Who can apply for and receive the grant?

This grant is for young or emerging filmmakers in Australia. This means people who 1) haven't made a feature film before, and 2) don't yet work professionally in the film industry as a director or producer. Without excluding others, special consideration will be given to:

• First Nations filmmakers
• Filmmakers with lived experience of their story
• School-age filmmakers, or filmmakers over 50
• Scripts addressing the festival's core themes

What does the $5k grant fund?

The grant is intended for production costs. This includes location, equipment, cast/crew, post-production, etc. (The majority of the grant should be spent on production, not post-production).

What doesn't it fund?

The grant should not be used for non-production-related expenses, or travel to/accommodation for attending HRAFF Melbourne.

Are there requirements for specific stories?

The Directors Circle will fund films that offer fresh and authentic perspectives on the most relevant issues of our time, based upon the festivals base criteria and core themes.

A Human Rights film is premised on the concept that we all share a universal humanity that is inherently worthy of dignity and respect. It does not need to address a particular right or issue, but special consideration will be given to scripts that address the festival's core themes for the year, as outlined in the festival's Submissions Terms & Conditions.

HRAFF's core themes of 2021 are:

• Indigenous Voices
• Conflict & The Global Movement of People
• Gender & Sexuality
• Climate Action
• The Rights of the Child
• Truth & Justice

What's the process & timeline?

January 2021 - Applications Open
May 2021 - Applications Closed
May 2021 - Applications Reviewed by Members
June 2021 - Winners Announced
May 2022 - Film Screening at HRAFF 2022

What's the process for becoming a Member?

1. Register interest OR sign-up immediately via the HRAFF website. Our Partnerships & Development Manager will reach out to introduce the program in more detail and answer any questions you may have.
2. Members will receive regular emails about the progress of the program or Behind The Scenes updates.
3. In the lead up to and during the Annual Festival, HRAFF will encourage emerging filmmakers to apply and submit their film pitches.
4. After the Festival, Members will come together at an event (online or in-person) to view and vote on a showcase of pitches.
5. After the Member event, winning scripts will be announced. Our Partnerships & Development Manager will call each Member to share the good news! Winners will be announced across all HRAFF communication channels.
6. During development, regular email updates will be sent to Members to show how each project is progressing.
7. The final cut of the three films will be shown in a special Members event (at least 2 months before the next Annual Festival). All Members will also be highlighted and thanked in the Annual Festival program.

What are the specific benefits of being a member?

Being a member means that you are able to directly contribute to the selection of recipients of the grants. The following year, you will be able to then attend a screening of the film that you helped to fund. You also get to connect with like-minded members who are passionate about the arts and human rights.

What are the differences between membership tiers?

To be part of the Director's Circle, members will be on one of three donation-based tiers: $1K, $2K, or $5K. These tiers have the same access to all benefits.

What do I need to apply?

Each applicant will need to make sure they and their story match the application criteria (above), fill out the application form, and provide:

1. A script, roughly aimed at a final length of 4–10 minutes.
2. A 1 minute to-camera video that introduces yourself and pitches your film.

What are the requirements of the final film?

• Story: the film should follow the original script's central narrative and align with the festival's core themes
• Duration: under 10 minutes long
• Credits: you should include the HRAFF Director's Circle in the credits as Executive Producer [TBD]. Exact details will be provided.
• Deadline: the film should be delivered by [TBD].
• Format: provided for screening at Humankind and HRAFF Melbourne as an .mp4 or .mov file [TBD].
• Early screenings: the possibility of any additional public screenings before HRAFF Melbourne should be brought to our attention beforehand.

Rights & Distribution

HRAFF will screen the short films at HRAFF Melbourne, sell tickets to the screening and keep proceeds to help pay for the event. Following the debut screening, HRAFF will upload the films to our YouTube channel, and list the filmmakers' key details in each video's description. Beyond that, HRAFF will not sell tickets to any further screenings, and the filmmaker retains all rights to their work.