Call for Submissions: LEF/CIF Fellowship (United States)

The LEF/CIFF Fellowship is an opportunity for 5 New England-based filmmaking teams to attend the 2024 Camden International Film Festival and connect with other filmmakers and industry leaders through a series of mentor-led project development workshops, networking events, and curated 1:1 meetings taking place both in-person during the festival and virtually in the weeks following.

CIFF has become an important stop on the documentary festival circuit for both filmmakers and industry delegates, who attend to build new relationships with filmmakers participating in Points North Institute’s Artist Programs. In recent years, LEF/CIFF Fellows have had opportunities to build relationships with dozens of major funders (Sundance, Ford, ITVS, Doc Society, Catapult, XTR); sales agents (Submarine, CAA, Fifth Season); streaming platforms (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+); broadcasters (POV, CNN, NBC, HBO, ESPN); theatrical distributors (NEON, A24); and more.

The Fellowship workshops and Festival, including in-person industry meetings, will take place from September 9-15. Virtual industry meetings will tentatively take place September 23-24.

Developed in partnership with LEF New England, this program supports career sustainability for regional filmmakers by providing a unique point of access to potential industry supporters, peer mentorship opportunities with fellow filmmakers, and connections to the broader documentary community.

Funding Information

• $500 stipend per project to support travel to Camden.
• All Access passes to the Camden International Film Festival and Points North Forum.
• Nights of accommodations (one double-occupancy room) during the festival”.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Fellowship is open to projects with directors who have established their primary residence in New England.
• Feature documentary projects in production or post-production.
• Prior LEF/CIFF Fellows are not eligible to participate in the program again with the same project. However, prior LEF/CIFF Fellows may apply with a new project.

Evaluation Criteria

• Applicants will be evaluated based on LEF New England’s guidelines, which include these factors:
  • Quality of cinematic form and technique
  • Originality of filmmaker’s voice, vision, and point of view
  • Resonance and power of the film’s core idea or story
  • Feasibility of production.

For more information, visit Points North Institute.