How to Apply

To give the New Zealand screen industry its best chance of success we need strong and new ideas. We need stories that resonate. NZWG believes that our primary storytellers need to be unleashed and offered diverse pathways for developing these stories. Allowing writers space to find their voices will see new and fresh perspectives emerge to enrich the industry and the country.

The goal of these New Zealand Film Commission funded grants is to create an opportunity for writers to create the feature film scripts they believe in. Seed and Seed Advanced provides unencumbered development funding specifically for writers only.

?Seed Advanced acknowledges experienced writers by offering a higher grant level and flexibility around development costs.

The NZWG Seed grants allow writers to be innovative, brilliant, and to create something they own, just as they see it. A producer is not required to access the grant. The writer must be the rights holder in the work. Whether the work is original or an adaptation, the writer must hold and maintain the rights in the work when entering and while they are a current recipient of a grant

Seed

NZWG Seed Grants are offered over two rounds with a total of eight grants of $10,000 (+ any applicable GST) per year for the development of a first draft of a feature film script. Seed is open to emerging writers who haven’t yet written and had produced a feature film. Included in each grant is $2,500 (+ any applicable GST) to put toward script consultation.

Seed Advanced

NZWG Seed Advanced Grants are offered over two rounds with a total of four grants of $12,500 (+ any applicable GST) per year for the development of feature film scripts. Seed Advanced is open to established writers who have more than 90 minutes of scripted broadcast credits. Included in each grant is $2,500 (+ any applicable GST) for further development of the feature film script. This can include (but is not limited to) workshops, table reads, research and multiple script consultants.

Applicants can only apply to one fund per round – either Seed or Seed Advanced. One or more applications may be submitted per round. Further information on eligibility and how to apply can be found below in GUIDELINES.

1. See the website for instruction if you are a member or non-member of the NZ Writer’s Guild

2. Hover above the orange ‘+Add New Service’ button and select ‘Seed Fund‘

3. Add the script title, pathway and at least one writer name. These are compulsory fields. After these are added, you can save the record.

4. Logline, Synopsis and Potential Audience need to be filled in before you submit your application, however, you can add these at a later date.

5. After saving your Seed Fund record, you will see 4 file records. You need to click on each record to upload your files. When the file record opens, click the Edit button, then click the Upload button to select your file. Click Save and close the file.

6. After saving & closing your files, click the ‘Refresh’ button at the top of the screen and you should see all your files are uploaded.

7. Once all 4 files are uploaded, click on the ‘+ Add a Payment’ button and select your payment type.

8.  Once payment is completed, click the large ‘Submit’ button at the top of your screen. If you have missed any steps then you will receive a message to let you know.  If all the steps are complete, then you will receive a success message and the Seed Fund status will show as ‘Submitted’.

Seed Guide*

Seed Advanced Guide*

• Check which grant you are eligible for in the Guide(s) – Seed OR Seed Advanced

• Remove your name(s) & identifying details from the Assessment Materials

• Ensure the Script Sample is for the same project as in the application

• The writer is the rights holder. Whether the work is original or an adaptation, the writer must hold and maintain the rights in the work when entering and while they are a current recipient of a grant

• You can only apply to one fund per round – either Seed or Seed Advanced.

• You can apply with more than one application per round

?2018 Dates

Round One

Opens Friday 02 Feb 2018

Closes Friday 06 April 2018 (midday)

Round Two

Opens Friday 06 July 2018

Closes Friday 07 September 2018 (midday)

With thanks to the

New Zealand Film Commission

for their support.