Have any of you actually had any luck with this at all? I am noticing that all the so-called "emerging filmmaker" grants seem to be very specifically earmarked for very select groups of people- documentary projects, formal film school students, Africa, & Latina women seem to be the latest fads in US grant-funding; and while I have absolutely nothing against any of those groups and do NOT want to open up any political cans of worms here, I find myself wondering where, or even if, there's much else out there for somebody who does not fit any of the above.
I did try the laundry list of grants listed on this website; but it seemed like most of them had one or more of those kinds of stipulations, plus a glut of absolutely ferocious competition with way more experience than I have. I tried my state film board, but...Connecticut has a weird system where applications are only allowed from certain fields in odd- and even-numbered years; and if you are an artist whose field is odd-numbered in their system, you cannot even try for another wasted full year.
I need this help particularly badly, because I am starting with absolutely nothing- ultra-low-end equipment, no day job because of a disability, not enough savings, and total hardship in getting this going. I am female; but the women's grants I have found, have all kinds of feminism requirements (and my stuff has a lot of Scorsese/noir/exploitation influences that I am certain they would not consider correct). The charitable groups from my cultural background mostly only give out their grants to novelists & poets. I have no academic affiliations to try to appeal to any university film/theater/communications departments.
So...this is pretty discouraging, and I am really wondering what's left? I know that my stuff is potentially good enough to deserve to be shown at least at the local small indie festival- but I will never manage to get it there if somebody doesn't throw me some scraps from the table...
I did try the laundry list of grants listed on this website; but it seemed like most of them had one or more of those kinds of stipulations, plus a glut of absolutely ferocious competition with way more experience than I have. I tried my state film board, but...Connecticut has a weird system where applications are only allowed from certain fields in odd- and even-numbered years; and if you are an artist whose field is odd-numbered in their system, you cannot even try for another wasted full year.
I need this help particularly badly, because I am starting with absolutely nothing- ultra-low-end equipment, no day job because of a disability, not enough savings, and total hardship in getting this going. I am female; but the women's grants I have found, have all kinds of feminism requirements (and my stuff has a lot of Scorsese/noir/exploitation influences that I am certain they would not consider correct). The charitable groups from my cultural background mostly only give out their grants to novelists & poets. I have no academic affiliations to try to appeal to any university film/theater/communications departments.
So...this is pretty discouraging, and I am really wondering what's left? I know that my stuff is potentially good enough to deserve to be shown at least at the local small indie festival- but I will never manage to get it there if somebody doesn't throw me some scraps from the table...
