The WAVE (Women At the Very Edge) Grant is devoted to helping emerging female and gender non-conforming BIPOC filmmakers tell their own “great f**king story.” Each year, we select five recipients to receive a $5,000 seed grant for the production of their first short film. Recipients also receive mentorship from our award-winning team with development, production, post-production, festival strategy, and more.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN UNTIL NOVEMBER 1, 2024

    • All applicants to the grant will be invited to participate in a free 5-part workshop series from Seed&Spark covering crowdfunding, pitching, budgeting, and distribution.

    • Top 20 finalists will receive a one-on-one consultation with a Seed&Spark crowdfunding expert

    • Recipients will receive a $5,000 seed grant for the production of their short film.

    • Recipients will receive a year-long mentorship program. The Wavelength team will assist with development, production, post-production, and distribution strategies.

    • Recipients will have the opportunity to screen their film during a special showcase at the Yellow Springs Film Festival

    • Wavelength’s WAVE Grant is for a short narrative film of approximately 10 minutes. Shorts already in production or post-production will not be considered.

    • Production of the short must be completed within 2025. Production cannot begin before Feb. 2025.

    • This project must be the applicant’s scripted directorial debut. Student films do not count as prior work. Applicants may have prior experience in the film industry but cannot have directed a scripted short or feature film before.

    • Applicants must own the copyright of their production and have budgetary and editorial control.

    • Applicants must identify as a member of the BIPOC community and identify as a woman or on the gender-nonconforming spectrum

    • Applicants must be based in the United States and will be required to provide proof of residency.

    • Student films, feature films, series and engagement/outreach campaigns will not be considered. Documentary concepts or films in need of finishing funds will not be considered.

    • Treatment – a brief overview of your film including synopsis, style and tone

    • Script (optional) – a script is not required but preferred if you have it.

    • Budget & Schedule – a first draft of the full budget and schedule through end of 2025. (We know this exercise may be daunting for first-time filmmakers. Do your best and have fun with it! We will use it as a baseline for determining what budgeting mentorship you may need.)

    • Resume/CV

    • Video pitch – 1-3 minute video introducing yourself and the project 


    • Applications open: August 30, 2024

    • Applications close: November 1, 2024 at 11:59pm PT

    • Interviews with finalists: January 2025

    • All applicants will be notified by January 31, 2025 of the status of their submission

    • WAVE Grant program begins: February 2025