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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE · JANUARY 10, 2013
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SAN FRANCISCO FILM SOCIETY EARNS RENEWED AND
EXPANDED SUPPORT FROM KENNETH RAININ FOUNDATION
WITH BOOST TO GRANT AND RESIDENCY PROGRAMS
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Successful Five-Year Period of Pilot Programs Leads to Increased and Evergreen Funding and Collaboration
San Francisco, CA -- The San Francisco Film Society
(SFFS) today announced a significant increase in funding to its
Filmmaker360 programs through the renewal and expansion of its
collaborative relationship with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation
(KRF). Filmmaker360 supports narrative feature filmmakers through cash
grants, residencies, script workshops, and more. Due to the program's
demonstrated success since the relationship between the two
organizations began, the suite of services funded by KRF -- including
the flagship SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grants, which distribute more than
$600,000 annually directly to filmmakers -- will continue to grow and
develop well beyond the five-year pilot period originally announced in
2009. With more recently-launched initiatives such as the new FilmHouse
residency program already showing signs of great potential and
sustainability, SFFS and KRF will strengthen their partnership and build
new services in the years to come to support independent filmmakers of
all stripes.
"The success of the SFFS / KRF narrative film grants
coupled with the newer support programs are moving us solidly toward
our goals of championing the vibrant Bay Area filmmaking community,
raising local and national awareness our unique cinema culture, and
making San Francisco a more attractive place to create and experience
film," said Jennifer Rainin, president of the Kenneth Rainin Foundation.
"The feedback we've received from the film community at large has been
overwhelmingly positive. Most importantly, our artists feel supported
and valued and our new family is growing and thriving. This partnership
with the Film Society has exceeded our expectations at every turn and we
are excited to continue and expand our support of these essential
programs."
SFFS Executive Director Ted Hope added, "The vibrant
and diverse voices of indie film are one of this country's greatest
assets, but without the backing of programs like these, our artists and
their stories would wither and rust. Imagine a world without these
essential visions. The support of KRF is vital to not just Bay Area film
culture, but to the very fabric of indie culture on a national scale."
New initiatives will be announced in the months to come. Programs in the planning stages include:
* Networking and professional development events at film festivals
around the country designed to help SFFS-supported filmmakers and
student participants in the SFFS Colleges & Universities program
extend their professional networks and forge new industry relationships
* An ongoing screening series built around social justice films which
aims to engage and activate audiences by providing forums for discussion
and tools for participation and deeper individual involvement
* A
mentorship program in which youth filmmakers will be paired with
SFFS-supported writer-directors to foster the careers of the next
generation of storytellers through training in media literacy and
production
* Pitch training for narrative feature filmmakers and
an annual pitch event bringing artists together with funders,
commissioning editors and investors
* SFFS Labs featuring
intensive project consultation with industry experts, master classes,
screenwriting workshops, script readings and more
Filmmakers throughout the country reacted to the announcement:
Ryan Coogler, director of Fruitvale,
two-time SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grant winner and Off the Page
participant: "Film is one of the most effective ways of encouraging
social discussion, but because making movies is so expensive, a film's
commercial value often determines the likelihood of it getting made.
Because of this, filmmakers with unique voices and perspectives often
can't find the resources to tell their stories. This is why the Rainin
Foundation's generous commitment to San Francisco Film Society's
Filmmaker360 programs is not just a commitment to filmmakers or the
independent film community; it's a commitment to society as a whole. It
ensures that more stories will be told from diverse perspectives,
stories that are sure to open the minds and hearts of people all over
the world."
Aurora Guerrero, director of Mosquita y Mari
and two-time SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grant winner: "Now that KRF will be
funding Filmmaker360 long-term, I feel like independent filmmakers like
myself can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the unique
opportunities the San Francisco Film Society has to offer will continue
to pave the way for many of us. Filmmaker360 has already made incredible
films happen. Now they have the power to make careers happen. It
doesn't get better than that for indie artists who rely on these
programs and grants to help us do the work we feel so passionate about."
Maryam Keshavarz, director of Circumstance
and SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grant winner: "The Rainin Foundation's
decision to renew and expand their support of SFFS will have a huge
impact on the indie filmmaking community. SFFS is one of the few places
indie filmmakers can turn to at any moment in their process, from
development to postproduction, and find not only financial support but
also a creative haven where we continue to grow as artists. SFFS now has
the support to continue to build a community where creativity and
originality triumph -- it's truly an exciting time!"
Benh Zeitlin, director of Beasts of the Southern Wild
and two-time SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grant winner: "Sustainable financial
support that is accompanied by creative support and creative freedom is
truly the mechanism through which cinema can reclaim real independence.
