Who Are We?
The Pandora Short Film Grant is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that awards an annual $12,000 Grant to a US filmmaker for the production of their short, narrative film. In addition, the Grant winner and three Finalists receive camera rental hookups from our sponsor, Panavision (worth thousands of dollars), hookups from our sponsor, Kodak, mentorship from award-winning filmmakers, and as much support as we can give to help the selected films get made. We accept projects that are at script stage as well projects that have already filmed and are looking for finishing funds.
Why?
Narrative short films are notoriously hard to raise money for—the minimal financial returns make it rare for investors to fund a short. And yet, short films are a vital part of our cinematic landscape and an important medium for emerging filmmakers. We aim to give a big boost to US filmmakers with a bold vision.
Who Can Apply?
All US filmmakers! If you’ve made a film before, great. If not, no worries! Along with your script and pitch materials, there will be an opportunity to submit any kinds of works of art you’ve made in the past (previous films, photography, music, drawings, writings, etc.). We put more weight on artistic vision than long industry resumes. The winner and finalists are chosen blindly based on script and pitch materials with no consideration of age, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
It's Free!
We’re a nonprofit, and don’t charge filmmakers to apply! Our Grants are funded by private and public donations. Visit our Donations page if you’re interested in making a donation to our Grant program.
2024 Mentors
Our mentors are offered to the Grant winner as well as three finalists. They offer script reviews, 1-on-1 Zoom meetings, and general guidance towards the execution of selected films.
Nikyatu Jusu
Director
Nikyatu’s feature film, Nanny, won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance ’22. Her short films have competed at Sundance and appeared on HBO. The rights to her next feature film have been won by Universal Studios. She teaches film as an assistant professor at George Mason University.
Erica Tremblay
Director
Erica Tremblay’s films have played at Sundance and SXSW. She was a director and writer on the FX show, Reservation Dogs, and her first feature film, Fancy Dance, is now streaming worldwide on Apple TV.
Michael Tyburski
Director
Michael Tyburski is an award-winning director known for his feature film, The Sound of Silence, which premiered at Sundance in 2019. His upcoming feature, Turn Me On, has been picked up by IFC Films.
Walter Thompson-Hernandez
Director
Walter’s short, If I Go Will They Miss Me, won the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at Sundance ’22. His upcoming feature, The Compton Cowboys, is in development at Searchlight Pictures.
Matt Clegg
Cinematographer
Matt’s films have played at Sundance, Venice, and Locarno. A recent film, Socks On Fire, won Best Feature at Tribeca. Another recent film, Bad Shabbos, won the Audience Award at Tribeca.
Nikyatu Jusu
Director
Nikyatu’s feature film, Nanny, won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance ’22. Her short films have competed at Sundance and appeared on HBO. The rights to her next feature film have been won by Universal Studios. She teaches film as an assistant professor at George Mason University.
Erica Tremblay
Director
Erica Tremblay’s films have played at Sundance and SXSW. She was a director and writer on the FX show, Reservation Dogs, and her first feature film, Fancy Dance, is now streaming worldwide on Apple TV.
Michael Tyburski
Director
Michael Tyburski is an award-winning director known for his feature film, The Sound of Silence, which premiered at Sundance in 2019. His upcoming feature, Turn Me On, has been picked up by IFC Films.
Walter Thompson-Hernandez
Director
Walter’s short, If I Go Will They Miss Me, won the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at Sundance ’22. His upcoming feature, The Compton Cowboys, is in development at Searchlight Pictures.
Matt Clegg
Cinematographer
Matt’s films have played at Sundance, Venice, and Locarno. A recent film, Socks On Fire, won Best Feature at Tribeca. Another recent film, Bad Shabbos, won the Audience Award at Tribeca.
FAQ
What kinds of narrative films win your Grant?
All kinds! We don’t favor any particular genre or style. Don’t worry about trying to appease our tastes—we connect with all kinds of films. Just send us something that is uniquely from you.
Who decides the Grant winner and finalists?
A small team of filmmakers review each submission carefully. They discuss the projects amongst themselves, at length, and decide the winner and finalists. We don’t publish our review team’s names to prevent soliciting and to keep the process as blind as possible.
Do you give feedback on submissions?
We would love to, but our review team donates their time reviewing submissions and, due to time contstraints, it’s unfortunately not possible to also have them give feedback.
What kind of privacy measures do you take?
We take privacy very seriously. Submitted materials are never shared publicly. Your data is never shared with third parties. There are zero ownership rights conferred to us for anything you submit or send to us.
Who funds the Grant?
The Grant is publicly funded by folks interested in supporting US narrative short films. Maybe that’s you? We are always accepting donations. Visit our Donation Page to help out.
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