1. Project Title
2. Logline (up to 50 words)
Please provide a brief summary of the project that captures the most important elements — setting, participants, central conflict, or concerns.
3. Topic Summary (up to 500 words)
Explain the relevant cultural, historical, political, or social context for the film. Detail the topics,
issues, themes, challenges, stakes, or questions that your project will cover.
4. Story or Concept Summary (up to 2500 words)
Give an overview of your story, introducing the main participants and potential plot points.
Describe the anticipated story and narrative trajectory or potential character arcs for your film. If
your project is non-narrative or not character-driven, what is your project’s concept, and how is it
constructed? Give an overview of the subject matter and your primary questions and ideas to be
explored. Please be clear about the elements of your film that remain unknown or unclear and
highlight the questions that may steer the direction of your film.
5. Connection and Access (up to 250 words)
What is your connection and access to the story (i.e., participants, community, location, archives
etc.)? Why are you the best filmmaker(s) to tell this story?
6. Accountability (up to 250 words)
If relevant, describe your relationship with the participants or community being filmed? What are
your processes of accountability, including consent, transparency, feedback, and any other steps being taken to ensure the participants or communities that are featured in your film have agency in the filmmaking process, from pre-production through distribution?
7. Audience Consideration (up to 500 words)
Describe the audience you’d like your film to reach and why. If your film explores any themes related to government or the future, please review this report about existing stories around government and the future and share how you are seeking to add to the existing landscape of stories. How do you plan to reach your target audience? Are there meaningful ways that audiences can take action or collaborate with this project?
8. Partnership Engagement (up to 500 words)
Working Films has extensive local, regional, and national NGO partners. However, it is advisable that the applicant also involve their own subject matter experts and partners in informing and being part of plans with the project. Are you currently partnering with any organizations, issue experts or individuals working on issues connected to the project? If not, are there any partners that you would like to collaborate with?
9. Intended Impact (up to 500 words)
Articulate your vision for the influence or impact you hope the film will have on the participants,
community, and/or broader society — be these social, cultural, political or otherwise. What is your impact strategy and goals, if you have determined them? If not, what steps are you taking to develop an impact campaign (i.e., how are you building partnerships with organizations or others leading or influencing change around the issues in the film)? Whose interests will your film serve and who will benefit and how?
10. Key Creative Personnel (approximately 200 words/bio)
Provide brief biographies for the director(s), and if attached, the producer(s), cinematographer,
and/or editor. For each key creative team member, include information about relevant expertise and the individual’s role in the project, and any previous work that includes film credits with dates, roles and responsibilities. Bullet-list names and titles of any confirmed advisors who are attached.
11. Financial Information (200 words for each)
- Fundraising Strategy
Describe the overall fundraising strategy for the film.
- Funding to Date
Include all sources and amounts raised to date. Clearly distinguish between potential sources of funding and secured amounts. List the status of other sources of funding currently under consideration, whether to be applied for or pending.
- Example:
- Foundation A $X Secured
- Private Investment A $X Secured
- Foundation B $X Applied
- Broadcast License A $X In Negotiation
- Crowdfunding $X In Process (Campaign end date MM/DD/YY)
12. Docs in Action Film Fund – Grant Impact
Should you receive a grant, describe how any granted funds would be spent and how the Docs in Action Film Fund would help you move forward with your project. *Please note the Docs in Action Film Fund is intended for completion funding, and the grant impact should be reflective of that.
13. Comprehensive Line-Item Production Expense Budget (upload)
Please provide a breakdown of your project’s projected production expenses, from development through release, in U.S. dollars, including a budget total. Provide budget notes for any areas that may be viewed as out of the ordinary or require further explanation.
14. Project Stage and Timeline (up to 500 words)
Explain the current status of the project. Outline the projected production timeline from the
project’s current state to the anticipated completion date. Your timeline should detail major project activities, production schedules, and anticipated post-production and release dates.
15. Work Samples (up to 200 words)
We encourage applicants to include two links to previous work samples (any length or genre) by the director. Emerging filmmakers with no previous directing experience may also apply without a previous directing sample.
The samples must run no longer than 10 minutes each, with noted ins and outs of a 4 minute section for the panel to review. The 10 minute samples can be completed shorts of 10 minutes or less, or excerpts from longer films. Work samples can include completed graduate school film work.
Please include links and passwords for both samples. Links and passwords should be valid for at least six months from the date of your submission.
16. Current Sample/Rough Cut or Assembly (up to 200 words)
For the sample cut of the proposed film, what should reviewers be looking for? Explain what is present and absent in the sample, and how it will differ as a finished film. Describe how it is representative of the intended story, style, subject, or other aspect of the project.
17. Two Letters of Support (upload).
Please include two letters of support from people featured in the film and/or partners.