September 2015 - Behind the Scenes - New Mexico Film Foundation

You want to make movies in New Mexico, but don’t know where to begin? One of the best places to start is the New Mexico Film Foundation (NMFF). A Not-For-Profit based in Santa Fe, NMFF is designed to help independent filmmakers move forward in their chosen profession.

The Foundation helps sponsor filmmakers working on independent documentary or pieces for humanitarian causes. This gives filmmakers the ability to apply for grants without having to form a 501c3. The filmmaker does all the paperwork, but the money is paid out to the Foundation, which is then distributed to the filmmaker, allowing filmmakers to focus on the art rather than the accounting.

The Foundation offers two other grants. The George R.R. Martin Grant, focusing on the sci-fi or fantasy genre for a feature length movie or pilot, requires screenwriters to submit a five-page sample of the script and story treatment. The second grant is the Lockheed Martin Grant. You must submit a one-page treatment for a 3-5 minute film. The subject must be space-travel related, sharing the emotional tolls and risks it brings. Both of these grants are for $5,000.

Several times a year the Foundation throws fundraisers in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. An incredible opportunity to rub shoulders with like-minded creatives in the industry, which the key to moving forward in a career of independent film.

Check out www.nmfilmfoundation.org for more details on how they can help network your idea and become financially stable in the film community.