The AMPAS Festival Grants Committee Chair Buffy Shutt, announced earlier in the week that the Academy would be awarding 450,000 dollars to film festivals in the upcoming year. The academy had this to say about their Film Festival Grants program.
"While the grants are awarded for a variety of festival programs, organizers are encouraged to submit proposals intended to make festival events more accessible to the general public, provide greater access to minority and less visible filmmakers, and help strengthen the connection between filmmakers and the general public".Over the past 11 years the AMPAS Festival Grants Committee has given out over 4 million in funding through 252 grants to Film Festivals all across the country. In addition "The Academy Foundation," the cultural and educational department of the Academy, hands out more than 1 million dollars a year to cultural events and film festivals in the US and abroad as well.
One of the biggest problems for any artist is getting their work out to the public. Many artists go unnoticed despite their talent and grants, like those given out by the AMPAS, are a great way to uncover hidden treasures that might otherwise go unnoticed. Also, by subsidizing the festivals the organizers can charge less money for admission which in turn provides all the exhibitors a wider audience to showcase their work to.
The funds issued by the AMPAS are being allocated as follows.
More information on the Academies generous "grants program" can be found here http://www.oscars.org/50,000
Chicago International Film Festival – World Cinema Spotlight program
$30,000
San Francisco International Film Festival – World Cinema Spotlight program
Seattle International Film Festival – Asian Trade Winds spotlight program
$25,000
Mill Valley Film Festival – Youth Focus and Children’s FilmFest programs
Nashville Film Festival – Outreach to multiethnic and underserved audiences
New Orleans Film Festival – Outreach and emerging filmmakers programs
$20,000
Chicago Latino Film Festival – Children’s film screenings and filmmaker talks
Cleveland International Film Festival – Women of the World program
Traverse City Film Festival – Visiting filmmaker program
Portland International Film Festival – Hispanic Film Showcase and Cine-Lit program
$17,500
Ashland Independent Film Festival – Education and accessibility programs
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival – Retrospective Artist Spotlight
Native American Film & Video Festival – Native Networks conference
New York International Children’s Film Festival – Girls’ POV program
San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival – Filmmaker Spotlight, Filmmaker Retrospectives and Out of the Vaults programs
$15,000
Roger Ebert’s Film Festival – Q & A sessions and panel discussions
$10,000
Woodstock Film Festival – Exposure program
Aspen Shortsfest – Youth education program
KidFilm – Free tickets and outreach program
San Luis Obispo International Film Festival – Women-focused discussions, screenings and
workshops
$6,000
Anchorage International Film Festival – Filmmaker travel
$5,500
Binational Independent Film Festival – Filmmaker travel and free screenings/seminars
Black Maria Film & Video Festival – Filmmaker travel
$5,000
Port Townsend Film Festival – Community involvement program
San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival – Focus on Sri Lanka program
United Nations Association Film Festival – UNAFF and Kids program
$3,000
Arizona International Film Festival – Filmmaker travel
$2,500
Damn! These Heels – Filmmaker travel
JFilm: The Pittsburgh Jewish Film Forum – Audience development efforts
Saugatuck Children’s Film Festival – Outreach to underserved children
John Bobst