Shore Scripts Short Film Fund

The 2025 Fall Season of the Shore Scripts Short Film Fund will award a $15,000 cash production grant to one short script and $4,000 cash in finishing funds to one short film in post-production.

The Short Film Fund provides an opportunity for emerging writers and filmmakers to receive much-needed financial support to get their work produced and seen. Our partnerships with ARRI Rental, Oscar-nominated producer Maria Gracia Turgeon, and Tribeca short film programmer Kimberley Browning elevate the films that come through our Fund through free camera equipment, mentorship, and film festival strategy.

Many of our 24 previously funded short films have screened at some of the top film festivals in the world, including Sundance, Tribeca, BFI London, Austin, Cannes, Encounters, and Palm Springs. One even won a BAFTA! Several of those writers and writer/directors have gone on to gain representation, sell screenplays, get staffed on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, & BBC shows, and develop their shorts into features and TV shows.

Summary of Benefits:
- The Grand Prize Winner will receive a cash production grant of $15,000, free camera equipment rental from ARRI Rental for the duration of production, and support from Shore Scripts from development to distribution.
- The Finishing Funds Winner will receive a cash grant of $4,000 in finishing funds for a short film currently in post-production, and support from Shore Scripts through post-production and distribution.
- Both Winners will connect with two-time Oscar-nominated producer MARIA GRACIA TURGEON for project and career guidance, receive a film festival strategy package from Tribeca programmer KIMBERLEY BROWNING, and have the opportunity to have their completed films circulated to select members of our Industry Roster.
- Top 5 Finalists (production grant) will receive feedback on their script from one of our esteemed Judges.
- Top 15 Finalists (production grant) will have the opportunity to have their scripts circulated to select members of our Industry Roster and Directors.
- Finalists (finishing funds) will receive feedback on the rough cut of their film from award-winning production company Vanishing Angle.

The Short Film Fund accepts submissions from writers, directors, and producers from around the world for narrative short films (live-action & animation), web series pilots, and proof-of-concept shorts for TV series and features.

Projects submitting for the Production Grant must submit a screenplay written in English; however, the production can be filmed in any country and in any language (English subtitles in the finished film are required). We are open to working with writer/directors and directors already attached to the project, including first-time directors. If you are a standalone writer, we can assist in attaching a director and team to the project, if needed.

Projects submitting for Finishing Funds must submit a link to a rough cut, scene assembly, dailies, and/or trailer. For non-English language films, please provide English-language subtitles. You will also be asked to submit a screenplay of the project.

We do not seek to obtain any rights over your script or the finished film at any time. For those who take the funding, we ask for a production company credit and access to promotional material for the short film to promote the project and Fund in the future.

READ MORE ABOUT OUR PREVIOUSLY FUNDED FILMS: https://www.shorescripts.com/historyoftheshortfilmfund/