Frequently Asked Questions

  • Initial application period for the 2025-2026 cohort will open on June 16 and will close September 5. Fellows will be announced October 14.

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

    ·      StoryLab — *REQUIRED FOR ALL NEW FELLOWS* October 17-19, 2025

    ·      Legal Workshop - TBD

    ·      Screenplay Lab - April 16-19, 2026

    ·      DocLab - April 16-19, 2026

    ·      Production Lab - TBD

    PLEASE NOTE: All labs are in person.

  • Applicants may apply individually or in teams.

  • Fellows in each round are treated as a new cohort, which means that even though you have participated as a Fellow in the past, you must first participate in the 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.

  • The Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund has emphasized film development, mentorship and production, and has not accepted applicants whose projects are at the post production stage. 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 post production, nor do we offer any completion 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.

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

  • When you become a Fellow, you participate in programs workshops and labs, and connected with industry mentors and advisors. Becoming a fellow also means you can apply to us 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.

  • Current Saul Zaentz Fellows.

  • Applications for funding for the 2025-2026 Cohort will open in late 2025, and are due back to us mid February 2026.