Made possible by a grant from the New York Community Trust

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• Only filmmakers who have completed principal photography and can submit a complete rough cut of the edited film are eligible to apply. You must have completed your rough cut/assembly in order to be considered for this finishing fund award.   No exceptions will be made—we will not review selected footage, partial assemblies, trailers, marketing reels, etc.
• We encourage quality projects in the documentary genre only. Preference will be given to projects that have a strategic plan for and reasonable chance of securing public distribution in the following arenas: theatrical release, broadcast or cable television, or educational/ancillary distribution (to schools, museums, or other institutions).
• We accept projects of any length. The length of your project should relate to your planned avenue of distribution.
• No student projects will be considered for funding. This includes thesis projects, and projects initiated while the applicant was a student.
• Applicants do not need to be members of International Documentary Association, although they are encouraged to join at www.documentary.org, as the discounts apply for all member entries. We do not waive entry fees.
• There are no geographic limitations for the Pare Lorentz Finishing Fund Award. We accept applications from filmmakers worldwide. However submitted materials must be accessible to English-speaking audiences or, at a minimum, have English subtitles, and all submitted DVDs must be viewable in NTSC/Region 1 or Region 0 (all regions) format.
• Projects must be RECEIVED (not postmarked) on or before Thursday, August 13, 2009 to be considered for the 2009 Pare Lorentz Finishing Fund Award granting cycle. No exceptions will be made and any applications and materials received after this date will not be considered or returned.
• If you are awarded the Pare Lorentz Finishing Fund Award, you MUST meet the crediting requirements as detailed in the Producer’s Warranty.

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1. Complete the application and provide all supporting material requested in this packet (including the application cover sheet and Producer’s Warranty). See the final page for “Frequently Asked Questions.”
2. Ship (via mail or USPS/FedEx/UPS/DHL, etc.) the completed application package to: IDA, PARE LORENTZ FINISHING FUND AWARD 2009, 1201 W5th St., #M270, Los Angeles, CA 90017.
3. All application materials should be submitted in one package, and MUST be received (not postmarked) by Thursday, August 13, 2009. Late applications will not be accepted. International Documentary Association is not responsible for any material stolen or lost while in transit. For your own protection, please retain copies of all materials sent. Due to the volume of material received each year, we cannot confirm receipt of materials. If you would like delivery confirmation, please add this feature to your package at the post office when shipping your materials, or send your package via any trackable delivery service (i.e., DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc.)
4. Judging takes place between August 8 – September 18, 2009.
5. The Award Winner will be notified by telephone between September 20-23, 2009. All applicants will be notified of their application status by Sept. 30, 2009

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(Please review the following frequently asked questions before contacting us)

Q: I am a non-profit corporation—can I apply for this finishing fund award?

A: Yes, as long as you meet the criteria listed in the “general eligibility” section on page 1 of this packet.

Q: I am a graduate/professional program student—can I apply for film finishing funds?

A: No. We do not accept applications for student projects of any kind.

Q: I am finishing up the last stages of principal photography, and should be completed by the time you make the final judging decisions. Can I send you my work in progress for consideration, since I’ve begun editing already?

A: No. You must have completely finished principal photography and a rough cut of your film at the time your application is submitted.

Q: I’ve applied for the Pare Lorentz Finishing Fund Award in 2007, and was not selected. Can I apply again with the same project?

A: Yes. We welcome repeat applications, especially if you are farther along in the process.

Q: I’ve applied for Pare Lorentz Finishing Fund Award in the past and not been selected. Will this hurt my chances if I apply with another project this year?

A: No. Each project is judged on its own merits each time.

Q: How will I know if I’ve received this award?

A: The Award Winner will be notified by telephone between September 11-14, 2009. All applicants will be notified of their application status by Sept. 20, 2009. Please do not call or email us to check on your application status during the judging process. We are unable to give status updates or add any additional material to your application package once judging has begun.

Q: Do you provide feedback for applicants?

A: Due to the large number of applications received, we regret that we cannot provide individual feedback.

Q: Can my material be returned to me after judging?

A: Unfortunately, due to limited staff resources, we are unable to return your materials. They will be discarded immediately after judging. We strongly urge you to retain original copies of all your work.

If after reviewing all of the above information you still have a question about the application process, please contact the International Documentary Association Programs & Events Manager at programs@documentary.org or at 213.534.3600. Due to limited time and resources, email is our preferred form of contact, and will get a faster response.

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PRODUCER'S WARRANTY I represent and warrant that:


1. The enclosed application (“Application”) and all of the information submitted in connection therewith to IDA is accurate;
2. International Documentary Association (IDA) has the right to use and duplicate the Application including the DVDs and all other materials submitted with the Application (the “Materials”) for purposes of evaluation, review and research;
3. IDA is not responsible for loss or damage to the Materials, or for any misuse by any third party unless done under IDA's express direction or authorization;
4. I own or control all of the Materials and all right title and interest including all right title and interest including copyright the film project described in the Application (the “Film”).
5. The Film and the Material are wholly original with me and do not infringe upon, violate the rights or constitute a libel, slander, or an unfair competition against, or infringe upon or violate the copyright, common law rights, or literary, dramatic, photoplay rights or privacy or publicity, or any other rights of the person, firm, corporation or other entity. All Awardees must agree to the following: 
   
   1. Credit will be given to International Documentary Association and Pare Lorentz Finishing Fund on screen substantially as follows:
      
      1. Acknowledgment of IDA’s support with the EXACT wording as follows subject to Item ii below: Additional funding provided by: International Documentary Association and Pare Lorentz Finishing Fund.
      2. Insertion of the IDA logo adjacent to acknowledgment (digital file to be provided by IDA), except in cases where broadcasters have restrictions for the use of logos in end credits, in which case the text indicated in paragraph a.i above will suffice for credit acknowledgment.
   2. Credit and/or logo of IDA finishing fund sponsors will be included on screen and in advertising and publicity as and in the manner specified by IDA at the time the award is granted. This may include modification of the above International Documentary Association and Pare Lorentz Finishing Fund Award credit to incorporate the names of such sponsors.
   3. The film is in post-production.
   4. IDA will be kept informed of all revisions, modifications and/or material changes in circumstances relating to the Proposal and/or to the Film, including without limitation any distribution and exhibition agreements.
   5. Once the Film is completed FOUR DVD COPIES of the finished film/tape will be sent to IDA for noncommercial screenings or archival purposes.
   6. IDA shall be entitled to use clips from the Film for purposes of promotion, fundraising, recruiting and reporting to its membership and donors.
   7. Adequate accounting records will be available to IDA upon request.
   8. You acknowledge that execution by you of IDA’s standard grant agreement (a copy of which is available for review on the website and in the IDA office) is a precondition of your receipt of any PLFFA monies.

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