Inaugural IF/Then x Hulu Short Documentary Lab Call

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Logo for if/then Hulu call
If/Then and Hulu have partnered for a year-long documentary lab.

Field of Vision‘s IF/Then Shorts initiative and Hulu Documentary Films have just announced a partnership that will offer $100,000 in grants and a year-log lab focused on development and distribution for short-documentary filmmakers based in North America. The IF/Then Shorts initiative was founded in 2017 as part of the Tribeca Film Institute and became part of Field of Vision after the institute put an indefinite end to their film programs in 2020.

The inaugural IF/Then x Hulu Short Documentary Lab will chose four film-making teams participate in a one-year lab focused on short-documentary production and career training. Each team will receive a $25,000 grant to use towards the production of their film.

The first six months of the lab will provide mentorship to the filmmakers by IF/Then staff.  Filmmakers will also be invited to debut their rough cuts to an invitation-only audience and receive feedback. The second half of the program will provide high-level festival and distribution strategy consultations, guidance on the creation of publicity materials, and pro-bono legal support. Hulu will have the right to review the projects for potential acquisition or further development.

This opportunity will be open to individuals living in/from North America, with an emphasis on Black and/or Indigenous filmmakers, people of color, women, LGBTQ+, recent immigrants, and individuals who identify as having a disability.

In addition to the identity eligibility of the maker and the theme, eligible IF/Then Shorts projects must meet the following criteria:

  • Be an original short documentary with a final duration of 10-20 minutes
  • Be completed within six to nine months of receiving the IF/Then Shorts grant
  • Be factually accurate, follow best practices in documentary ethics, and be designed for a U.S. audience
  • Be driven by (a) compelling character(s), with access to the character(s) secured
  • Be presented in English or subtitled in English
  • Have no prior distribution attached and be able to participate in the IF/Then Shorts distribution initiative
  • All stories and storytellers coming from countries and territories in North America. This includes the United States and its territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa,) Canada, Greenland, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Venezuela, and countries in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Clipperton Island, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Saba, St. Andres and Providencia, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Key dates:

  • January 15, 2021: Open call for IF/Then x Hulu Short Documentary Lab
  • March 31, 2021: Finalists announced
  • April 5, 2021: Virtual Program Kickoff

Applications can be found at: https://airtable.com/shrDyo0dPGh7HcBZG

About :

John Rodzvilla is an Assistant Professor at Emerson College and author of “Project Management for Book Publishers.” He teaches digital publishing in the Writing, Literature, and Publishing department at Emerson.

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