AFAC: Cinema Grants

Arab Fund for Arts and Culture

Deadline: Jul 4, 2023 7:00am PDT

Grant amount: Up to US $10,000

Funding uses: Project / Program

Location of project: Anywhere in the world

Location of residency: Anywhere in the world

Location of citizenship: Algeria; Bahrain; Comoros; Djibouti; Egypt; Iraq; Jordan; Kuwait; Lebanon; Libya; Mauritania; Morocco; Oman; Palestine, State of; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Somalia; Sudan; Syrian Arab Republic; Tunisia; United Arab Emirates; Yemen Show all

Overview:

About Us

The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture - AFAC was founded in 2007 through the initiative of Arab cultural activists as an independent foundation to support individual artists, writers, researchers, intellectuals, as well as organizations from the Arab region working in the field of arts and culture. Since its launch, AFAC’s programs have steadily expanded to cover cinema, photography, visual and performing arts, creative and critical writings, music, documentary film, in addition to funding research, trainings and cultural events. Based in Beirut, AFAC works with artists and organizations all over the Arab region and the rest of the world.

Cinema Grant

The Cinema grant is open to all kinds of fiction film projects. The program welcomes submissions of short and medium-length narrative films in production and post-production and feature narratives that are in development, production or post-production phases.

The program provides annual grants ranging from a few thousand U.S. dollars up to a maximum of ten thousand U.S. dollars for Development grants, up to fifty thousand U.S. dollars for Production and a maximum of twenty-five thousand U.S. dollars for Post-production grants. For projects that have already started, AFAC will cover the expenses that will occur only after the signature of the contract if the project is selected.

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website.

Eligibility:

• AFAC only covers project-related expenses (including artist fees up to 30% of the total grant amount). 
  • The percentage of allocation to artist fees and institutional running costs has been exceptionally raised in 2020 and 2021 to account for the challenges brought about by the spread of COVID-19.
• A film producer is eligible to apply with a maximum of two projects per category per cycle provided the two projects are not attached to the same director.
  • However, if a film producer has one open grant, s/he can apply with one project.
• Applicants must choose only one program to apply to, if projects fit two different grant programs.
• Each applicant (individual or institution) is entitled to only one application in the same category.
• Projects may be implemented anywhere as long as they are created by Arab filmmakers.
  • Applicants are eligible if they are nationals (not necessarily citizens) of an Arab country living in the Arab region (for example, citizenless Palestinians, Kurds, or other individuals/groups denied citizenship for political reasons).
  • An Arab country is defined by its membership in the League of Arab States (Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen).
• Projects must be completed within 2 years of signing the contract, during which grantees are expected so submit the necessary financial and narrative reports.
• No grantee will be awarded more than two deadline extensions during the grant period; such extensions should be justified by the grantee and approved by AFAC.

Ineligibility:

• AFAC will not consider applications submitted by:
  • Members of the Board of Trustees, their business partners or family members.
  • AFAC staff members, their business partners or family members.
  • Members of the current year’s readers and jurors’ committees.
  • Recipients of two consecutive grants unless two years had passed since the last grant.
  • A director who already has an open grant from AFAC (whether the contract is in her/his name or in the producer’s name).
  • If a director has an application that is in process, s/he cannot submit another application in any category until the result of the current application in process is announced.
  • A film producer that has two open grants.
    • S/he is not eligible to apply before closing one grant at least.
  • If a grantee had received two grants one for development and one for production to the same film project, she/he cannot apply for post-production.
• Neither running operating costs nor purchase of equipment can be covered by the grant.
• AFAC does not offer scholarships.
• AFAC does not offer mobility grants.
  • Travel costs can be covered by the AFAC grant only when they are part of the implementation of a project.
• In the event that the grantee does not sign the grant contract within 60 days upon receipt thereof, the grant will be canceled. 
• AFAC will not provide support retroactively, i.e. to projects already completed