**Applications to the Festival Fund are now closed. We reached our maximum allocated budget quicker than we expected! Please check back in 2025 when it reopens.**

Announcing the BFF Festival Fund

The Berkeley FILM Foundation is excited to announce the BFF Festival Fund, a new program designed to help previous grantees meet the financial challenge of participating in a film festival premiere or screening with their finished film. We are considering these to be “emergency funds” for filmmakers who do not have the budget needed to respond quickly to a festival invitation for their film and need financial assistance. These grants of up to $2,000 may be used for transportation to, from and around the festival for the filmmaking team and/or subjects, lodging for the festival team and/or subjects, the hiring of a publicity person or for printed materials to be used at the festival. Any and all film festivals, global or domestic, are eligible. You may only apply once for these funds.

The applications for these funds will be accepted on a rolling basis, but there is a limited number of grants available from March through December 2024. We will notify the group when the funds for this program have been exhausted, and will renew in January 2025. Please keep in mind that since this is a new program, we may follow up with additional questions.

Eligibility:

  • You must be a previous grantee who has received a grant from the Berkeley FILM Foundation of any amount in the past. 

  • Funds requested must be used only to support the project previously granted for production, post-production or distribution. 

  • Your film must be recently finished and actively on the festival circuit.

  • You must provide an invitation letter from a festival to qualify.

Grants may be used towards:

  • Plane tickets to/from the festival.

  • Lodging, i.e. hotel room, Airbnb/VRBO rental.

  • Car or other vehicle to transport the Director/Producer or film team around the festival location.

  • Expenses related to access needs for the disabled, i.e. hiring of an interpreter.

  • Hiring of a Publicist to help you promote your film at the festival.

  • DCP creation, shipping or other expenses related to this.

These grants may NOT be used for:

  • Any post-production expenses, i.e. archival footage, music licensing, sound mixing, editing, creation of a trailer, etc.

  • Festival passes (the festival should provide these to the film team).

  • Festival passes for family members or friends to attend the festival.

  • Festival concessions, merchandise.

  • Retroactive costs.

Application

You must complete the Google Form by clicking HERE. Please note that the application must include written proof of festival acceptance, i.e. an email, letter or screenshot from festival organizers. You may request a grant up to $2,000, but we recommend you request these funds for a specific purpose with a specific dollar amount. 

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Your application will be considered by a small panel who will provide an answer in one week to 10 days. Acceptance is not guaranteed.