at the 2016 New Orleans Film Festival.
TIMELINE
Application Available: August 14, 2015
Application Deadline: September 14, 2015
Short-list announced: October 1, 2015
Interview/Pitch Meeting: October 15, 2015
Award announced: October 22, 2015
GRANT WORKSHOPS
Baton Rouge: August 17, 2015, 1pm-3pm
Creative Bloc
804 Main Street
New Orleans: August 18, 2015, 1pm-3pm
Louisiana Humanities Center
938 Lafayette Street
Email [email protected] to RSVP for a workshop.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
- Must be a director and producer team.
- Must be 18 years of age or older.
- Must be a United States citizen or Permanent Resident.
- Director and producer must currently reside in the state of Louisiana and have lived in Louisiana for a minimum of 12 months prior to submitting the application (proof of residency required).
- Must agree to grant Create Louisiana, New Orleans Film Society and The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities the right to stream, screen and distribute the completed film (non-commercial use/promotional purposes only).
- Must agree to a premiere Louisiana screening of the completed short at the New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF) in 2016 (Note: the NOFF screening must be the film’s premiere in Louisiana; no other public screenings in Louisiana are allowed prior to NOFF).
THE PROJECT
- Must showcase Louisiana talent in front of and behind the camera.
- Must provide all services in Louisiana.
- Must have a finished running time of not more than 40 minutes in length.
- Must be based on an original work.
- Must be a short format scripted, documentary or animation project.
- Must apply for Initial Certification for The Motion Picture Tax Credit from the Louisiana Economic Development after receipt of the award.
- Must follow Louisiana Economic Development guidelines and definitions with regards to all aspect of qualifying the project for the The Motion Picture Tax Credit.
- Must be completed within 12 months of the “Award Date”, in time for screening at the 2016 New Orleans Film Festival.
- May be shot on film, video or HD but ultimately mastered and delivered on HD. The grant recipients will work directly with the New Orleans Film Festival to meet all exhibition standards.
- Must provide credits to Create Louisiana, Deep South Studios, New Orleans Film Society and The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. All entities will provide high resolution logos for inclusion in the finished film’s credits and website.
ADJUDICATION PROCESS
The Create Louisiana Filmmakers Grant will be adjudicated in two stages:
Stage One:
A jury of entertainment professionals and representatives of the grantmaking organizations will review all applications. The jury will consider the following when reviewing all submissions:
- Originality of the concept
- Experience and quality of the applicant director/producer/writer team
- Feasibility of the director’s vision
- Realistic budget
- Letters of recommendation provided in support of the director and producer
- Experience of the team/key creatives assembled to support the project
- Use of Louisiana talent in front of and behind the camera
- Overall strength and viability of the project
- Distribution and social strategy for the film
A shortlist of up to 5 applicants will be selected to move forward to Stage Two.
Stage Two:
The short-listed applicants will be invited to pitch their projects and be interviewed before a panel of 7 entertainment professionals and representatives of the grantmaking organizations. The private pitch/interview session will take place on October 15th, 2015, during the 2015 New Orleans Film Festival.
One applicant team will be selected by the jury panel and announced on October 22, 2015.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
The deadline for applications is Monday, September 14, 2015 by midnight. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. There is no application fee.
Applications must be submitted through the LEH’s online grants system. Click here to set up a login.
QUESTIONS
Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section of the Create Louisiana page on www.leh.org. With any other questions please contact The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities:
Brian Boyles, Vice President of Content
Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities
938 Lafayette Street, Suite 300
New Orleans, LA 70113
[email protected]
ABOUT THE PARTNERS
Create Louisiana initiative is designed to champion the indigenous entertainment talent of Louisiana and support the development of the region’s integral creative industries. Through social media, grants, and development programs, #CreateLouisiana will stimulate conversation and mobilize a communication network that shares the stories, information and resources contributing to our state’s vibrant creative economy. #CreateLouisiana aims to collectively inspire an understanding of the value of our Louisiana creative and cultural community and the talented workforce that drives its development.
Deep South Studios is a new full-service motion picture, television and digital media production facility. Located in New Orleans, Louisiana – the heart of the fastest growing film and media production center in the United States. Conveniently located a mere stone’s throw from the heart of New Orleans’ Central Business District (CBD) and the world-renowned French Quarter. It is the largest design-built independent film and television full-service facility ever constructed in the Southeastern United States. Deep South Studios is the lead sponsor for the inaugural year of the Create Louisiana Filmmakers Grant.
The mission of the New Orleans Film Society is to engage, educate and inspire through the art of film. Founded in 1989, the New Orleans Film Society (NOFS) is the producer of the annual New Orleans Film Festival, which has grown into a major showcase of local, regional, national, and international films. In addition to the annual Film Festival each fall, the NOFS hosts special events throughout the year: the French Film Festival, filmOrama, the New Orleans International Children’s Film Festival, Moonlight Movies, and other events designed to benefit local film audiences, artists, and professionals. Throughout the year, the NOFS reaches approximately 40,000 people through its programming.
The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational opportunities to all Louisianans. The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities’ mission is to provide all Louisianans with access to and an appreciation of their own rich, shared and diverse historical, literary and cultural heritage through grant-supported outreach programs, family literacy and adult reading initiatives, teacher professional development institutes, publications, film and radio documentaries, museum exhibitions, cultural tourism, public lectures, library projects, and other public humanities programming.