An alternate funding option for smaller filmmakers will soon be a reality in North Carolina. Cucalorus, in partnership with the North Carolina Film Office, is announcing a new film incentive for projects with budgets under a quarter of a million dollars.
Once the popular tax-rebate form of the film incentive expired in North Carolina and legislators replaced it with a grant fund, film production in the state dropped significantly. With those big-budget films and longer-running television series also went the support structure for smaller projects.
But this new film grant, says Cucalorus Executive Director Dan Brawley, will develop North Carolina film production through a bottom-up approach.
"We are creating a fund, an independent filmmakers’ fund, called Filmed in NC, which will support projects with budgets under $250,000, will give out a range of different awards, ranging from $500 to $3,000, for filmmakers who live in North Carolina who are making films in North Carolina."
Eligible producers include both emerging talent and better-established filmmakers who work outside the system, says Brawley.
Filmed in NC will start accepting applications December 1st. This year, the fund has a total of ten-thousand dollars to give away, but Brawley says he hopes to attract matching funds as the program gets established.
For information on or tickets for this year's Cucalorus Film Festival or Cucalorus Connect visitwww.cucalorus.org.
