Cash and technology grant for Texas independent filmmakers
Awarded as part of the 2015 Austin Film Society Grant
March 13, 2015 (Austin, TX) – Today the Austin Film Society announced they are partnering with Dell to establish the AFS “Powered by Dell” Grant. This grant will award $15,000 in cash, plus high-end Dell Precision workstations with Adobe Creative Cloud editing software and UltraSharp displays to Texas independent filmmakers in post-production. Dell is a forerunner in the transformative role that technology plays throughout the filmmaking process. In the gifted hands of grant recipients, the unparalleled performance and dependability of Dell Precision workstations will help bring the creative vision to life. The awards will be given out as part of the annual AFS Grant cycle in September, which awards $100,000 annually to filmmakers in the state of Texas. Grant submissions open at the end of March.
“Dell has an established history of support for independent filmmakers and that comes from a passion for designing technology that empowers high quality, breakthrough content to be developed efficiently and with little downtime,” said Andy Rhodes, global executive director for Dell workstations. “We’re thrilled this partnership with AFS gives us another opportunity to encourage and enable talented filmmakers to take their creative process to the next level.”
“With nearly 20 years of running a successful AFS Grant program, the Austin Film Society values partners who understand the needs of emerging artists, and who share our passion for supporting and strengthening the Texas film community,” said Austin Film Society’s Executive Director Rebecca Campbell. ““The Powered by Dell” Grant is evidence of Dell’s deep commitment to empowering filmmakers through first-rate technology. It will provide all-important funding, as well as precision tools for artists to achieve their vision. The fact that Dell is a homegrown Texas company is icing on the cake, and we look forward to a long relationship with Dell.”
Filmmakers residing in Texas are eligible to apply to the AFS Grant for funds for production, post-production and distribution of independent films of any length and genre. Applicants for the 2015 cycle may opt into applying for the “Powered by Dell” Grant, for a combination of cash and in-kind product: the Dell Film editing suite, including Precision workstations, UltraSharp displays and Adobe Creative Cloud Suite. Recipients of the “Powered by Dell” Grant unfamiliar with Adobe products will receive complimentary training hours with a licensed Adobe professional.
The Austin Film Society Grant was started in 1996 to award production funds to filmmakers residing in the state of Texas. Since it’s launch, it has given $1.45 million in cash and $161,000 in in-kind production goods and services, for a total of $1.6 million in grants to more than 350 Texas-based Society. This year, the cash alone awarded will surpass $1.5 million. The Austin Film Society has largely raised these grant dollars through the annual Texas Film Awards, which just celebrated it’s 15th anniversary last evening, March 12th, in Austin, as well as film premieres and special events.
Filmmakers who have received the grant have gone on to screen at top film festivals around the world, such as Cannes, Sundance and Toronto; have received and been nominated for Film Independent Spirit Awards, Gotham Independent Film Awards, and Student Academy Awards, and received Guggenheim fellowships. These films have gone on to be picked up by top independent distributors including IFC Films, Magnolia Pictures, and Sony Pictures Classics, among others. The list of AFS grantees include very significant names in filmmaking, such as Jeff Nichols (MUD), David Zellner (KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER), Andrew Bujalski (RESULTS), Margaret Brown (THE ORDER OF MYTHS) and David Lowery (AIN’Tv THEM BODIES SAINTS).
About Dell
Dell listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. For more information, visit www.dell.com.
About Austin Film Society
The Austin Film Society empowers our community to make, watch and love film and creative media. Through Austin Studios, which AFS opened in 2000 through a lease with the City of Austin, AFS attracts film development and production to Austin and Texas. Gala film premieres and the annual Texas Film Awards raise funds and awareness of the impact of film on economy and community. Austin Film Society is ranked among the top film centers in the country and recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and Directors Guild of America. For more information on the Austin Film Society, visit www.austinfilm.org.
