Chicken & Egg Pictures' 2013 Open Call

Welcome to Chicken & Egg Pictures' 2013 Open Call!

Chicken & Egg Pictures is dedicated to supporting women nonfiction filmmakers whose diverse voices and dynamic storytelling have the power to catalyze change, at home and around the globe.

Over the last eight years, we have awarded over $2.8 million to filmmakers and have provided 4500 hours of creative "hands-with" mentorship. The average grant awarded this year will be between $10,000 - $15,000.

Chicken & Egg Pictures does not have an endowment. We actively raise all funds to provide grants and deliver mentorship directly to filmmakers. This year (for the first time ever) there will be a processing fee required to apply for a grant.

Every application is reviewed by a panel of at least 10 expert screeners who insure that every project is looked at thoroughly, fairly, and with multiple perspectives. We believe that it is critically important to have a rigorous review process.

To help offset hard costs given the high number of applications, a processing fee is necessary in order to maintain this caliber of expertise.

2013 Application Fees:

  • First deadline on July 1st: $20
  • Last deadline on July 15th: $35

We hope you will think of this fee as a chance to crowd source our collective belief in the power of women to catalyze the world, with voices raised, cameras poised, and stories told.

Before filling out this application — please make sure you refer to our Guidelines, FAQs & Application Checklist, and Steps Before Applying.

IF YOU, AFTER HITTING "SUBMIT," DO NOT SEE A CONFIRMATION PAGE (FEATURING A LARGE VERSION OF OUR CHICKEN & EGG LOGO,) YOUR APPLICATION HAS NOT GONE THROUGH. IN THIS INSTANCE, CHECK THROUGH YOUR APPLICATION FOR BLACK ERROR MESSAGES (usually due to character limits), CORRECT THAT SECTION AND TRY AGAIN. NOTE: YOU WILL HAVE TO RE-ATTACH YOUR BUDGET EACH TIME. YOU WILL ALSO RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION EMAIL ONCE YOU'VE APPLIED. YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED BY DECEMBER 2013.

IF YOU ARE A CURRENT GRANTEE, PLEASE GO TO SECTION B (BOTTOM OF PAGE) TO ANSWER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR C&E SUPPORT TO DATE. Please fill this out prior to completing the rest of the application.

= required fields.

Applicant Information
Do not include quotation marks around your title.
(Professional and/or Film)
First:
Last:








If Other/International, please specify:







If Other, please specify:

If other or "Craft / Crew", please describe:

250 characters max (includes spaces)
Yes, my job provides health insurance.
Yes, I have applied before.
Contact Information
Project Information
You must have a U.S. Fiscal Sponsor in order to receive (but not apply for) grants from Chicken and Egg Pictures – please see our Guidelines for more information.

250 characters max (includes spaces)
THE WHICH CAME FIRST ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FUND of Chicken & Egg Pictures seeks women-made films tackling the critical environmental issues of our day.
Yes, my project deals with environmental issues and/or themes.
We have recently launched the MOTHER WIT fund for women-made films tackling the critical human rights issues of our day.
Yes, my project deals with human rights issues and/or themes.

See our Guidelines for more information on these two Chicken & Egg funds.

Please select which specific issues or themes are addressed by your current project:
Aging/Elders
Community Building & Organizing
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Disability Rights, Inclusion & Access
EDUCATION
Environmental Health &/or Justice
Food Security & Access
Global Justice
HEALTHCARE
Human Rights
Immigration
LGBT rights & life
Localism/Sustainabilty
MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
Other (please specify)
Race Relations
Reproductive Justice
Science + Technology
War – Aftermath/Impact
Women + Girls (Global)
Women + Girls (U.S)
Worker/Labor Rights
If Other, please specify:
A brief catchy "tagline" and/or summary of your film. This will also be necessary for all film festivals, distributors and public relations.

500 characters max (includes spaces)
What is your story? Who are your lead characters? What happens during the film? What is the issue you are exploring & addressing in the film? What are the questions posted by your film? What do you think your film is ultimately about?

2000 characters max (includes spaces)



1500 characters max (includes spaces)
How are you planning on telling this story and what will your film look like? Please use these questions as guides, you do not have to "answer" them all, they are designed to help you think about: structure, tone, pacing, shooting style, sound design, your visual and aesthetic style: What is the connection between your lead characters, their "story arc" and your stylistic choices in conjunction with the audience you are most interested in reaching? How do your characters frame the struggle they are engaged in? What is the hurdle, the challenge and the goal they are fighting for? Describe the greatest artistic challenges you have had or currently face in making this film? What is different or unique about your take, exploration or framing of this story? What are the core questions explored in your film?

2000 characters max (includes spaces)
Tell us about your current access and/or lack of access to your subject matter, lead character or lead organization/institution. We recognize “process” and know that while you might have some access you could be waiting for more. Have you experienced any resistance or expect to? If so, how has this resistance affected your process, the project and your creative approach to the subject matter? Do you currently have written agreements or releases with lead/major characters? If "no," what is your Plan B? Being honest and frank will not compromise your chances with us.

