Industry Relations Newsstand

07/10/2025

Los Angeles has returned to present a fifth year of NewNarratives, a content program built to identify emerging global artists by tapping into NFMLA’s community and extensive pool of artistic talent. The NewNarratives initiative advances, funds and amplifies unique, innovative creators whose narratives, stories, and characters transcend borders and dismantle convention. The 2025 edition has been made possible thanks to support from the Rhulen Family Foundation in honor of the late independent film producer Anthony Rhulen.

NewNarratives seeks to discover original, authentic work with a strong point of view and identify compelling storytelling that speaks to contemporary themes in innovative and resonant ways. Free from any set parameters on theme and genre, episodic or feature film concepts that push convention are at the program’s core.

NewNarratives will award $25,000 usd total in funding. The first grant category is made up of four (4) artist grants in the amount of $5,000 usd each, which will support short films, feature films, episodic series, live-action, fiction, documentaries, experimental works, and/or animation projects at any stage of production. This includes concept development, early development, pre-production, production, post-production, and audience strategy.

This year, we are proud to announce two new funding partners, The and . These organizations have joined forces with NFMLA to support storytellers whose projects focus on themes of environmental awareness, including issues that impact our climate, ecosystems, communities, and more. This second grant category is made up of one (1) $5,000usd grant specifically for short films in post-production that align with climate and/or environmental consciousness (fiction, documentary, live-action, or animation).

07/10/2025

APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN FOR BERLANIE TALENTS 2026

Take your skillset and career to the next level, with expert advice and creative contributions from the industry's finest, while forging enduring connections with peers and colleagues from all over the world. As the Berlinale's talent development programme, we invite the world’s top 200 emerging filmmakers to Berlin each year and this is your opportunity to be recognised as one of them and become a member of the international Talents family, a global network of film professionals spanning continents and disciplines. Apply now and prepare for an incomparable week of talks, workshops, think-tanks and networking from February 13-18, 2026.

APPLICATIONS

Berlinale Talents is the festival’s hub for creativity, collaboration and discovery and we invite you to join our vibrant community, working towards a better, fairer future for the film industry. Please spread the news by sharing with your networks so that our invitation reaches as many talented film professionals as possible.

Apply by September 3, 2025, 12:00 noon (CEST)
Full details at: www.berlinale-talents.de

07/03/2025

Apply to MNFF's New Creative Distribution Mentorship
Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival
Deadline Extended to July 20

Calling all first-time feature makers!

Our inaugural Creative Distribution Mentorship offers emerging filmmakers a guided path through their first distribution rodeo. Submissions to our 12-week facilitated mentorship program will be accepted through July 20, 2025.

Selected applicants will showcase their works-in-progress at our August festival in Middlebury, and then join an intimate cohort of emerging doc and feature filmmakers who will receive expert feedback and mentor support as they explore avenues for their film’s public distribution and exhibition.

Read more about submission requirements on FilmFreeway...and apply today!

Extended deadline: July 20.

06/17/2025

The deadline for the HAF Film Lab 2025 is just two weeks away! Not only will you have access to the public lectures, but the shortlisted project teams will also have the chance to receive one-on-one consultations with the experienced mentors. Don’t miss out on this chance to engage with industry veterans. Submit your application now!

| Eligibility |
60 minutes or longer Chinese feature film projects with a full Chinese script;
Projects currently in the pre-production or early-production stage;
Directors with experience directing no more than two feature films

| Awards |
Two Script Services Awards will be given out with free script consultation service. The winners will be granted automatic entry to the HKIFF Industry Project Market 2026

SUBMIT: https://industry.hkiff.org.hk/en/filmlab

05/01/2025

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

05/01/2025

Our USC student film YouTube channel is celebrating the Cannes Film Festival this month by premiering 5 USC student films that screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in the past, beginning with David Greenspan’s film “Bean Cake” which won the Palme d’Or prize in 2000. The other four films all previously screened in the Cinéfondation competition at the Cannes Film Festival. The films include “Blue City” by David Birdsell, “The Clock” by Noah Laracy, “Nebraska” by Olga Zurawska, and “19 at 11” by Michael Schwartz. Check out the playlist here:

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

05/01/2025

Claims Conference's 2025 - Emerging Filmmaker Contest

Recognizing the potential of movies to reach large numbers of people and to educate and spark powerful discussions, the Claims Conference is proud to announce applications are open for the Claims Conference's 2025 Short Film, Large Subject: Emerging Filmmaker Contest - a worldwide competition of emerging filmmakers to make short films about the Holocaust. The deadline for submission is June 16th. Learn more at http://film.claimscon.org

04/29/2025

The Inspired Screenwriting Competition

Submissions are now officially open! Check it out here:
http://www.inspiredscreenwriting.com

Competition Rules
· Your script must be between 80 - 120 pages
· All scripts need to be written in English or translated to English
· You must own the rights
· Scripts should be PDF format and have your name in the file name
· Try to keep it roughly in industry-standard screenplay format
· You must be 18 or older to submit
Early Deadline: April 11th 2025
Regular Submission Deadline: May 13th 2025
Late Deadline: July 15th 2025

04/25/2025

Calling all USC alum and students attending this year's 2025 Cannes Film Festival, you are cordially invited to come hang out with fellow Trojans by the pool for some wine and cheese.

Monday, May 19th from 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Hosted by USC SCA alumni Yelyna De Leon, Robert Corna and Sandrine Cassidy, and co-sponsored by the SCA Office of Industry Relations.

To RSVP, send an email with your graduation year/major to: [email protected]
If you have a film at the festival, please send info so we can spread the word!

Confirmation email include location and details. Please note you will have to be on the guest list to be admitted as it is a private event. You can also follow/tag us on IG to see/share photos from event.

Fight on!

Yelyna, Robert and Sandrine

04/25/2025

Film Independent Project Involve 2026
Below is an invitation to two upcoming virtual info sessions, May 2 and May 6. We also have an in-person panel on several Artist Development programs on Wednesday, April 30 at 7:30pm at our office. For over 30 years, Project Involve has been Film Independent’s most vital and impactful program, supporting filmmakers across several tracks: writing, directing, writing/directing, producing, cinematography, editing, programming, animation, and executive.

Fellows collaborate to develop and produce up to six original short films, from concept to the First Look Screening.

03/27/2025

https://deadline.com/2025/03/tyler-perry-the-dream-collective-short-film-program-1236348381/

Tyler Perry Studios is set to kick off the Dream Collective, a program designed to identify and cultivate the next wave of filmmakers

03/02/2025

Kicking off Women's History month on our YouTube channel with Aqsa Altaf's film "One Small Step".

Dasani, 9, attempts to juggle responsibilities of school and her younger siblings after her mother goes missing.🎬 Subscribe for more shorts 🎬: ...