Help Send Two Young Women Directors to Sundance

An Indiegogo campaign is seeking funds to help send two young female filmmakers to the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. The goal is to raise $20,000, which will cover all of their Park City-related expenses and a $1,000 cash prize.

Independent film producers Cassian Elwes (“Dallas Buyers Club”), Lynette Howell (“Mississippi Grind”) and Christine Vachon (“Carol”) created the Horizon Award last year in an effort to diversify the male-dominated field of directing.

“Our hope is that this initiative will help us identify talent early so that we can support these young female filmmakers as they navigate the hurdles that exist in our business,” said Elwes. Women in Film President Cathy Schulman released a statement that suggested awards of this kind offer “real-life experiences and hands-on mentorship,” which are “foundational requirements to help women in media be active in overcoming gender disparity.”

Last year’s recipient of the Horizon Award, Verónica Ortiz-Calderón, described the prize as “life-changing” and noted that it “gives voice and meaning to stories and people that might otherwise be silent and forgotten.” The Syracuse University student’s film, “Y Ya No Te Gustas” (“And You Don’t Like Yourself Anymore”) was selected to screen at the the fest from more than 400 submissions. Since Sundance 2015, Ortiz-Calderón has produced a second short film and attended the Cannes Film Festival.

If you’d like to contribute to this worthy cause, head over to the Horizon Award’s Indiegogo page.

If you’re interested in applying to the award, submit a self-directed film that is two minutes or less to the Horizon Award’s website, where you can also find eligibility details. The deadline to submit an application is December 14.