How the Fund Works
What Do We Do?
The Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund is an incubator program for emerging filmmakers in the Baltimore area. Every year, a new cohort of Fellows goes through our cornerstone lab — StoryLab — and receives professional mentorship as they develop their projects. Once accepted into the cohort, fellows are also eligible to apply for funding in one of three categories: production, development, and screenplay.
Open Call for New Cohort
June - September
In mid-June, applications open for a new cohort of Fellows. We are looking for a diverse pool of Fellows working on a wide range of projects including documentary, fiction, features, shorts, virtual reality, and emerging technologies. Applications are accepted and evaluated on a rolling basis through early September.
Fellows Announced
Early October
In early October, all applicants are notified about the status of their applications. If accepted, Fellows will be expected to attend StoryLab in order to secure their position in the cohort. If you apply and are not accepted, we offer the option to receive feedback on your application. We encourage applicants to try again next year if they apply with a new project or a substantially reworked version of a previously-submitted project.
StoryLab
Late October
StoryLab is the cornerstone of the Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund. Over three days, all new Fellows will collaborate with one another and a group of industry veteran Advisors to further develop their stories. StoryLab culminates with a pitch session, showcasing each project’s progress.
Mentorship & Funding Applications
November - February
Following StoryLab, each Fellow meets one-on-one with SZIF Director, who will then pair each Fellow with a Mentor to help support the Fellow’s funding application. Fellows can request funding in one of three areas, (depending on what stage their project is in): screenplay, development, and production. Funding applications will be due in late February.
Funded Fellows
Early Spring
Funding notifications are sent out in the early spring and vary in amount based on the type of funding requested. SZIF funding is based on a set of deliverables specific to each project. Once funded, Fellows work with the Fund to develop their individual project schedule and schedule of deliverables.
Ongoing Education & Networking
Spring - Summer
Throughout the spring and summer, SZIF holds a series of Labs and Workshops, some of which are open to the general public. Every year, we hold a Doc Lab and Screenplay Lab. Other past Labs include Legal Lab, Producer’s Lab, and Distribution Lab. All Labs are led by industry professionals with veteran expertise in their field.
