To help you prepare for next year’s application process, you can download the application questions for the 2019 Accelerator Lab.

To apply for a grant, you must submit a current project sample of the project you are applying with.  Second-time filmmakers must submit a prior work sample of the first feature-length film they directed. First-time filmmakers can submit an optional short nonfiction film as a prior work sample or a film in which the applicant played a prominent role. Please see the FAQ for complete details about work samples, but, in summary, every application requires a:

• Current project sample (7-20 minutes) of the project with which you’re applying;
• Prior work sample (no length limit) of a film that the applicant either previously directed or in which they played a prominent role. This is optional for first-time filmmakers and mandatory for second-time filmmakers. Please see the FAQ for details on how this requirement affects first-time filmmakers.

All work samples must be in English or have accurate English subtitles onscreen.

• Each application must attach a budget top sheet. The system will accept PDF and Excel formats.
• The budget should address the following costs of the film production: crew salaries, equipment, travel/housing expenses, post-production, office/admin costs, music, legal fees, etc. We should be able to follow your budget in tandem with your narrative material.
• Please be sure to include a line item for directors’ and producers’ salaries; we believe that it is key for filmmakers to factor in their own payment in the budget.
• We strongly encourage you to read this comprehensive Introduction to Documentary Budgeting article and download the Sample Budget Template to follow budgeting best practices.

A fiscal sponsor is a 501(c)(3) organization that shares its tax-exempt status with individual filmmakers, meaning that you are able to accept charitable grants. In exchange for this service, they may take a percentage from 3-8% of the incoming funds.

Applicants do not need to have a fiscal sponsor in order to apply. However, they must have one in order to receive a grant. You do not need to have a fiscal sponsor secured at the time of the application. 

A few examples of 501(c)3 organizations that offer fiscal sponsorships to filmmakers:

• Artspire
• BronxNet
• The Center for Independent Documentary
• The Film Collaborative
• FIND
• Fractured Atlas
• The Independent Filmmaker Project
• International Documentary Association
• The Redford Center
• San Francisco Film Society
• UnionDocs
• Women Make Movies

The application fee is $35. This fee must be paid for the submission to be complete.

• The fee is payable by credit or debit card.
• You will receive a receipt by email.

Since 2017, Chicken & Egg Pictures has opted into the Documentary Core Application. Our hope is that your responses to these questions will result in material that may be used for additional applications as you move forward with your fundraising. To learn more about the Documentary Core Application project, visit the IDA website.

Grants for the Accelerator Lab will be up to $35,000 for each chosen film. The grants will be disbursed in installments throughout the program, beginning in March/April 2019, with further installments tied to agreed-upon deliverables and deadlines.

We define a first-time filmmaker as someone who has never completed a feature-length documentary film. An applicant still qualifies as a first-time filmmaker if they have made multiple shorts or a web series. We don’t consider anything less than 50 minutes to be a feature-length film. We consider anything over 50 minutes to be a feature-length film.

We define a second-time filmmaker as someone who has not completed more than one feature-length documentary film.

Co-directing teams with one first- or second-time filmmaker and one more experienced co-director are allowed to apply, but priority will be given to first- and second-time filmmaking teams. Please note that the prior work sample of co-directing teams that consist of a first- or second-time filmmaker and a more experienced filmmaker must be representative of the first- or second-time filmmaker’s experience.

We consider feature-length films to be projects over 50 minutes, including those that may be aiming for a PBS hour (56:40), or a classic feature-length (over 72 minutes). Combined web series or any shorts that could be counted as a feature when added together do not qualify as feature-length for this Open Call.

If you’ve made one or more feature-length fiction film(s) but no feature-length nonfiction film(s), you are eligible to apply as a first-time filmmaker (see our definition for first- and second-time filmmakers).

To be eligible for the Accelerator Lab, applicants must be between early-production and mid-production, with no less than 10% and no more than 60% of their footage shot by the date of the application deadline. We’re only accepting projects between these stages because we want to ensure that we have the greatest opportunity possible to make an impact on the production of the project and on the development of the director’s career during the 2019 program year.

Note: The program will take place from February to December 2019. If you are planning to have a rough cut by the end of 2018 or by the first quarter of 2019 your project is too advanced and not eligible to apply.

Please only apply with the one project that you feel is the best fit for Chicken & Egg Pictures. Read our guidelines and look at the films we have supported to get an idea of our interests. If you really cannot choose between two projects, you can email us at info@chickeneggpics.org with a short description of both films and ask for our advice (this advice will not impact your application). Always include your project title name(s) in the subject line of your email.

Chicken & Egg Pictures supports self-identifying women (cis or trans) and gender nonconforming individuals.

Those who are first- or second-time filmmakers, and who are still in early or mid-production and haven’t shot more than 60% of their footage, may apply for this funding round. If you have completed a project that received a grant from Chicken & Egg Pictures but still qualify as a first- or second-time filmmaker and are beginning a new film, you are welcome to apply.

If the director is a first- or second-time filmmaker, and if the project has still not shot more than 60% of its footage, past applicants may apply again. We urge you to consider how your project has evolved since your last submission, and to clearly state how that progress is evident in both your proposal and current work sample.

Note: The program will take place from February to December 2019. If you are planning to have a rough cut by the end of 2018 or by the first quarter of 2019 your project is too advanced and not eligible to apply.

Please contact info@chickeneggpics.org, with the subject heading “Accelerator Lab Application Fee Waiver Request” for further information.

