S.C. Film Commission has grants to give

The South Carolina Film Commission announced today that up to $200,000 may be made available to film makers that partner with the Media Arts Department at the University of South Carolina or the Film, Radio and Television Department of Trident Technical College. Each partnership will be eligible to receive up to $100,000 to create a short film through the South Carolina Production Fund.

“The goal of the Production Fund is to instill collaboration between film makers and our institutes of higher education that have film production programs resulting in the professional development of our students and professionals alike,” said Jeff Monks, South Carolina’s Film Commissioner, “The final projects should be capable of competing in film festivals around the country.”

“The Production Fund application process has been streamlined this year and will incorporate the skills of feature film industry professionals throughout the process to ensure participants better understand the working environment of a feature film,” said Tom Clark, the Production Fund’s Manager, “This will better organize the production, further develop individual skills, and continue to develop a job-ready workforce that is ready to capture the high paying jobs that this industry creates”

The Production Fund was created as part of the South Carolina Motion Picture Incentive Act to further develop the Motion Picture industry within South Carolina. “We encourage all film makers to enter this competition,” continued Monks, “This is a real opportunity to demonstrate the skills and talents resident within our state.”

On Aug. 12, a public meeting to discuss the Production Fund and the application process will be held at the University of South Carolina at 6 p.m. Sept. 18 is the deadline for the first round of applications, which includes a script and a project overview. Details about the upcoming meeting and the Production Fund may be found on the Film Commission’s website at www.FilmSC.com.

For more information regarding the SC Production Fund, contact Tom Clark at the SC Film Commission at (803) 737-0498.