QUICKDRAW'S FILM FINISHING FUND

So, you've spent weeks/months/years lovingly crafting a brand new animation and now you've finally finished your film - but what do you do with it now? As another installment into our How To Finish Your Film series, we've created a funding pool to help you create the files you will need for film festival submissions!

WHAT'S IN THIS GUIDE:

• What is this the Film Finishing Fund?
• Is my film eligible for this funding?
• I have a finished film! How do I apply to the fund?
• So now that I have all these files, what next?

Once you have read through and made sure your project is eligible, you can find the submission form for the Film Finishing Fund HERE. The objective of this fund is to lower some of the expenses that come along even after your film is at the submission stage, and to encourage members to submit their films to festivals!

WHAT IS THIS THE FILM FINISHING FUND?

The Quickdraw Film Finishing Fund is a fund available to Quickdraw Members to get their films ready for submitting to festivals big and small. The Film Finishing Fund provides funding to cover the cost of creating a 4k DCP file as well as english-language captioning for completed works of animation. DCP (Digital Cinema Package) files are widely used by festivals as their preferred format as most digital cinema projectors in theatres are configured for DCP files, so many festivals will need you to send a DCP file if your film is selected for their program.

IS MY FILM ELIGIBLE FOR THIS FUNDING?

This funding is only available to Quickdraw Producing members in good standing – if you aren’t currently a member, you are able to pick up a membership through our website for $50. 

This funding is also available for films that are “festival ready.’” Meaning that your film must be finished, and the file you send to us would be the same one you’d send off to festivals. If your film is still a work in progress, finish it before you submit it to this fund. Similarly, Quickdraw reserves the right to not fund films that contain content that goes against our community standards. You can find our policy statement here.

HOW DO I APPLY FOR THIS FUNDING?

If you are interested in getting this funding for your own film, please fill out this google form and make sure that your project files are attached. If you’re having trouble uploading your film file, shoot an email over to production@quickdrawanimation.ca to get a hand.

IS MY FILM GUARANTEED TO GET THIS FUNDING?

We will accept as many applications as we can but we have a limited pool of funding - so we will be working on a first-come, first-serve basis for funding delivering with a slight preference to works made in the past 12 months. If you are thinking of submitting a film that is over 20 minutes in length, please contact us to see if it is eligible before submitting. Our goal with this funding is to make films more accessible to our audiences and provide support in getting as many finished films from our community out into the wide world, so please apply with films that are ready for premiering.

SO NOW THAT I HAVE ALL THESE FILES, WHAT NEXT?

Apply for festivals! Check out our festival tracker sheet here for a list of Quickdraw-recommended festivals that you can submit your film to, and browse through the links and resources section below. Make sure you double-check the deadlines and submission requirements for the festivals that you want to send your film to ahead of time, as festivals open and close for submissions at all times of the year. Many animation festivals are free, and most paid festivals will offer an early bird submission deadline for a reduced price.

As part of QAS’ ongoing efforts to support the independent animation community, What To Do When You Finish A Film is meant for any emerging filmmaker who wants to share their work with new audiences and make new connections in the world of animation. Thank you to our funder Calgary Arts Development for making the Film Finishing Fund possible.