Applications open for Sandbox Fund

The program is administered by the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, in collaboration with Sandbox Films.

Sandbox Films is a documentary studio that illuminates the art and beauty of scientific inquiry. Mission-driven. Artist-friendly. Non-profit. They collaborate with production partners and visionary filmmakers around the world, providing co-production and financing opportunities for feature-length documentary projects at every stage of production. They’re a collective that brings together clashing viewpoints, industries and personalities. They celebrate both the precision and peculiarities of the process. Because science should be embraced for what it really is: humankind’s weird, messy, brilliant way of navigating the world.

Funding Information

• The fund offers support to projects at all stages of development, production, and post-production. Average grant sizes are as follows:
  • Development (up to $25,000)
  • Production (up to $50,000)
  • Post-Production (up to $50,000)

 What kinds of films are supported? 

• They support independent nonfiction films that display artful film language, effective storytelling, originality, feasibility, contemporary cultural relevance, and the potential to reach and connect with the intended audience. Hybrid/animated and experimental documentaries are eligible. In addition, selection criteria for the Sandbox Fund emphasize creative narrative techniques and projects that highlight diversity in science, specifically those that feature characters, topics, or disciplines that broaden and redefine what it means to be a scientist or to do science.

Eligibility Criteria

• U.S. and international nonfiction projects are eligible, with a focus on feature-length documentary projects.
• Grants are offered to independent artists who are working at the intersection of science and nonfiction storytelling.
• The partnership identifies and supports nonfiction projects that inspire a deeper interest in science, especially among those who don’t think of themselves as science enthusiasts.
• Submissions are accepted at any production phase, from development through post-production. All proposals must convey some vision for a finished film. Projects that have not yet secured characters or subjects, cannot articulate a story or structure, or cannot explain the project’s driving central question are discouraged. They are unable to consider proposals for story research.
• You do not need any prior funding or a fiscal sponsor in order to apply.
• Once your film premieres, they are unable to provide post-production funding support. They therefore encourage applicants to apply at least six months before an anticipated premiere. Picture-locked cuts are also ineligible for post-production funding.

Ineligible

• The Sundance Institute, Sandbox Fund does not fund:
  • Fiction films
  • Short films (please note their Documentary Short Film Fund is currently closed)
  • Series
  • NGO and advocacy films
  • (Defined as projects produced on direct behalf of a nongovernmental, nonprofit, or advocacy organization, specifically for the purpose of furthering its mission-driven work)
• Educational films
• Branded content
• Virtual reality (VR) projects

Selection Criteria

• Selection criteria for the Sandbox Fund will emphasize creative narrative techniques and projects that highlight diversity in science, specifically those that feature characters, topics, or disciplines that broaden and redefine what it means to be a scientist or to do science.

For more information, visit Sundance Institute.