The San Francisco Film Society and the Kenenth Rainin Foundation are
forging that essential space."
CURRENT SFFS / KRF PROGRAMS
The San Francisco Film Society / Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grants
are given twice a year to support narrative feature films with social
justice themes that will have significant economic or professional
impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community. The first collaboration
between SFFS and KRF, this grant program was originally launched in
January 2009 as a five-year initiative to distribute a total of $3
million. Under the new expanded relationship, SFFS / KRF grants will
continue indefinitely at their current annual level of $600,000. Since
the program's inception, Filmmaker360 has granted SFFS / KRF funds to 30
films, including such success stories as Maryam Keshavarz's Circumstance, which premiered at Sundance 2011 and went on to receive widespread acclaim and U.S. distribution with Roadside Attractions; Beasts of the Southern Wild,
Benh Zeitlin's debut phenomenon which won both Sundance's Grand Jury
Prize and Cannes' Camera d'Or and has become a box office smash with Fox
Searchlight; and most recently, Ryan Coogler's debut feature Fruitvale,
which will premiere at Sundance 2013. The application period for the
spring 2013 grant cycle opens January 16. For more information visit sffs.org/Filmmaker360/Grants.
The FilmHouse
residency program offers free working space to filmmakers in various
stages of production and provides a collaborative environment where they
can share talents and resources with their peers. Located in the
bustling Fillmore District of San Francisco, FilmHouse consists of 4,800
spacious square feet of newly renovated office space. Open to both
narrative and documentary filmmakers, FilmHouse offers residencies of
six or twelve months to selected applicants with projects that, through
plot, character, theme or setting, explore social issues of our time. In
addition to office space, FilmHouse residencies provide filmmakers
access to additional programs such as script review, guest speakers,
peer-to-peer workshops, work-in-progress screenings, SFFS production
interns, and exposure of projects through various SFFS marketing and PR
opportunities. FilmHouse is made possible by generous funding by the
Kenneth Rainin Foundation with additional support by the San Francisco
Film Commission. For more information visit sffs.org/Filmmaker360/FilmHouse-Residencies.
The Off the Page
script workshop series gives select writer/directors the invaluable
opportunity to develop their narrative feature screenplays with the
assistance of professional actors. Filmmakers who have received an SFFS /
KRF Filmmaking Grant and have completed at least one draft of their
screenplay or filmmakers who are interested in applying for the grant
may be invited to take part in Off the Page script workshopping at the
Film Society's offices at the Film Centre in San Francisco's Presidio.
With the assistance of Filmmaker360, the participating filmmakers are
given the opportunity to work with actors who are attached to or are
being considered for their film. Recent Off the Page sessions have
included Mario de La Vega's The Undeniable Charm of Sloppy Unruh with actors Kyle Chandler, John Hawkes and Amy Ryan; Carlton Evans and Matthew Lessner's Ross with actors Blake Bashoff, Alia Shawkat and Matt L. Jones; and Ryan Coogler's Fruitvale with lead actors Michael B. Jordan and Melonie Diaz.
For more information about the San Francisco Film Society's filmmaker support programs, visit sffs.org/filmmaker360.
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San Francisco Film Society
Building
on a legacy of more than 50 years of bringing the best in world cinema
to the Bay Area, the San Francisco Film Society is a national leader in
exhibition, education and filmmaker services. SFFS is headed by
Executive Director Ted Hope with the programmatic leadership of Director
of Programming Rachel Rosen, Director of Filmmaker360 Michele
Turnure-Salleo and Director of Education Joanne Parsont.
The Film
Society presents more than 100 days of exhibition each year, reaching a
total audience of more than 100,000 people. Its acclaimed education
program introduces international, independent and documentary cinema and
media literacy to more than 10,000 teachers and students. Through
Filmmaker360, the Film Society's filmmaker services program, essential
creative and business services, professional development classes, and
funding totaling millions of dollars are provided to deserving
filmmakers of all levels.
The Film Society seeks to elevate all
aspects of film culture, offering a wide range of activities that engage
emotions, inspire action, change perceptions and advance knowledge. A
501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, it is largely donor and member supported.
Patronage and membership provides discounted prices, access to grants
and residencies, private events and a wealth of other benefits.
Kenneth Rainin Foundation
is a private family foundation that is dedicated to enhancing quality
of life by promoting equitable access to a baseline of literacy,
championing and sustaining the arts, and supporting research that will
lead to relief for those with chronic disease. The Foundation focuses
its efforts on the San Francisco Bay Area and specific medical issues.
It utilizes its networks, resources, and commitment to socially
responsible practices to support innovation, collaboration and
connection in the service of inspiring world-changing work. For more
information visit krfoundation.org.
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