ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXPay-to-play film funds?
1 year, 1 month ago - Niki Jones
Hi all!
New to SP but found the funding page to be an absolute goldmine - I had no clue there were still so many funds out there!?!?
Question for you all though - whats the current consensus on pay to play film funds? It feels off paying a submission fee, but I have seen people secure funding through these organisations. Is it a case that all the moneys re-invested? Are they legit and worth it or just a scam?
It's a doc I'm working on about hunt sabbing.
Specifically I've been looking at Genera? Any others out there?
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1 year, 1 month ago - James McCann
Hi Niki,
Can you give more details, please?
There was a guy posting on here a year ago or so, and I was one of two members who essentially chased him off as he was asking for a $2k pitching fee.
Are you talking about things like that?
No one should be taking money from you up-front.
James
Response from 1 year, 1 month ago - James McCann SHOW
1 year, 1 month ago - Niki Jones
Oooh jeez...
Yeah I think individuals that's almost always going to be a red flag.
I was thinking more on the lines of Genera which has a submission fee (or a membership model but I've not heard anything great about their membership). I saw one in the bulletins the other day too called The Pitch? Seemed a bit weirder because that one was specifically for Christian films?
https://generafilms.com/funding: It's £40 to submit and they've got a couple different ones.
https://www.enterthepitch.com/: It was free but now it's £30????
Response from 1 year, 1 month ago - Niki Jones SHOW
1 year, 1 month ago - Nuri Moseinco
The pay-to-play film funds are relatively common, but as far as I know most of them are legitimate. It might feel wrong to pay, but the way I see it is these funds wouldn't exist without the entry fees that make up the money pot, and they do result in more films getting funded than the few solely free public funding opportunities like the BFI. Still, it does create a barrier to entry into short filmmaking and means us filmmakers need to spend ever more money to even have a chance to make short films sadly.
Genera I have less info on but I know Pitch is transparent and legitimate. Aside from Genera, I've also recently applied to Slick Films, Unsolicited Scripts, Shore Script Fund and First Flights.
One fund that I would avoid however is 'The Film Fund' where you submit just a log line.
Response from 1 year, 1 month ago - Nuri Moseinco SHOW
1 year, 1 month ago - Niki Jones
Ah yeah, this is good to know, so long as they're not scams really, I think it'll be worth it for me to chuck some money in and hope for the best. If anything it'll give me a kick up the ass to really refine this pitch deck to be in it's best shape!
Totally agree on that it creates more barriers, but also how else are things going to happen / get made in our current circumstances :( I'll check out the others you mentioned too thanks Nuri!!
Response from 1 year, 1 month ago - Niki Jones SHOW