Organizer Information
Jerome Foundation is a philanthropic organization supporting artists and arts organizations, with a focus on artistic development, experimentation, equity, and community engagement. Its Minnesota Filmmaker Mentorship Grant is offered every two years to support early-career film directors based in Minnesota. The program provides funding for self-designed mentorship connected to a specific original film project, helping filmmakers strengthen their directing craft, technical abilities, and professional skills.
Title & Description
2027 Minnesota Filmmaker Mentorship Grant Program
The 2027 Minnesota Filmmaker Mentorship Grant provides up to $10,000 for early-career Minnesota film directors to pursue customized mentorship with experienced directors or other film professionals. Mentorship must be connected to a specific short- or long-form film project in experimental, narrative, animation, documentary, or hybrid forms.
Supported activities can address artistic, technical, or business development, including storytelling, cinematography, editing, animation, working with actors, community relationships, marketing, distribution, fundraising, and other professional skills. The program is designed as a mentorship grant rather than a production grant, with activities taking place during the May 2027–April 2029 grant period.
Categories
- Film
- Experimental Film
- Narrative Film
- Documentary
- Animation
- Hybrid / Experimental Media
Eligibility
The opportunity is open to early-career film directors who are Minnesota residents. Applicants must:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Have lived in Minnesota for at least one year at the time of application.
- Plan to remain a Minnesota resident for at least 183 days during the May 2027–April 2029 grant period.
- Have 2–10 years of experience directing their own films, with priority given to directors in their 2nd–5th year.
- Have at least two completed film projects totaling at least 10 minutes, including publicly screened work created outside a degree program where applicable.
- Primarily work as film directors and retain creative, editorial, budgetary, and artistic control of the proposed project.
- Hold the copyright to the proposed film.
Co-directing teams of two may apply jointly if both directors independently meet the eligibility requirements. Applicants do not need U.S. citizenship but must have a Social Security Number or ITIN for tax purposes.
Filmmakers with more than 10 years of generative practice, current degree-program enrollment, certain major awards, substantial commercial film support, or qualifying commercial/studio directing credits are ineligible. Previous Jerome Foundation award recipients are also ineligible.
Program Benefits & Awards
- Grant of up to $10,000.
- Self-designed mentorship with experienced directors or film professionals.
- Mentorship can develop artistic, technical, and/or business skills.
- Eligible expenses may include mentor fees, filmmaking conferences, residencies, networking and pitch sessions, travel, lodging, per diem, childcare, legal or accounting consultation, distribution and fundraising support, and promotional website development.
- Equipment and software purchases are eligible for up to 25% of the award.
- Mentorship may take place at different stages of film production.
- Grant activities must occur between May 2027 and April 2029.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- September 2, 2026: Step 1 application opens
- September 10, 2026: Informational webinar
- September 15, 2026: Step 1 CV & Work Sample webinar
- October 1, 2026, before 4:00 PM Central Time: Step 1 deadline
- October 15, 2026: Step 1 application-status notification
- October 21, 2026: Step 2 application webinar
- November 24, 2026, before 4:00 PM Central Time: Step 2 deadline
- December 2026–March 2027: Panel meetings and recommendations
- No later than March 31, 2027: Application-status notification
- May 2027: Public announcement of grantees
- May 2027–April 2029: Grant-funding period and eligible mentorship activities
Late or incomplete applications are not accepted.
Location
Minnesota, United States
Additional Details
The program evaluates applications according to Impact, Creative Vision and Risk, and Feasibility, alongside alignment with Jerome Foundation's values. Applicants are expected to articulate why the proposed mentorship is timely, identify appropriate mentors, and explain how the mentorship will advance their filmmaking practice and related project.
AI-generated or AI-augmented work samples are not accepted, except where an artist's practice deliberately and meaningfully explores AI and this is disclosed. AI may be used for limited application-preparation tasks such as proofreading, translation, or summarization, but the substance and ideas of the application must remain the applicant's own.
The application is intentionally divided into two steps: only applicants who satisfy the eligibility requirements in Step 1 proceed to the full Step 2 application.