Jon Reiss

Two New Documentary Film Funds

Here are two new cool opportunities for filmmakers.

The Bertha BRITDOC Documentary Journalism Fund – for filmmakers from around the world working at the intersection of film and investigative journalism — films that break the important stories of our time, exposing injustice, bringing attention to unreported issues and cameras into regions previously unseen. £250,000 a year for 3 years is available to filmmakers as a mixture of grants and investments. Soniya Kirpalani’s We The People, about a miscarriage of justice against migrant workers in Dubai, is announced as the first production grant. Jess Search said, “This fund is urgently needed. Documentary is becoming an increasingly important medium for breaking stories which require long term investigation and the commitment to gather evidence and amplify voices. ‘We The People’ is just such a film and we are proud to be supporting it.”

The Bertha BRITDOC Connect Fund – the first outreach and engagement fund in Europe, is open to filmmakers from around the world with smart, strategic outreach campaigns that have the ability to achieve real change on a local, regional or global level. £250,0000 a year for 3 years is available in grants. Steve James’s The Interrupters is the first grantee. Rebecca Lichtenfeld said, “‘The Interrupters’ represents the best of contemporary social justice filmmaking. We believe that this film can inform and improve the lives of individuals and communities and we want to help that happen.”

Books, Books and More Books

This morning at midnight another book that I am participating in, The Modern MovieMaking Movement launched for free on the web.  All you need to get your own copie is to click on the link above.  My chapter is on the PMD and the New 50/50.  I am in very good company as the other authors are Jurgen Wolff,  Jason Brubaker, Tom Malloy,  Sheri Candler, Carole Dean,  Norman Berns, Gary King, Gordon Firemark and Peter D. Marshall.

Here is the idea behind the book: While the philosophy is evolving, Modern MovieMaking is defined by an era of entrepreneurial filmmakers who do not ask permission to make, market or sell movies. Instead of making movies and hoping the movie will get seen, picked up and sold through traditional distribution channels, the modern moviemaker makes movies, directly engages with the audience and builds community around his or her movie titles.

Topics Covered in the Book:

Uncover Successful, Modern Screenwriting Tips – Jurgen Wolff

Find Out How To Make the Most of Movie Money – Norman C. Berns

Discover Six Ways to Finance Your Feature Film – Gordon Firemark

The State of The (indie filmmaker) Union – Tom Malloy

Get The Inside Scoop On Crowdfunding – Carole Dean

Plan Your Production For Maximum Success – Peter D. Marshall

Modern Guerrilla Filmmaking – Gary King

Navigate Film Festivals and Do Them Right – Sheri Candler

Sell Your Movie Without the Middle-Man – Jason Brubaker

The Producer of Marketing and Distribution and The New 50/50 – Jon Reiss

Also a heads up – I am also a featured interview in Lloyd Kaufman’s new book Sell Your Own Damn Movie which recently topped the top 1% of books in Amazon sales. Go Lloyd!

And yes Selling Your Film Without Selling Your Soul which I am authoring with The Film Collaborative and Sheri Candler launches at IFP Week.   Join the Facebook page. Also – I have launched a new “like” page – you can check out clips of almost all my previous work there – and photos – and we’ll be adding a lot more content over the next month!