Frequently Asked Questions

Filmmakers who currently reside in the Greater Baltimore area are eligible to apply.

Initial application period for the 2026-2027 cohort will open on August 11 and will close on September 22. Fellows will be announced in early October.

Applicants may apply individually or in teams.

Yes, you may submit more than one project. However, we only accept one project per person or team. If more than one project is eligible, you will choose between the two.

Current Saul Zaentz Fellows are eligible to apply for funding.

Previous Fellows who are still Baltimore residents are eligible to apply to the Fund with a new project. Applying with a project that was previously considered is only possible if the application shows the project is materially different than a previous version.

Previous Fellows who are still Baltimore residents are eligible to apply to the Fund as long as they are applying with new, or materially different, projects.

Labs for the 2025-2026 cohort of Fellows will be held as follows:  

·      StoryLab — *REQUIRED FOR ALL NEW FELLOWS* October 23-25, 2026 

·      Screenplay Lab – Spring 2027 (TBD) 

·      DocLab – Spring 2027 (TBD) 

PLEASE NOTE: All Labs are in person.

Applications for funding for the 2026-2027 Cohort will open in late 2026 and will be due back to us mid-February 2027.

No. The Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund is open and eligible to filmmakers of all ages and backgrounds. Currently, our youngest Fellow was 16 and our oldest Fellow was 72.

The most appropriate times to apply are when you are in development or early production on your project. If your project is completed, we do not provide postproduction or distribution grants. We are doing a trial edit program, as well as building out Distribution Labs.

The Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund emphasizes mentorship through film development and production. We are running a small postproduction pilot this year to help us evaluate the potential for expanding the program beyond development and production. However, at present, we do not accept applications for projects that are in postproduction, nor do we offer completion funding.

All Fellows participate in Labs and are connected with industry mentors and advisors. Becoming a Fellow also means you can apply for development or production funding but does not automatically generate funding for your project. Each new cohort begins in October, and members of the cohort are then eligible to apply for funding for their project the following February.

Applicants may apply with projects that were not accepted in previous rounds if the project is materially different their original proposal.

Fellows in each round are treated as a new cohort. Even though you may have participated as a Fellow in the past, you must first participate in StoryLab and mentoring with the current cohort in order to be eligible to apply for funding. Only Fellows who have been accepted into and participated in the current year’s StoryLab and mentoring will be eligible to apply for funding in any given year.

Deliverables are either tangible materials (BTS photos, footage, rough cuts, etc.) from your project or detailed proofs of concept (storyboards, shot lists, scripts, signed contracts, etc.) This will be determined by the Fellow, based on the stage of development or production that their project is in, and must be approved by the Director before submitting their first award for payment.