Female Film Club to Launch Global Short-Film Fund at Cannes Film Festival

• Female Film Club is launching a €10,000 Global Short-Film Fund 
• The initiative represents a dedicated international fund
• It is designed specifically to support emerging directors regardless of geographical location

A €10,000 ($11,260) Global Short-Film Fund is being launched by the fast-growing international collective for women and non-binary directors ‘Female Film Club’ at the Cannes Film Festival. The scheme is a committed international fund created specifically to nurture up-and-coming directors irrespective of location.

The fund, whose applications will open on June 16, was born out of strategic collaborations with IMGN.AI, a maker of artificial intelligence software for filmmakers, and SMASH Media which is an IP-matchmaking platform that helps pair creators with producers and financiers.

The organization states that the fund will deliver one grant of €10,000 to create a short film. Eligibility is open to filmmakers who are women or non-binary from any nation, as long as their projects are in development or pre-production stages.

Entries will be subjected to review by an international board of leading women in the industry, a process intended to provide multiple viewpoints and equitable regional balance. The winners will be revealed at the BFI London Film Festival in October, with accepted applicants receiving an invitation to a London networking session involving mentors and potential co-production partners.

The co-founders of the organisation Liza van der Smissen and Nicole Lieberman said in a statement, saying, “We’ve built a community of over 55 nationalities and thousands of members. We know that access to funding is uneven – some regions have multiple grant opportunities, while others have none. This fund levels the playing field.”

They added, “We’re committed to supporting the very best regardless of geography. Whether you’re in Nairobi, New Delhi, or São Paulo, this fund is for you.”