First Flights Short Film Fund

First Flights Short Film Fund is sponsored by First Flights Media Limited. Grants are available towards the production costs of all scripted genres and documentary short film content. The program also offers an exclusive opportunity for selected filmmakers to work with genuine 16mm film stock.

Short Film Fund – First Flights First Flights Short Film Fund The short film fund allows emerging talent worldwide to test their ideas before embarking on a feature film. Grants of up to £7,000 / $10,000 are available towards the production costs of all scripted genres and documentary short film content. Our signature collaboration with Kodak returns with an exclusive opportunity for filmmakers to work with genuine 16mm film stock.

Two selected filmmakers in this special category will each receive 5 x 400ft rolls of KODAK 16mm film along with complete processing coverage - a chance to create with the timeless medium that has shaped cinema history. Additionally, this initiative supports using the resulting short films as proof of concept for future feature films.

Ross White & Tom Berkeley – ‘An Irish Goodbye’ Oscar® and BAFTA Win 2023 Upon finding their late mother’s bucket list, a young man with Down syndrome attempts to stall his relocation by convincing his older brother to carry out all 100 wishes. Victoria Thomas – ‘A Birthday Party’ A woman traumatised by a brutal cultural tradition risks everything to save her niece from suffering the same fate.

Celine Cotran & Alannah Lewis – ‘Legs’ Joy and Harry are trying to have a baby. One night, Joy swallows a spider in her sleep. When Joy subsequently develops an insatiable appetite for flies, it dawns on her that there may be more than one way of becoming a mother.

Anna Pálinkás – ‘The Fishing Net’ Andras, the loving, family man, confronted with some hard truth by the secret police has to make a decision of life and death. Nick Finegan – ‘Bingo Queens’ Amid the spit and the slurs of transphobic attack, Aleks and Luna are flung into each other’s orbit. 24hrs later, they are both changed in ways that neither could have anticipated.

This a story about platonic love and queer romance. Karen Bryson – ‘Monochromatic’ The inevitable moment a six year old girl realises the world operates with bias when it comes to the colour of her skin. We're all born equal....

then life happens. Winning pitches get up to a £7,000 / $10,000 grant The First Flights Short Film Fund is intended for live action and documentary short films of any genre. Awards will be given to projects which intend to be in production no more than six months after the deadline closes.

Awards provided are non-recoupable grants. Filmmakers can compete for our special Kodak category to win 5 x 400ft rolls of KODAK 16mm film stock with complete processing costs covered, offering the opportunity to shoot on authentic film. Additionally, one filmmaker will receive a comprehensive $10,000 post-production package from Periscope to help bring their vision to completion.

Filmmakers will have full creative control of the project but will receive support in submitting the film to festivals and distribution opportunities with Network Ireland & Television, and ShortsTV. The window for applications runs twice a year. 2026 opening dates are Feb 4th and August 4th.

Project submissions will need to include: - Project details: title / genre / location / budget / funding amount sought / intended production date - A logline (up to 30 words) - A directors vision – creative ideas and information on why the story is important and who it is for (250 words) - A completed script (no more than 30 pages) - A biography of the director.

Links to the director/writer/producer IMDB pages if available - A budget (template provided) All applications and scripts are reviewed and graded on a point-based system, across seven categories covering originality, creativity, plot, pacing & structure, characters, entertainment, and message effectiveness.

The long list is created and reviewed by a team of independent judges from across the film industry, from which all candidates are interviewed. The ratings from independent judges and the interviews are then used to make the final selection. Current submission period - early bird fees are £20 per project until Aug 31st / regular fees are £30 until Sept 30th / late fees are £40 until Oct 31st.

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