Info for Film Producers

Texas Film Commission – Financing Your Film

The following information is from the Texas Film Commission:

Job Hotline – How to List Cast and Crew Calls

How do I fund (finance) my project?

The Texas Film Commission administrates the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program (TMIIIP), which offers a cash grant to qualifying projects based on a percentage of their eligible Texas expenditures. The Texas Film Commission does not maintain information about private investors. For information about additional grant and crowdfunding resources that may be suitable for your project’s needs, download the PDF’s below. This is not a comprehensive list of all grants available and those listed are not affiliated with the Texas Film Commission.

Film / TV / Screenwriting Grants (PDF – last Updated Feb. 2019)

I need financing for my film. What should I do? (from the Austin Film Society’s Filmmaker FAQ)

Understanding film finance is key for any independent filmmaker. Crowdfunding has become an important part of nearly every low-budget film’s financing plan, but success on crowdfunding is not a given. Before you crowdfund, research best practices. Kickstarter and Seed&Spark prioritize filmmaker education around crowdfunding. You should research fiscal sponsorship, where a 501(c)(3) organization umbrellas your project so that you can seek grants and donations – this is often a requirement for receiving foundation grants and tax deductions.

Film finance research tools:

  • The IFP Resources site, has extensive articles about film finance. Search topics such as international sales markets, pre-sale agreements, film investing, crowdfunding and more.
  • BritDoc, which maintains an extensive list of film funders and funding resources on their Film Resources site
  • The Foundation Center, where you can sign up for a free weekly RFP (Requests for Proposals) newsletter, which frequents lists grants for film/video-related foundations & government agencies.