1000 characters max (includes spaces)
(Please reference our Guidelines and the Working Films website before filling out this question. What are your baseline ideas for community engagement and audience development? Who do you see as your most strategic audience? If you were to rank your primary, secondary and tertiary audiences who would they be? Do you have partnerships with NGO's or grassroots organizations that are already in play? How are these relationships or partnerships informing the development of your narrative approach or production process? What is your current thinking, strategy or plan for how your film and its distribution can be used most effectively, and by whom? List a few concrete ideas as examples. What, if any, new media opportunities do you see for the project? Why do you think this project warrants this component and how do you think it will be useful in achieving your goals? Is there/will there be evolution, transformation, a model for change that is replicable and/or a resolution? How will you extend the battle they are fighting on screen with engagement on the ground?

2000 characters max (includes spaces)
Describe the public exposure and screening history of your film-in-progress. This includes participating in any pitching forums or meet markets with this project. If you have reached rough cut or fine cut and have been screening for feedback please let us know details. Include all film festivals where you might have screened WIP, especially if "tickets" were bought by or sold to audiences. This is especially important for us in terms of considering distribution/venue opportunities and the life of your film — all of which we factor into our decision making and mentoring.

1000 characters max (includes spaces)

4000 characters max (includes spaces)
We require all trailers, excerpts & work samples to be submitted online. Vimeo/Youtube are our preferred video-sharing websites for this. Please email info@chickeneggpics.org with "DVD submission request" in the subject line if you are unable to submit online.
If you have a longer sample/rough cut we strongly urge you to send this also/instead of a trailer. If you send a trailer we strongly urge you to attach a scene or a character strand in addition to the trailer.




Current Work Sample Run Time:



500 characters max (includes spaces)


Include any passwords or special instructions required for us to access and view your work online. We cannot promise that we will have the time or capacity to contact you if this does not work. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO MAKE THIS LINK WORK and PLEASE KEEP IT ACCESSIBLE into December 2013.

1000 characters max (includes spaces)

Prior Work: Are you submitting a prior work? (See below as to whether it is necessary for your project.)



Prior Work Sample Run Time:
How does this work sample or trailer relate to the project you are applying for? Are you building on it? Why do you want us to see it and what do you want us to think about while we are viewing? It could be as simple as; this is the style I intend to use for my film. How does what we are seeing in your sample relate to the project you are envisioning in your mind's eye, what would you like us to envision/consider? Are you building from one project to the next? Is this a great departure? If so, what does it mean for you creatively, professionally or politically? Please include how the issues explored in your prior work and/or the audience engagement campaign has prepared or pushed you to produce the proposed film.

1000 characters max (includes spaces)
BUDGETS AND FUNDING
  Please note: Grants range from $5,000 to $25,000 with the average grant around $10,000. The following questions were created with this reality in mind; how our grant can most effectively be used and leveraged on your part.
See Guidelines for more information on budgets. Please enter whole numbers only, no commas or decimal places - e.g. enter 20000, not $20,000.00.
$
Please attach your budget in PDF or Microsoft Excel XLS format.
Please enter whole numbers only, no commas or decimal places - e.g. enter 20000, not $20,000.00.
$
Use this space to guide us through your budget. If there are explanations and decisions you want to share, this is the place. Tell us how a specific amount from CE could make a difference within the grant range listed. How could you most effectively use $10,000 versus what could you do for $25,000. What is your "fallback" plan if you are unable to raise the full amount stated in your project budget? Will you make this film "no matter what"? If YES... how?

2000 characters max (includes spaces)
Please list the date, name, and amounts of all the funding sources you have received. Include foundations, broadcasters, corporations crowd funding, provate investors, and filmmaker/cash contributions. As part of your fundraising strategy, please clearly mark where you have Committed Funds, Pending Grants, where you are thinking of applying to in the future.

1500 characters max (includes spaces)
Where could you use mentorship? R&D? In the editing room, around story & structure? Review & feedback on assemblies/rough and fine-cuts? Field/Production issues: research/interviews, shooting, sound recording? Fundraising strategies and/or producing support? Community Engagement & New DIY Distribution strategies? Other? Please describe in detail the kind of mentorship you need, crave and/or have never been able to get. What expertise/support could you offer your peers if you were given a grant and asked to do a skills exchange?

1500 characters max (includes spaces)
SECTION B: Additional Questions for Current Grantees
IF YOU ARE A CURRENT GRANTEE APPLYING FOR FURTHER FUNDING FOR YOUR CURRENT C&E SUPPORTED PROJECT, PLEASE ALSO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

2000 characters max (includes spaces)

2000 characters max (includes spaces)

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Thank you for submitting your project to Chicken & Egg Pictures. We will let you know whether we will be able to support your project by December 2013.

Please make sure you now submit the additional materials we require; more information can be found in our Guidelines.