The Alliance for Downtown Manhattan has open submissions for their Filmmaker in Chief creative residency to produce, direct and edit a short film in New York City’s Lower Manhattan neighborhood. One filmmaker will win up to $50,000, plus two months in a paid luxury Mint House apartment and two months’ stipend to produce, direct and edit a short film in New York City’s Lower Manhattan neighborhood.
The winner will have full creative license to create a film that falls within a PG-13 rating, and any genre and style is welcome. The short film must feature Lower Manhattan, whether as a backdrop for a dramatic short, the subject of a documentary or simply a visible source of inspiration. Contestants must submit a film treatment that highlights how Lower Manhattan will be featured, plus make a one-minute video explaining why their film idea is the best pick. This should not be a promotional video for the neighborhood, but simply a film that features Lower Manhattan nicely within its story.
Lower Manhattan has inspired filmmakers for generations. The neighborhood’s one square mile is filled with dramatic streetscapes, steeped in rich history — a unique set of inspirations for filmmakers on shows like on HBO’s “Succession,” Spike Lee’s “Inside Man,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” and the classic 1949 musical, “On the Town.”
Submissions are due at filmdowntown.nyc by Friday, February 16 at 11:59pm ET. Five finalists will be selected to have their treatments and videos evaluated by a jury of Lower Manhattan culture and film titans. One winner will be selected, and be notified by the Alliance around Tuesday, March 5th.
You can find more on the Filmmaker in Chief creative residency — including fine print, FAQs, submission requirements and more — here. Submit here
