Minnesota Filmmaker Mentorship Grant
Minnesota Filmmaker Mentorship Grant supports early career Minnesota directors through self-designed, project-linked mentorships that strengthen directing craft and professional skills.
Funder: Jerome Foundation
Due Dates: October 1, 2026 (Step 1) | November 24, 2026 (Step 2, invitation only)
Funding Amounts: Up to $10,000; grant period May 2027–April 2029; up to two grants anticipated
Summary: Supports Minnesota-based early career film directors through self-designed, project-linked mentorship to strengthen directing craft and professional skills.
Key Information: Applicants must have no prior grants directly from Jerome Foundation and remain Minnesota residents through April 2029.
Description
The Jerome Foundation’s Minnesota Filmmaker Mentorship Grant supports early career directors pursuing self-designed mentorship with experienced directors or other film professionals. Mentorship must connect to a specific independent film project and advance the applicant’s directing craft or professional skills. Supported forms include short- and long-form experimental, narrative, animation, documentary, and hybrid work.
The Foundation seeks filmmakers who take creative risks, pursue innovative approaches, and demonstrate clear purpose and vision for imaginative storytelling. It values direct engagement with people involved in the filmmaking and relationships that benefit the filmmaker’s creative community and the wider field. The program prioritizes artistic and professional development rather than supplemental production funding.
