National Geographic's All Roads Film Project
A MULTIMEDIA FESTIVAL AND GRANTS PROGRAM CREATED TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR INDIGENOUS AND UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY-CULTURE STORYTELLERS.
All Roads Seed Grants
The Seed Grant Program funds film projects from indigenous and underrepresented minority-culture filmmakers year-round and from all reaches of the globe. The program awards up to 16 film projects annually with grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. Submission deadlines are quarterly on the 15th of each March, June, September and December. All applications must be received in the National Geographic All Roads office no later than midnight Eastern Standard Time on each of the quarterly due dates. If the due date falls on a Saturday or Sunday Eastern Standard Time, then applications are to be received in the National Geographic All Roads office no later than the Friday before the 15th of that particular quarterly due date.
SEED GRANT APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
1. All submissions must be written in English.
2. Submit a one-paragraph synopsis, a treatment, and describe how the Seed Grant will result in a tangible completed work (e.g.: fully produced documentary or film, short promo for the project; a treatment; etc).
3. Submit a proposed All Roads Seed Grant budget in U.S. dollars itemizing the amount requested ($1,000 - $10,000). Also provide the full production budget on a separate sheet.
4. Submit a narrative paragraph on why you have chosen a specific cultural identifier, for example, Native American tribal affiliation, Tibetan refugee, Masai, and what that identifier means to you. If you do not come from a minority culture or indigenous community, please submit documentation that you have been designated to speak for such a culture or community.
5. Submit a short bio and a resume including any institutional affiliation, current position and educational degrees.
6. A complete Application Form, including the Festival Rights Form (see below), is required for consideration.
7. Submit a production timeline or schedule indicating deadlines that move the production to completion.
8. Grant applicants must provide documentation that they are actively soliciting all necessary rights, licenses, clearances and releases necessary for exhibition of their finished works at the All Roads Film Festival screenings, promotional opportunities and events.
9. Applications will only be reviewed once all required materials have been submitted.
10. When the project is completed, awardee will provide a copy of the project to All Roads Film Festivals in the project’s final cut.
ELIGIBILITY
This grant is open to indigenous and underrepresented minority-culture filmmakers, as well as filmmakers who can demonstrate that they have been designated by indigenous or minority communities to tell their story.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply for an All Roads Film Project Seed Grant, you must complete and submit the Application Form (below) as well as the information and items listed under, Application Requirements (above) to, All Roads Seed Grants, National Geographic, 1145 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036; or submit your application with attachments via email to allroads@ngs.org, Subject: All Roads Seed Grant Application.
For additional information, call 202.857.7660 or email at allroads@ngs.org.
GRANT RESTRICTIONS
All Roads Seed Grant funds must be used toward the development and production of a feature film, long documentary, short documentary, shorts, animation or music video. These grants are intended to function as primary or secondary support for your film project. They may be used for equipment, travel for field research, editing time, etc. ENTRANTS MAY SEEK SUPPLEMENTARY FUNDS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
As a condition of the grant, you are required to provide an accounting of moneys spent. Awardees must send updates to All Roads at least every three months.
This grant MAY NOT be used for indirect costs, overhead, and other expenses not directly related to the development and production of a film project. Funds MAY NOT be used for travel to film/media-related meetings or conferences, legal actions, land acquisition, endowments, fees or salaries. (For clarity, the monies may not be used for “above the line” costs). Further, the monies must be spent as specified in the budget form.
GRANT TERMS
NGS shall have the right but not the obligation to present the finished works at the All Roads Film Festival after the completion of the work. Therefore, it is required to submit a signed copy of the Festival Rights Form, attached to the Seed Grant Application. If NGS chooses not to premiere the film project, NGS will release those rights to you and you may exploit them as you wish, subject to the credit requirements listed below.
As a condition of the grant, you give to National Geographic the exclusive, irrevocable option to premiere your film project at a National Geographic All Roads Film Festival. Grant recipients are expected to provide National Geographic Society and its affiliates or subsidiaries with the right of first negotiation and last refusal to license the broadcast and distribution rights to their film project.
Further, if the film project is included in a All Roads Film Festival, you will be required to provide documentation that all necessary rights have been cleared for the contemplated uses. Attached is a sample personal release that must be used is order to demonstrate that rights have been cleared.
Grant recipients MAY be offered the opportunity to screen their finished works on NGS’s Domestic and International Channels, which reach well over 200 million people worldwide, or to sell or license their film to NGS’s Feature Film group. Seed Grant recipients can sell or license finished works wherever they choose, subject to the credit requirements below. NGS, however, reserves the option to match all outside offers for broadcast and distribution. If the recipient IS offered the opportunity for television broadcast through NGC, an additional rights release form will be necessary.
All grant recipients are required to add a “Thank you to the National Geographic All Roads Film Project” and/or the All Roads Film Project logo to the credits at the end of their film, and required to give a verbal acknowledgement such as, “thank you to the National Geographic All Roads Film Project” to all audiences at any of the finished film’s festival screenings if the producer and/or director are present to introduce or moderate the film’s screening.
GRANT LIMITS
All Roads Film Project Seed Grants range up to a maximum of $10,000. Grants granted subject to applicable U.S. law.
TIME FRAME FOR ANY GIVEN YEAR
Receive Applications by/ Award Notifications:
March 15th/ May 1st
June 15th/ August 1st
September/ 15th November 1st
December 15th/ February 1st (of the following year)
Contact Information:
For inquiries: call 202.857.7660 or email at allroads@ngs.org
For submissions: All Roads Seed Grants, National Geographic, 1145 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036
Website: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
READ NEXT:
