This programme is designed for feature-length fiction and documentary film projects looking for independent production financing. It is not a general development lab. It is for projects that are already seriously preparing for financing conversations and can show both creative strength and financial readiness.
To be eligible, each project must have both a director and a lead producer attached.
- The director must be able to provide at least one directing sample, such as a short film, feature, commercial, or music video.
- The lead producer must already have at least one feature producer credit and previous experience financing feature films independently.
- The producer and director must attend and present the project together at the forum.
Projects with at least one above-the-line team member who is a Sundance Institute alumni may receive strong preference.
The project must also have a serious financial structure in place. Applicants are expected to submit an itemised budget and a clearly outlined financing plan.
- Budgets must normally not exceed $3,000,000 USD gross.
- Fiction films between $3,000,000 USD and $5,000,000 USD may be considered in limited cases if they already have meaningful financing in place, a strong track record, and a clear reason why this route is appropriate.
- The project must have a minimum budget gap of $300,000 USD at the time of application.
- Projects looking to raise less than $300,000 USD are not eligible.
Projects can apply whether they are at the beginning of financing or already partially financed. However, they must be open to taking on multiple investors, and preference is given to projects seeking a mix of grants and equity investment.
International co-productions may apply, but they must be able to show a clear route for US equity recoupment and provide detailed international financing terms. Projects must also be structured so that investors coming through the forum sit on equal terms with other investors.
By the time of the forum, projects must have a structure in place to accept funding, such as:
- A fiscal sponsor
- A production company
- An LLC or equivalent vehicle
Legal readiness is also part of eligibility. Teams must be able to provide agreements and rights documentation relevant to the project before acceptance, and invited projects must have legal representation in place by the time of the forum.
The programme is open only to feature-length films with an intended runtime of at least 60 minutes.
For fiction projects, priority is generally given to scripts in advanced development. Projects with additional elements already in place, such as cast, crew, production planning, or partial finance, are often in a stronger position.
For documentary projects, the film may be in development, pre-production, production, or post-production, but sample footage must be available at the time of submission.
The full application stage usually asks for detailed creative, financial, legal, and strategic materials, including script or footage, past work samples, budget, financing breakdown, draft recoupment structure, distribution goals, and legal status.
