Film Fund Presentation 169 1 1

Starting at the height of the pandemic in 2020, TFF was one of the first kind of funds in the United States solely dedicated to supporting South Asian filmmakers. Winners receive a monetary grant and year-long mentorship, to help bring their scripts to life.

With a partial support from Netflix, Tasveer has expanded the program to support three projects – short film, documentary and LGBTQIA+ short film projects.

“Having a film fund for South Asian filmmakers I think is vital. It gives us the opportunity to take risks and tell bold, inclusive, and diverse stories as we try and forge a path in an industry where there are not too many people of our background or culture.” – Naman Gupta, 2020 Tasveer Film Fund winner

Submit Your Project (Submission starts June 1st)

Categories

Tasveer Film Fund will give out grants of at least $5,000-$15,000 to South Asian filmmakers in the US:

  • Short Narrative: $10,000 max (US only)
  • Short Narrative LGBTQI+: $10,000 max (US only)
  • Documentary: $15,000 max (US only)
  • Feature Narrative:$15,000 max (Global)

Eligibility

NARRATIVE SHORT ($10,000 max.)

  • The short film script must not be more than 20 pages in length.
  • The grant is only for filmmakers living within the United States.
  • The short film must include South Asian representation in the story as well as in the cast/crew.
  • The film must be fully finished by September 2023.
  • Must show at Tasveer South Asian Film Festival.
  • Must first premiere at Tasveer South Asian Film Festival (exceptions available on case-by-case basis).

NARRATIVE LGBTQI+ ($10,000 max)

  • The short film script must not be more than 20 pages in length.
  • Must be written by a South Asian LGBTQIA+ individual.
  • The topic of the film must be an LGBTQIA+ story.
  • The film must be fully finished by September 2023.
  • Must show at Tasveer South Asian Film Festival.
  • Must first premiere at Tasveer South Asian Film Festival (exceptions available on case-by-case basis).

DOCUMENTARY ($15,000 max)

  • The project can be of any length.
  • The documentary must be in the post-production stage when grant money is received.
  • Filmmaker must submit a documentary proposal in place of the script.
  • Please include a link in the proposal, to the trailer or clip to show the general direction of your documentary
  • The film must be finished by September 2023.
  • Must show at Tasveer South Asian Film Festival.

NARRATIVE FEATURE($15,000 max)

  • Submit the first 30 pages of the feature-length script. A full final script will be requested if your project is shortlisted.
  • The film must be ready to go into production within a few months.
  • The film must be fully finished by September 2023.
  • Must show at Tasveer South Asian Film Festival.

Tasveer Film Fund 2020 Awardee

Film Fund Grant Winners 1

Tasveer Film Fund 2021 Awardees

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General Submission Requirements

  • Script submitted must not exceed 20 pages in length for Short Film or the first 30 pages for Feature Film, and must be written in standard script format.
  • For the documentary, attach a documentary proposal in a pdf format. Include a trailer and/or example clip (required)
  • For short films, we fund projects from the pre-production stage
  • For the documentary category we fund projects in the post-production stage
  • Scripts must be submitted in English, even if they might be shot in another language.
  • Filmmakers submitting to Short Narrative, LGBTQIA+ Short, and Documentary must be based in the U.S. and with a U.S. bank account in order to receive funds.
  • Filmmakers submitting to the Feature Narrative track can be based in any country
  • Filmmakers must be of South Asian descent.
  • Preference will be given to scripts with a social justice theme and based on the South Asian diaspora experience.
  • The script/story cannot be discriminatory against people of any background, ethnicity, religion, race, sexuality, or gender.
  • Filmmakers must include an estimated top-sheet production budget and indicate what the funds will be used for.
  • Submission fees are non-refundable regardless of the outcome of the submission.
  • Scripts submitted in previous years will not be eligible for resubmission in 2022
  • Filmmakers must have at least one film under their belt.

  • The completed film must include an “In association with Tasveer” in the opening credits, along with the Tasveer logo. Special Thanks to some key members and mentors for the acknowledgment in the closing credits. Names will be provided by Tasveer.
  • The grantee consents to Tasveer using their name, photo, script title, and any other relevant information for promotional purposes on their website and other publicity platforms.
  • The Film Fund money must only be used towards the production budget of the short film, and cannot be re-assigned for any other purpose.
  • Upon completion of production, the filmmaker must submit a cost report of how the funds were used.
  • If the filmmaker has not used the funds or is unable to complete their film by the agreed-upon deadline, they agree to return the grant fund in its entirety to Tasveer. Consideration may be given to schedules affected due to Covid-19.
  • In the case of the grantee defaulting on using the funds, Tasveer reserves the right to reassign the funds to the second choice filmmaker.

FAQ

  • YES IF applying for Narrative Short, Narrative Short LGBTQIA+, or Documentary categories. Only filmmakers of South Asian heritage living in the US and with a US bank account are eligible to receive grant awards in these categories
  • NO IF applying for Feature Narrative category. This category is open to applicants world-wide

Yes, individuals from or with heritage in the following countries are eligible to apply

  • Afghanistan
  • Bangladesh
  • Bhutan
  • India
  • Maldives
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • Tibet
  • Sri Lanka

  • For Short Film and LGBTQ+ Short: 5-20 pages
  • For Documentary: documentary proposal for either a short subject or feature length film in post-production
  • For Feature Narrative: the first 30 pages of your script (a full script will be requested if you are selected to move onto the final round of pitch sessions)

Early Bird – Aug 25, 2022

Submission Deadline – Sept 15, 2022

Yes! Tasveer will offer the following resources to grantees:

  • Mentorship – 25 hours of Tasveer staff time, dedicated to helping you bring your project to life
  • Connections in the film industry (with actors, other funders, equipment sources, when applicable and available)
  • Distribution advice
  • Premiere for their film in our 2023 film festival

Tasveer is unable to provide funding beyond the listed award amounts. However, we are happy to provide advice and resources for seeking additional funding sources during scheduled mentoring sessions

Films should be finished by Sept 2023, and screen at Tasveer South Asian Film Festival in October 2023. Exceptions are available on a case-by-case basis.

Please use this general timeline to plan:

  • Awards made: November 2022
  • Pre-production and mentoring: Nov 2022 – Feb 2023
  • Production: Mar – Jun 2023
  • Post-production and distribution: July – Sept 2023
  • Premiere at Tasveer South Asian Film Festival: October 2023

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