Academy Relaunches Grant Programs After 1-Year Hiatus

AMPAS programs offering grants to film scholars, festivals and film education are accepting applications again

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AMPAS

One year after putting the programs on hiatus, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has relaunched its grants program to support film festivals, educational institutions and film scholars.

The Academy is now accepting applications for its 2016 FilmWatch grants, which go to North American film festivals, film societies and film-related organizations; its FilmCraft grants, for education programs designed to help aspiring filmmakers from “nontraditional backgrounds”; and its Academy Film Scholars program, which awards two $25,000 grants to individuals pursing works of film scholarship.

The programs had been put on hiatus last year after a vote by the Academy’s Board of Governors, with an Academy spokesperson telling TheWrap that the organization was looking “to re-evaluate some of our grant-giving to ensure that each of these programs has the greatest benefit to the Academy and the communities it serves.”

Groups of film scholars and film festivals protested the cutbacks, which came at a time when the Academy was increasingly focusing on getting its Academy Museum of Motion Pictures off the ground.

But the hiatus only lasted a year, and all of the affected programs are now accepting applications. The FilmWatch and FilmCraft applications must be completed by Dec. 15, while Academy Film Scholars applicants have until Jan 31, 2016.

The Academy Museum is preparing to break ground, though AMPAS officials have delayed the planned 2015 start to deal with complaints from neighbors of the project, which will be located in the former May Co. building in the Miracle Mile district of Los Angeles.


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