Yes.

Projects in the early production stage are eligible. At least 10% of shot material is required. No matter what stage of the project, filmmakers are required to submit at least seven minutes of edited footage to apply. Second-time filmmakers must submit a previous work sample. 

All applicants must submit:

1. A sample of the project with which they’re applying;
2. A prior work sample is obligatory for second-time filmmakers and optional for first-time filmmakers. Second-time filmmakers must submit a sample from their first feature-length film.

See below for details about these different kinds of work samples.

Current Project Samples should run between 7-20 minutes and can consist of a trailer, 2 or 3 scene selects or excerpts, or a combination of a trailer and scene selects.

• IMPORTANT NOTE: Since we’ll be looking at your ability to construct a story, we encourage first-time filmmakers to ensure that their work samples include constructed scene selects/excerpts.

Prior Work Samples (no length limit) of a film that the applicant either previously directed or in which they played a prominent role, if applicable for first-time filmmakers and mandatory for second-time filmmakers. The purpose of a prior work sample is to give us a sense of the director’s visual style, storytelling ability, ambition, and ability to follow through. Prior work sample must be documentary, hybrid of fiction and nonfiction, or other forms of nonfiction. The sample can be a feature-length film or in short format, including web series, animation, or experimental. Fiction work, music videos, commercial work, and PSAs are not accepted as prior work sample. We understand the creative value of this work but, because of its nature, it does not allow us to see your author’s voice and vision as a documentary filmmaker. First-time filmmakers may submit previously directed work that is not a feature-length film but this must still be documentary, hybrid, or other form of nonfiction, such as web series, animation, or experimental. If none of this is available, you may submit a work sample from a separate project in which you held a prominent creative role in the production, such as producer, A.D., cinematographer, or editor. Please be sure to describe your role in the creation of the completed work submitted. Note that samples of work directed by you are strongly preferred over samples of work where you held a prominent role but did not participate as director or co-director.

• Second-time filmmakers must submit a prior work sample of a completed film on which they served as director or co-director.
• Co-directing teams that consist of a first-time/second-time filmmaker and a veteran filmmaker must submit a prior work sample from the first-time/second-time filmmaker.

All work samples must be in English or have accurate English subtitles onscreen.

Here are a few important technical notes to keep in mind when submitting your work samples:

• All work samples must be accessible via a downloadable URL (Vimeo, YouTube, or private hosting site). You must provide us with a link and password to review the sample.
• Please test your links and passwords and make sure they play all the way through the samples. Please also make sure your links will stay live and be accessible through December 2018.
• We prefer that you submit using a link and password, but if you are absolutely unable to submit online, you may email info@chickeneggpics.org, with “DVD submission request” and your project title in the subject line to request permission.

Some notes on trailers, character strands, scene selects, and raw footage:

• Trailers: Trailers can often be slick, fast, and energetic, and may not give us an accurate sense of your film’s tone, character development, or story structure. If you’re submitting a trailer, we encourage you to also attach a couple of additional scenes to give us more of a chance to experience your style and get a feel for your characters, access, relationship to the material, and narrative arc.
• Character strands: If you’ve been following a character over time and want to show their evolution or development, you might want to string together scenes that show the character’s progression. A character strand doesn’t require formal transitions or the scenes to be interwoven with others, but it should demonstrate a character’s story arc, what makes them unique, and your depth of access to them. Please do this only if the character is your lead and a major part of the story.
• Selected Scenes/Excerpts: If you are a bit further along, you can send us a selection of edited scenes or an excerpt of an early assembly of the film. These can be edited together consecutively to tell us a part of your story (with transitions), or they can be intercut with black in between (no transitions), to show us the range of your story. Scene selects or excerpts should provide us with a feel for how your story will play out in real time; they should also offer a sense of your tone, pacing, and cinematic language.

A logline is a concise, story-driven description that explains the heart of your project in one or two sentences. Because nearly every film festival, producer, distributor, or other industry professional will want to see one, you should spend time developing a strong logline for your project. A good logline introduces your central character, their world, their goals, and the forces standing in their way. It should be in concert with your title and tagline, and offer a bit of double meaning and mystery that compels the reader to want more.

A few examples from projects funded by Chicken & Egg Pictures:

• Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry: Can an artist change China? Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry follows two tumultuous years in the life of Ai Weiwei, when he became a superstar, a dissident of the art world, in the headlines, a first-time father, and an online god to tens of thousands of Chinese netizens, all while trying to stay out of prison.
• Black Out: A literal and metaphorical journey towards enlightenment, Black Out shows how children reconcile their daily lives in Guinea, one of the world’s poorest countries, with their desire to learn.

A strong synopsis, like a strong logline, will focus on the heart of the story that drives your project. It will be longer than a logline, but still keep it concise — we recommend sticking to 1 to 2 pages. Your synopsis should give your story a beginning, middle, and end, mentioning key moments where your character or characters encounter particular challenges. It should also mention briefly the broader implications of the personal struggles at stake.

The open call for the 2019 Accelerator Lab will fund ten applications: a combination of first-time and second-time filmmakers.

The standard credit we’ll request of grantees in the Accelerator Lab will be “In Association with Chicken & Egg Pictures.”

We are a small staff with limited capacity, and cannot provide one-on-one feedback to all applicants. We do provide some feedback for those whose projects are shortlisted. Chicken & Egg Pictures believes wholeheartedly in the importance of feedback, and are constantly searching for ways to offer more support to all our applicants.