Video Contests, Film Festivals, and Awards

DIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT FUND GUIDELINES

By staff
posted Mar 29, 2004, 01:53

ITVS seeks talented minority producers to develop projects for public television. We want to support minority artists in the development phase of their project to tell their stories and reach audiences often overlooked by conventional programming. ITVS seeks producers who:

* represent diverse communities
* advance different points of view
* take creative risks
* inspire multicultural dialogue

WHAT IS THE DIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT FUND?
An open invitation to independent producers of color to develop single public television programs in any genre that will resound in multicultural communities.
ITVS MISSION
ITVS was established by Congress to fund and present innovative public television programs. ITVS programming reflects voices and visions of underrepresented communities and addresses the needs of underserved audiences.
APPLYING TO ITVS
Please read the following guidelines carefully and complete the application thoroughly. Incomplete applications will not be processed. You may submit only one application for one program for the Diversity Development Fund.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Proposals must arrive in the ITVS office by April 9th 5 p.m. for spring review. Notification is as follows:

* All applicants will be notified by mail within 8 weeks.
* A small group of finalists will be asked to submit additional information and receive a final decision by July 9th.

Note: the entire proposal review process takes up to three months.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY
Applicants must:

1. Be an "independent producer." This means that the individual applicants a) own the copyright of their production; b) have artistic, budgetary and editorial control of their project, and; c) are not regularly employed by a public or commercial broadcast entity or film studio.
2. Be at least 18 years old.
3. Be a citizen or legal resident of the U.S. or its external properties.
4. Have some previous film or television production experience in a principal role (producer, co-producer, director or co-director) as demonstrated by submitting a sample tape of previously completed work.
5. Identify themselves as minority producers, belonging to one or more of the following communities of color:

1. African American
2. Latino/Latina
3. Asian American
4. Pacific Islander
5. Native American/Native Alaskan
6. Arab American


WHO IS NOT ELIGIBLE TO APPLY

* Individuals who do not meet ITVS's definition of an independent
* Organizations such as universities, foundations and non-profit media organizations
* Current signatories of ITVS production contracts who have not completed delivery
* Producers representing foreign-based production entities
* Students

FOR THE DIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT FUND, ITVS IS LOOKING FOR

* Programs that will bring new audiences, topics and voices to public television
* Television programs in any genre, including drama, documentary, docudrama, animation, experimental works or innovative combinations
* Development for single programs of standard broadcast length (56:40 or 26:40). In rare cases when a maker's skills, subject and story structure warrant it, ITVS will consider programs at feature lengths
* Programs that can become eligible for submission to our LInCS or Open Call funding initiative. After producers complete the program development phase, they then may apply to Open Call or LInCS in 2005.

FOR DIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT, ITVS IS NOT LOOKING FOR PROGRAMS THAT ARE

* solely for distribution
* series proposals
* projects intended solely for theatrical release

HOW MUCH FUNDING CAN I REQUEST?
ITVS will allocate 4-8 awards of $5,000 to a maximum of $15,000 to minority producers for project research and development. Funded activities may include travel, research, preliminary production for fundraising/work-in-progress reels, or other early phase activities.
For narratives, funds may be provided to write a script, or funds may be provided to re-write a script.

more info.