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SHORT FILM GRANT GUIDELINES (AS OF 2010)

The SFC Short Film Grant is currently undergoing a revision, and will not be accepting new applications at the moment. The new funding programme shall be announced late September/October. We apologise for the inconvenience. If you would like to be on our mailing list, please write to us at MDA_SFC@mda.gov.sg, and we would be glad to send you updates. Thank you.

OBJECTIVE
The SFC Short Film Grant (the “Scheme”) aims to encourage aspiring and practicing filmmakers to develop a short film subject (the “Project”), to experiment with the film genre and to hone their story-telling skills. The SFC funds up to $10,000 per Project.

ELIGIBILITY
All Singapore-based filmmakers who are Singapore citizens or permanent residents are welcome to apply for this Scheme. The Applicant can only be either the director or producer of the Project.

A short film is typically less than 30 minutes in length.

The film categories eligible for the Scheme are:
   a. Drama/ Fiction
   b. Experimental (no music videos)
   c. Documentary (no instructional, magazine, travel, reality or talk-show styles)   
   d. Animation

Any work that is commissioned (in whole or part) by a third party, or on a work-for-hire basis shall not qualify for funding under this Scheme.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
In assessing applications, the following factors will be considered:

  1. Innovative and creative potential of proposed short film;
  2. Professional quality of the script/treatment and budget submitted;
  3. Applicant's film-related background and track record; and
  4. Applicant's potential in and commitment to the Singapore film industry.

In addition, for the Documentary category, the following factors will also be considered:

  1. Treatment of subject matter; and
  2. Extent of ground research proposed/ completed.

APPLICATION
Applications for the Scheme must be submitted prior to the completion of production. Please note also that the average processing time for an application is 8 weeks.

The SFC will consider applications at every quarter of the year. The deadlines for submission are: 6pm Singapore time on 1 February, 1 May, 1 August, and 1 November. Should these dates fall on a public holiday or weekend, applications can be submitted latest by the next working day.

Applicants for the Scheme are required to submit the following materials as part of their Proposals:

  1. Completed application form;
  2. 3 copies of a two-page story outline of film and short logline;
  3. 3 copies of the complete script with simple binding (optional for Documentary applications);
  4. Proposed production budget (indicate other sources of funding if any);
  5. Production schedule (pre-production, production, post production dates);
  6. List of key production personnel and short biographies;
  7. Letters of recommendation, if any;
  8. Other relevant supporting documents, if any.

In addition, for the Documentary category, applicants should also include the following materials:

  1. 3 copies of statement of objective (giving reasons for choice of subject matter);
  2. 3 copies of a detailed treatment specifying how the story will be translated from page to screen - elements such as structure, theme, style, format, voice and point-of-view should be included;
  3. 3 copies of a list of research references (e.g. books and interviewees).

Applications should be submitted to:

The Director
Singapore Film Commission
Media Development Authority of Singapore
3 Fusionopolis Way #16-22 Symbiosis
Singapore 138633
Re: Short Film Grant

GRANT QUANTUM

  • A sum of up to $5,000 for productions on any format (other than High Definition and Film-format productions), and with budgets of $20,000 or less.
  • A sum of up to $10,000 for High Definition & Film-format productions, and with budgets of more than $20,000.

Projects selected for funding are eligible to receive up to a maximum of SGD$10,000, which can be no more than 50% of the production budget.

The Grant may not be used towards the purchase of non-expendable items (e.g. software, hardware etc), duplication of prints, marketing, publicity and distribution of the completed short film.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

a. To be eligible, all submissions must be received by 6pm on 1 February, 1 May, 1 August or 1 November, Singapore time. Should these dates fall on a public holiday or weekend, applications can be submitted latest by the next working day. Incomplete Proposals will be rejected.

b. Notwithstanding any provision herein, SFC shall have the sole discretion to reject any Proposals.

c. All materials submitted as part of a Proposal, including audio-visual materials, are not returnable.

d. All information submitted to the SFC will be used only for the purposes of the Scheme unless otherwise agreed by the applicant.

e. Proposals are subject to verification and will be declared invalid if they are illegible.

f.  SFC reserves the right not to disclose/discuss its reasons for approving or disapproving any Proposal. SFC/MDA may also review, withdraw or suspend the Proposal full or in part if any of the rules and conditions is not met. SFC’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

g.  Each successful applicant shall consent, if required, to the use, without compensation, of its name and/or logo, for publicity purposes.

h. Applicants agree to indemnify, defend and hold SFC, and all their officers, directors, owners, agents, employees, content and information providers, affiliates, partners, licensors and licensees (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) harmless from and against any and all liability and costs incurred by the Indemnified Parties in connection with any claim arising out of any information or Proposals submitted, including any third part claims for infringement of intellectual property rights or defamation on a full indemnity basis. Applicants shall co-operate as fully as reasonably required by SFC in the defence of any claim.

i.  As the author or producer of the Proposal, applicants hereby warrant to SFC, their employees, agents, assignees and licensees –

  • That the applicant is or will by the time of production or publication of the Proposal be the owner of the copyright in the entire submissions;
  • That where copyright ownership is not possible, applicants have been or will be granted a copyright licence in respect of such constituent part in a form as fulfilment of this warranty in lieu of ownership of the copyright;
  • That the Proposal will not infringe any rights of any third party;
  • That the Proposal has not previously been published in any form in any part of the world; and
  • That the Proposal is not and will not be defamatory, blasphemous or obscene, or be in any other way unlawful and/or contrary to the laws of the Republic of Singapore.

j. The SFC reserves the right, at their sole discretion, to modify, cancel or suspend the Scheme.

k. By submitting a Proposal, applicants agree to the above conditions.

For further information, please contact:

SFC Secretariat
Tel : (65) 9726 3380
Email : MDA_SFC@mda.gov.sg

Please click here to download the SHORT FILM GRANT GUIDELINES.

Please click hereto download the SHORT FILM GRANT Application pdf.