STUDENT FILM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The Student Film Assistance Program (SFAP) is a funding program exclusively offered to students who are currently enrolled in AFS-registered colleges and universities and will be producing their thesis film. Successful projects may receive a grant amounting from PHP 30,000.00 to PHP 50,000.00 for the production of a thesis film project.

APPLICANTS

Students who are currently enrolled in AB Film, Communication, or any related course program in public or private universities and colleges that are registered to the Academic Film Society; has a good academic standing with no failing grades; will be producing a film as their thesis or course project which is a major requirement for graduation.

  • FINANCIAL GRANT

    The FDCP may award a Grant amounting from PHP 30,000.00 to PHP 50,000.00 for the production of a thesis film project.

    The FDCP will open up to 25 slots per semester (or 50 slots per year) to all Filipino student filmmakers from any accredited educational institution in the country. The program will be opened on two cycles based on the start of the semesters of each academic year. The grant is awarded per project.

 

  • TRAINING

    The successful Grantees will be required to attend a one day Masterclass in Film Production to be conducted by the FDCP.  This will serve as a refresher course and will ensure that the Grantees are equipped for the conduct of their film production.

The program is dedicated to college students who:

  • are currently enrolled in AB Film, Communication, or any related course program in public or private universities and colleges that are registered to the Academic Film Society;

  • has a good academic standing with no failing grades;

  • will be producing a film as their thesis or course project which is a major requirement for graduation.

  • The program is only open for academic film projects that meet the following:

  • Writer, director, and producer must be Filipino and enrolled in a course program in film, communication, or any related program;

  • Must be a work of fiction, documentary, experimental, or animation;

  • Must be in Filipino, other Filipino languages, or English;

  • Must have a production-ready script or treatment (if documentary);

  • Must be ready to commence principal photography within 6 months;

 


What Projects Are Not Accepted

  • Advertisements or commercials;

  • Television or web series;

  • Projects that may already be classified under R-18 of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) Guidelines.

Qualified Expenses

  • Production 
  • Studio rental
  • Location rental/on-set shootings
  • Permits
  • Equipment rental
  • Health and Safety Requirements
  • Transportation for location shoot
  • Lodging during location shoot
  • Production Design / Props

Post-production 

  • Outsourced video editing services such as online conform, color-grading, animation / visual effect / 3D conversion, etc. from professional post-production studios
  • Outsourced audio-post production services such as sound editing, music, and scoring, sound design, sound mixing, voice-over, etc. from professional post-production studios
  • Subscription to audio-visual post-production softwares such as Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Audition, etc. 
  • Post-production requirements such as hard drives, flash drives, and CDs.

Non-qualified Expenses

The Grant may NOT be used to cover the costs for the following:

  • Any part of the student/s or university's fees;
  • Any expenses outside of the Philippines; and
  • Purchase of any type of equipment (e.g. computers, laptops, tablets, cellular phones, modems, fax machines)
  • Talent fees for actors and production staff
     

  • Complete and accurately filled out SFAP Application Form

  • Student’s latest Enrollment Form and/or School ID

  • Certified True Copy of latest student evaluation / grade report

  • Official Letter of Endorsement for the Student from the Department Chair/Head/College Dean (Template provided) 

  • Work and Financial Plan (Template provided) 

  • Final Production Script

  • Portfolio/reel, if any

  1. Submission. Application must be submitted via email to [email protected]

  2. Verification. The Development Support Division (DSD) shall check all documents and verify accuracy and completeness. Once verified, the proponent will be prompted to send the hardcopy of the signed and notarized Statutory Declaration. 

  3. Technical Committee Evaluation. Once received, the application will be reviewed by a technical committee composed of members with expertise across the areas of film production, as well as members of the academe. Each application will be evaluated based on the following:

    • Quality of the script

    • Academic Standing of Student

    • Feasibility of work plan

    • Credibility of the Financial Plan or proposal on where the applicant intends to spend the Grant

    • Potential of the academic film project to be competed in film festivals

The application may be accepted or declined if it does not comply with all of the guidelines of the program. The decision of the Technical Committee is final and irrevocable. The Technical Committee is not obliged to give any further explanation for the results.

The SFAP will be opened for two (2) cycles per year. Applicants must ensure to lodge their documents before the close date of the cycle that applies to their current semester. 

  • Cycle 1: TBA

  • Cycle 2: TBA