When it comes to fostering female directing talent, support and mentorship can’t come soon enough. To that end, a group of producers, media companies, and film organizations have come together to launch the Horizon Award for college students and recent grads.
According to the press release, the recipient of the inaugural award will receive “an all-expense paid trip to the 2015 Sundance Film Festival under the mentorship of Christine Vachon (Boys Don’t Cry, Kill Your Darlings), Lynette Howell (Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines), Cassian Elwes (Dallas Buyers Club, Lee Daniels’ The Butler), and other prominent power players (such as Michelle Satter of Sundance Institute and Cathy Schulman of Women In Film) in order to give them some insight into the film business and its inner workings.”
Applicants can submit a short film (two minutes or less) from now until the deadline on November 30, 2014 to the Horizon Award’s website (www.horizonaward.org). The winner will chosen by Vachon, Howell, Elwes, and a panel of notable female directors (to be announced later).
Participating sponsors also include Twitter, Vimeo, The Black List, Sundance Institute, Women In Film, and Indiegogo.
Here’s where you can show your support for women directors. The Horizon org has begun fundraising today to raise the $15,000 to fund the award and help cover travel, lodging, and any other necessary expenditures in Park City, as well as the further development of the award in years to come. The first $5,000 will be matched by Elwes.
Contribute to the Indiegogo campaign here.